Fla. Man Convicted of Killing, Dismembering Mom of 2. Prosecutors Say He Was Angry She Wanted to Date Other People

A Florida man has been convicted of fatally shooting a mother of two before dismembering, burning, and burying her remains in a remote area.

Daniel L. Stearns, 35, was found guilty on Oct. 6 of second-degree murder, abuse of a dead human body, and tampering with or destroying evidence in connection with the death of 44-year-old Nancy Howery, according to a press release from the Office of the State Attorney for Florida’s 18th Judicial District.

Howery was reported missing by her ex-husband on Feb. 18, 2023, after she failed to pick up her two children. Her Honda minivan was discovered abandoned in Southwest Palm Bay the next day.

Prosecutors said Stearns, who had previously dated Howery, killed her after becoming angry that she didn’t want an exclusive relationship. He allegedly shot her in the head, then dismembered and burned her body before burying her remains in The Compound, an undeveloped area of Palm Bay.

Investigators from the Brevard County Sheriff’s Department interviewed Stearns within a week of the murder and began tracking his nightly trips to The Compound. During one surveillance operation, deputies detained him as he was dumping “something from a bucket” along the C-54 Canal, according to the press release. Deputies later discovered shovels inside the bed and rear seat of Stearns’ truck.

Stearns reportedly told investigators that he and Howery were out for a gun lesson when they began arguing over dating. He claimed that she “charged him” as he was about to fire his weapon and that she “forced him to kill her,” according to WFTV9.

Following his conviction, Stearns is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 3. He faces a possible life sentence.