Na’zier Howard sits with attorneys Melody Goodin and Kenneth Sturgill.
Dean Brown | The Lima News
LIMA — A Lima man currently serving an unrelated prison sentence for robbery changed his plea to guilty for one murder charge in Allen County Common Pleas Court on Wednesday.
Na’zier Howard was indicted by the Allen County Grand Jury on the charges of aggravated murder, murder, and having a weapon under disability.
Police believe that Howard allegedly shot Kevonta Cowan in mid-December 2019 at a home on Kenilworth Avenue. Cowan was pronounced dead at the hospital. Howard is currently in prison, serving a 14-year sentence for robbing Hermies Party Shop and Little Caesars in January of 2020.
Prosecuting attorney Juergen Waldick explained the new agreement, “In exchange for the state dismissing counts one and three and the firearm specification on count two, that the defendant would be withdrawing his plea of not guilty to count two and enter a plea of guilty.”
Judge Reed was very deliberate in his conversations with Howard in an effort to make sure that the defendant fully understood the consequences of his actions.
“Counts one and three would be dismissed if you plead guilty to count two. The murder case is pretty straightforward. What the statute says there’s not any discretion. The sentence if you plead guilty is 15 years to life. I don’t have any discretion. That’s what the sentence is. It’s mandatory. The only discretion that I would have left on this because you have that other case that you are already sentenced on, I would have to decide whether the 15 to life mandatory sentence would be consecutive or whether it run concurrently.”
Judge Reed continued questioning Howard, asking if he was aware of the consequences of his decision. When the judge was satisfied, the defendant was asked to put the plea in writing by signing the document provided by the court.
Judge Reed summarized the court proceedings, “Based on that representation from counsel but more importantly, based on the conversation I just had with Mr. Howard, his answers to my questions on record, his demeanor in the court room, he appeared to understand what I was asking him. He also signed a written plea form and orally voiced his plea after we went over everything. So based on the totality, I will find Mr. Howard is knowingly, voluntarily entering a plea to count two of the murder without the firearm specification.”
Sentencing was set for Friday November 18, 2022 at 3:00 p.m.
Reach Dean Brown at 567-242-0409
