Murder of Tromain Mackall by William Howard examined on Murder in the Heartland

Murder in the Heartland is investigating the murder of Tromain Mackall, a resident of Owensboro, Kentucky, who was strangled to death by William Howard, Melanie Howard, and Christopher Hill in the summer of 2016.

On July 25, 2016, Mackall’s partner reported the 29-year-old as missing to the Ohio County Sheriff’s Dept. The Maryland native was last seen alive the night before at a party that straddled the county line between Ohio and Daviess Counties.

Witnesses at the party told the police that Mackall had been arguing with several people at the party before leaving on foot.

Mackall’s body was finally located just over a week later, on August 2, about 30 miles from the party location in Grayson County. His tied-up body was found in a toolbox that had been placed into a creek.

An autopsy revealed that the victim had been strangled, and the cops suspected he was killed in Daviess County before being transported to the creek by a pick-up truck.

Mackall had only moved from Maryland a few months previously, and some suspicion initially fell on his partner Jonathan DeWitt, aka Simone Dahlia, a transgender woman who had a history of violence and assault. However, they were vindicated when the Kentucky State Crime Lab found evidence that pointed to William Howard as the killer.

Tromain Mackall kidnapped and murdered by William Howard

Howard was accused and eventually convicted of murder, kidnapping, and tampering with physical evidence. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

The cops concluded that Howard was aided and abetted by Melanie Howard and Christopher Hill, both of whom were convicted of facilitating murder, facilitating kidnapping, and tampering with evidence, and were given jail terms of 15 years each. All three defendants had pleaded guilty.

At the sentencing, Mackall’s mother, Bertie Mackall, told the murderous trio: “He was loved by so many people. So many people. And you ruthlessly, carelessly, cowardly took his life because you did not care.”

More from Murder in the Heartland

Follow the links to read about more murders committed in America’s heartland.

The marriage of Stacy and Dene Shoemaker was in serious trouble. And on one faithful morning, Dene shot his wife twice in the head and then tried to make the crime scene look like a home invasion.

Michael Montano fell out with Jody Fortuna and Phillip Brewer, two of his old buddies, over drugs and money and shot them both dead. He dismembered their corpses in his bathtub and left their body parts in his truck.

Murder in the Heartland airs at 9/8c on Investigation Discovery.