Shraman Mitra
To the outside eye, Frank Howard was living a wonderful life as he had a loving wife and three wonderful kids. However, unbeknown to most, Frank was in love with another woman named Suzanne and could not wait to begin a life with her. Hence, he was devastated when his wife, Nancy Howard, insisted that she would never sign any divorce documents. ‘Dateline: The Carrolton Plot’ chronicles how Nancy was attacked inside her own garage and follows the police investigation that led straight to her husband, Frank.
Who Is Frank Howard?
A father of three, Frank Howard resided in Carrolton, Texas, at the time of the attack. People who knew the Howards described them as a loving and close-knit family who loved participating in community events and doing everything together. Frank appeared to be in love with his longtime wife, Nancy, and the two even shared three children, all of whom were pretty close to their parents. When talking about their childhood, sisters Brianna Howard and Ashley Faus mentioned that Frank was a wonderful father who always prioritized his family over everything else. Moreover, even neighbors described him as a generous and kindhearted man, and they even insisted that there was nothing to suggest foul play.
Unfortunately, Frank’s life changed once he met and got acquainted with Suzanne. The father of three later claimed that he fell in love with Suzanne and wanted to build a life with her. Although Nancy had no idea about Suzanne at that time, she was someone who believed that marriage was eternal. Hence, she had made it pretty apparent that she would not sign any divorce papers if Frank asked her to. Naturally, this put Frank in a dilemma, as he had no idea how to deal with the issue. That was when things took a dark turn, as a desperate Frank decided to murder his wife in order to get his way.
Interestingly, Frank took on the pseudonym John and initially approached a man by the name of Billie Earl Johnson, who agreed to the job. However, Billie and his gang decided to play Frank and kept asking him for money, even though they never intended to go ahead with the hit. Frustrated and irritated, Frank eventually got in contact with Michael Speck, who agreed to the terms. Speck, in turn, took the help of his accomplice, Michael Lorence, and they attacked Nancy Howard in her garage on August 18, 2012. Although Lorence managed to shoot Nancy in the head before fleeing the scene, the mother of three somehow survived and managed to call 911 for help. Subsequently, first responders got her to the hospital on time, and the doctors were able to save Nancy’s life.
In the meantime, the police concluded that the attack was not a robbery as the money in Nancy’s purse as well as her car were untouched. That was when Billie Earl Johnson approached the police and claimed he had information about the incident. Through Billie, the police were able to get to Michael Speck before an anonymous phone call outed Michael Lorence as Speck’s accomplice. On top of it, the police learned that Frank was cheating on his wife, and although they suspected him of being involved, the suspicion was confirmed when a jailhouse phone conversation between Billie Earl and “John” proved that the client was actually Frank. Hence, law enforcement officers were able to arrest Frank, Speck, and Lorence for their roles in the crime.
Frank Howard is Still Behind Bars Today
Frank maintained his innocence from the very beginning and was also pretty cooperative with the investigators. He even chose not to hide the details surrounding his affair and was quite forthcoming with all information. However, once the police had concrete proof that he was the one who put out a hit on Nancy, they charged him with attempted capital murder. When presented in court, Frank pled not guilty and claimed he was not involved. However, the jury believed otherwise, and he was convicted on a single count of attempted capital murder. As a result, the judge sentenced him to 30 years to life in prison in 2014. At present, Frank remains incarcerated at the James “Jay” H. Byrd Jr. Unit in Huntsville, Texas, but readers should note that his daughters, Ashley and Brianna, still believe in their father’s innocence.
Read More: Where Are Frank and Nancy Howard’s Kids Now?
