Son to be arraigned in mother's death

BENTON, Mo. -- A Scott City man will be arraigned in Scott County Circuit Court on charges related to the death of his mother, whose body was found last month in a burning vehicle.

Neil Howland Jr. is charged with four felonies in connection with the Aug. 7 death of his mother, Cynthia Canoy of Scott City.

Howland appeared in court Wednesday for preliminary hearings on those charges and a separate unlawful use of a weapon charge stemming from a May incident involving his stepfather.

Associate Circuit Judge Scott Horman on Wednesday set Howland for arraignment in front of Circuit Judge David Dolan on charges related to Canoy's death.

Horman continued the second case to Nov. 19, when Howland is scheduled to appear in front of him for a preliminary hearing on the weapon charges.

Howland is charged with first-degree murder, abandonment of a corpse, tampering with evidence and knowingly burning -- all felonies -- in connection with his mother's death.

On Aug. 7, crews responding to a car fire off County Road 323 discovered a body in the car. An autopsy showed Canoy died before the fire.

Howland is charged with killing Canoy by strangling her with a dog leash. Howland transported Canoy's body and two of her dogs to a field near the county road and set the vehicle on fire in an attempt to destroy evidence, authorities allege.

He was arrested Aug. 9, two days after his mother's body was found, on charges of third-degree assault and unlawful use of a weapon in connection with a May 18 incident in which Canoy and her husband, Jerry Canoy, told police Howland had threatened them with a machete and firearms, and they feared for their lives.

While in jail on those charges, Howland was charged with Cynthia Canoy's murder.

Howland's girlfriend, Tiffany Warner, also faces charges in connection with Canoy's death. She is charged with tampering with evidence and has a preliminary hearing set for Oct. 23.

Court records show Howland is being held in the Scott County Jail without bond and is being represented by public defender Amy Commean.

skluesner@semissourian.com

388-3648

Pertinent address:

Benton, Mo.