Photo: Michael Paul Howard
Michael Paul Howard’s first criminal case in Baxter County was opened 21 years ago.
The 40-year-old Howard, who lists addresses along Buford Road and in Whitehall (Jefferson County), has now picked up charges in two new cases – one opened in June and the other in late October.
He was due to appear in Baxter County Circuit Court Thursday by video hookup from the county jail but refused to participate.
A jailer told Circuit Judge John Putman if Howard’s presence was required, staff would get him in front of the camera.
Judge Putman said it wasn’t necessary, and a not guilty plea to his latest charges was entered by the court.
Howard was free on a $25,000 bond in the June case, when he was allegedly involved in additional criminal activity last month.
LATEST CHARGES
The latest run in with the law took place Oct. 26, when a Baxter County sheriff’s deputy saw Howard driving a vehicle, even though his driver’s license was suspended.
In addition, he had an outstanding arrest warrant issued by the Mountain Home Police Department.
As the deputy turned around to make a stop on the vehicle, Howard – as he has often done – fled.
At one point in the short pursuit, Howard turned onto a “trail road” and ran through cable fences disabling his vehicle.
Howard has often continued to try and flee from police on foot, when he is forced to abandon vehicles. He stayed true to form in the Oct. 26 chase and took to his feet once his car stopped running, after the collision with the cable fences.
A woman with Howard, 39-year-old Reba Diane Miller, also bailed out of the disabled vehicle. She did not make it far before being taken into custody.
FOUND HIDING BEHIND LOG
Howard was eventually found hiding behind a rotted out log by a state department of correction canine tracking team.
According to the probable cause affidavit, Howard was armed with a knife and initially refused to follow commands given by law enforcement officers.
The vehicle Howard and Miller occupied at the time of the October arrest was searched, and a substance testing positive for methamphetamine, along with suspected marijuana, syringes and pipes commonly used to ingest marijuana, was located.
In his newest case, Howard is charged with fleeing, possession of methamphetamine and marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
EARLIER CASE
In the case filed in June, Howard and two females were arrested after allegedly breaking into the home of a deceased woman and stealing items.
Just after 7 a.m. June 12, Baxter County sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of what was described as an ongoing burglary at a home along Clay Mountain Lane.
The person making the report said a vehicle was parked at the residence that did not belong there, and that a male had been seen prying open the door of the home with a shovel.
When deputies arrived, they came in contact with Howard, 33-year-old Staci Smith and 39-year-old Christina Walters.
The vehicle in the driveway, registered to Howard, was found to be loaded with a number of items believed to have been removed from the home.
A check of the interior of the residence revealed open doors and drawers and boxes that were filled with items. The report on the crime noted that while the home was unoccupied, all of the deceased woman’s property remained inside.
As the three people were being questioned, Howard took off on foot disappearing into nearby woods. He was captured about a half hour later.
SEX OFFENDER REGISTRATION
At least six of the criminal charges lodged against Howard during the years stem from failure to abide by sex offender registration requirements.
Howard has had a number of excuses for breaking the sex offender registration requirements.
He once told officers he had not shown up for a required compliance assessment because he “did not have a driver’s license, he was tired, his mother was still sleeping and it was raining.”
Howard was required to register after being convicted of felonious restraint and unlawful use of a weapon in Missouri in 2003.
While there was no sexual component to Howard’s charge, Missouri law at the time required sex offender registration for the offense of felonious restraint.
ESCAPE
Howard also faced escape charges in Boone County in mid-2012, after he was able to open the door of a vehicle being driven by a Baxter County deputy at a stoplight in Harrison and run off still handcuffed.
At the time of the escape, Howard was being transported to Baxter County from Fort Smith.
According to a report of the incident, Howard ran to a nearby home improvement store and was able to cut his handcuffs off using tools on the store’s shelves.
He also stole the deputy’s cellphone.
Boone County authorities apprehended him about an hour and a half, after he bailed out of the Baxter County deputy’s car.
He was put on probation on charges stemming from his escape.
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