Accused in Amherst slaying makes first court appearance

ELLSWORTH – Tad Howard’s parents and siblings sat in court on Monday, briefly stealing glances at the man accused of murdering their son and brother.

John J. Turner, 34, of Bangor made his initial appearance in Hancock County Superior Court. He has been charged with murder in the death of Howard, a 27-year-old from Ellsworth.

Turner was arrested last Friday at Acadia Hospital in Bangor, nearly two weeks after Howard’s body was found shot to death in a ditch in the northwestern Hancock County town of Amherst.

During Monday’s brief hearing, Turner sat upright, staring straight ahead with his hands folded in front of him. The wiry man with sunken eyes and several days worth of stubble didn’t speak, except to confer briefly with his attorney, Jeffrey Toothaker of Ellsworth.

Superior Court Justice Kevin Cuddy ordered that Turner be held at Hancock County Jail until a bail hearing, which was scheduled for Thursday.

Toothaker said he has talked only briefly with his client since last Friday but admitted that Turner is distraught about his arrest and has been on suicide watch.

Hancock County Sheriff William Clark, who escorted Turner to his court appearance, confirmed that jail officials are keeping a close eye on the man but haven’t had any problems so far.

Although Turner has been charged with Howard’s death, the arrest affidavit associated with the case has been sealed at the request of the state Attorney General’s Office.

Andrew Benson, who will prosecute the case for the state, said Monday afternoon that it’s unlikely any insight into how Howard died or how the two men knew each other will be revealed before Thursday.

Police have said that Turner and Howard were acquainted, but they haven’t said how.

In court, Howard’s family sat in the front row behind Hancock County Deputy District Attorney Carletta Bassano, who stood in for Benson at Monday’s hearing.

Dale Howard, the dead man’s father, put one arm around his former wife, Lucy Howard, and the other around his other son, Toby Howard, Tad’s twin brother.

After Turner’s court appearance, the Howard family declined to speak to reporters.

Turner’s mother, Alyssia Turner, also sat in the courtroom Monday, just a few feet from Howard’s parents. Before Turner was taken back to jail, the accused man turned toward his mother, who mouthed the words, “I love you.”

Turner’s last known address was in Bangor but it isn’t clear how long he had been living there. His mother confirmed on Monday afternoon that her son had been living with her.

Standing on her front porch in Bangor, Alyssia Turner said she did not wish to talk about last week’s arrest or any details surrounding Tad Howard’s death.

“It’s in God’s hands now,” she said.

The formal charge filed in Hancock County Superior Court indicates that “on or about July 8 … John Joseph Turner did intentionally or knowingly cause the death of another human being, Tad Howard.”

Howard’s body was found Monday, July 9, reportedly dumped in the ditch of a new subdivision road off Route 9 in Amherst. An employee of the landowner was mowing grass when he came upon the body, police have said.

Neighbors of Turner’s mother in Bangor had no recollection of the accused man. Employees at the Bangor Area Homeless Shelter and Manna Ministries Inc. said Monday that Turner looked familiar but couldn’t place him.

Turner has a criminal history in Maine dating back to 1993, and he recently spent time in jail related to a theft conviction in 2003.