One month after being shot in her driveway, allegedly by a
hitman hired by her husband, a Texas woman appeared in court to face her
estranged husband.
Nancy Howard walked into a Denton,
Texas, courtroom Tuesday to move forward with her request for a divorce
from her husband, John Howard.
Prosecutors say John Howard, a
successful accountant who sang in a church choir, had a secret life and
paid a series of alleged hitmen over $100,000 to kill his wife so he
could be with his mistress in California. Nancy Howard was shot in the
driveway of her Carrollton, Texas, home on August 18.
The mother
of three was in a coma for days after the bullet destroyed her left eye
and lodged in her lung. "I prayed through the whole incident and called
on God to save me, and he did. He carried me through," Nancy Howard told
ABC News affiliate WFAA Tuesday as she walked into court.
John
Howard admits to the affair that lasted four years, but denies having
anything to do in his wife's shooting and has pleaded not guilty to
criminal solicitation.
John Howard's attorney, Arch McColl, told
ABC News that Nancy Howard really doesn't want a divorce. "He has three
beautiful children, a long marriage with a lovely wife who does not want
to divorce him. She's indicated that in writing," said McColl.
Nancy
Howard refused to answer any questions about her marriage outside the
courtroom with reporters, but she's obviously moving forward with it by
showing up in court Tuesday. "I am thankful. Thankful that I have life.
Thankful that God has given me life. That's going to be a great future,"
Howard told WFAA.
Frank Howard, 52, attended the hearing still
wearing his wedding band, hoping to reconcile with his wife. "I think
they've got a possibility of doing that. I think they're both people of
strong faith; he's been very active in his church for 30 years — 25 or
30 years — he sings in the choir," said McColl.
Howard is also
being hauled into court by a defense contractor that he used to work
for. The company is accusing Howard of embezzling millions from
contracts in the Middle East to finance his alleged secret life.
Police
say the alleged plot to kill Nancy Howard began in 2009, just weeks
before the shooting. The alleged hitman, Dustin Hiroms, was arrested on
July 13 for traffic violations and the passenger in the car was
identified as Jason Rendine, according to the affidavit. The police stop
occurred a half mile from the Howards' Carrollton, Texas, home.
Hiroms
told officers he had come to Carrollton to get money from his uncle,
who lives on Bluebonnet Way. Rendine mentioned it was the fifth house
and that a Lexus was supposed to be parked outside, according to the
affidavit. After officers questioned the two men, they changed their
story and said they were in town to meet with an investor named John who
hired Hiroms as a hit man.
Hiroms was arrested for traffic
offenses and was released two days later, according to the affidavit. On
Aug. 24, Billie Johnson, who is Hirom's stepfather and was being held
at Denton County Jail on unrelated charges, contacted investigators with
information about the alleged plot.
Johnson told police he was
contacted by Howard three years ago and was offered money to have Nancy
Howard killed. "Johnson advised that over the past three years he has
had numerous contacts and conversations with Howard regarding the
contract killing of his wife," the affidavit stated.
After Hiroms
was arrested on the aggravated robbery charge, he admitted to police he
had met and received money from Howard, but denied having any role in
the aggravated robbery of Nancy Howard, the affidavit stated
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