A Valley Head man is accused of shooting a woman to death.
According to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office, 27-year-old James Michael Howard Jr. was charged with murder and public intoxication.
Deputies, along with Collinsville Police Department and Crossville Police Department, responded to an address on County Road 221 in Collinsville on Tuesday in regard to an unresponsive female.
When law enforcement arrived, the sheriff’s office says she was found dead with an apparent gunshot wound. The DeKalb County Criminal Investigation Division then responded due to suspicious circumstances surrounding her death.
The sheriff’s office says a man, later identified as Howard, was encountered in the area by neighbors of the victim a short time after law enforcement arrived on scene.
The neighbors promptly notified law enforcement of Howard’s presence, and he was detained and interviewed after investigators determined him to have been present at the victim’s residence earlier.
After interviewing multiple individuals with knowledge of the circumstances surrounding the victim’s death as well as processing the scene, Howard was booked into the DeKalb County Detention Center.
“Thank you to the officers with Collinsville Police Department, Crossville Police Department, Jacksonville State Center for Applied Forensics, as well as the neighbors who alerted law enforcement, all of your help and information played a vital role in the quick apprehension of Howard," said DeKalb County Sheriff Nick Welden. "This is such a tragic and senseless act of violence and our thoughts and prayers are with the friends and family of the victim.â€
James Michael Howard Jr.
