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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Huckleberries Online

ISP trooper charged with stalking, assault

COEUR d'ALENE - An Idaho State Police trooper already on administrative leave without pay due to criminal charges in two counties now faces three more felony charges.

Trooper Daniel Howard, 48, was charged May 8 with first-degree stalking, aggravated assault and malicious injury to property. The new charges against Howard allegedly stem from Howard's reaction to learning his wife had been having an affair with their Athol neighbor, Matthew Wood.

According to a probable cause affidavit written by Det. Jerry Northrup, Wood and Howard's wife, Kendy, began their affair in late 2012. On March 3, 2013, Kendy told Howard about the affair and, after a confrontation at Kendy's workplace, she confessed that Wood was the man with whom she had been sleeping. This led Howard to a confrontation with Wood at his workplace and a string of allegedly retaliatory incidents.

"Damaging Wood's property with corn syrup, stealing his guns, stealing his mail, placing the anonymous letter in Wood's mailbox, placing the graffiti on his lawn, following him in a patrol car, pointing a rifle at him and even shooting his roof with a shotgun were done in a way to cause the most emotional damage to Wood but limit any physical evidence the perpetrator was Daniel Howard," Northrup wrote in the conclusion of the affidavit.  Read more. Keith Cousins CdA Press

Doesn't seem like this is the type of person area law enforcement would want to give a gun and badge. What do you think?



Huckleberries Online

D.F. Oliveria started Huckleberries Online on Feb. 16, 2004. Oliveria's Sunday print Huckleberries is a past winner of the national Herb Caen Memorial Column contest.