D'Andre Howard Had Yarn & A Butcher Knife

[Wicked Doll]

A suburban Chicago man used yarn to tie up his girlfriend and members of her family, before wielding a butcher knife to fatally stab her sister, father, and grandmother -- slitting the throat of at least one of the victims.

Those are among disturbing new details that emerged at a bond hearing on Saturday for D'Andre Howard, 20. At the hearing, Cook County Circuit Court Judge Samuel Betar ordered that the Hoffman Estates resident be held without bond.

Howard is charged with three counts of homicide, one count of attempted homicide and one count of unlawful restraint. He's accused in the Friday deaths of Alan Engelhardt, 57, 73-year-old Marlene Gacek and Laura Engelhardt, 18. Police said another female remains hospitalized. Assistant state's attorney Maria McCarthy said prosecutors may seek the death penalty.

The events leading to the deaths began with an argument between Howard and his girlfriend of three years, Amanda Engelhardt, over accusations that he was cheating on her, prosecutors said at Saturday's hearing.

Howard allegedly told 23-year-old Engelhardt to leave the Hoffman Estates apartment where the couple was raising their 8-month-old child; he then followed Engelhardt as she took the baby to her family's home in a quiet neighborhood of the same suburb, according to prosecutors.

Howard confronted Engelhardt at about 1:30 a.m. Friday on the first floor of the two-story home, officials said. When Engelhardt's 52-year-old mother and sister, Laura Engelhardt, came downstairs to investigate, he threatened the mother by pushing her in the stomach with the handle of a butcher knife he found in the kitchen, McCarthy said.

Howard then tied the three women up with yarn he found in the room and put a sock in his girlfriend's mouth, prosecutors said.

At one point, Howard set the knife down and untied Laura Engelhardt, McCarthy said. While he was untying Amanda Engelhardt, Laura Engelhardt grabbed the knife and stabbed Howard in the arm, she said. He wrested the knife back and stabbed Laura Engelhardt multiple times, then stabbed her mother in the heart and lung, prosecutors said.

Howard then walked into the kitchen, where he stabbed Gacek once in the chest, McCarthy said. When the sisters' father, Alan Engelhardt, arrived to help, Howard stabbed him in the shoulder then slit his throat, prosecutors said. McCarthy said Alan Engelhardt staggered into the family room and fell next to Laura Engelhardt and her mother.

Meanwhile, Howard told the mother's 55-year-old sister and an 85-year-old relative to sit on a couch in the family room, McCarthy said.

Amanda Engelhardt pleaded repeatedly to call police, McCarthy said. But, in the aftermath of the killings, Howard ripped some phone jacks from the walls and ordered her not to call police for 45 minutes, prosecutors said. He eventually allowed her to make the call at about 6:40 a.m.

When authorities arrived, they found Howard still in the house and Alan Engelhardt and Gacek dead, prosecutors said. Officials said Laura Engelhardt was able to tell officials what happened before she died in a hospital later Friday.

Howard is being treated for his injuries and wasn't in court Saturday. Officials said he has a criminal history, including a pending battery charge from 2008, and he became a ward of the state after his parents gave up their rights to him in 2001. Howard's attorney, Cook County public defender Stephen Herczeg, said in court that he has unspecified mental health issues.

Attempts to reach Howard's attorney later in the day were unsuccessful.

Another hearing in the case is set for April 20.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-il-suburbanstabbings,0,6005462.story

[Wicked Doll]

D'Andre Howard

http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss306/wicked_doll777/howard.jpg

[Wicked Doll]

http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss306/wicked_doll777/laura.jpg
Laura (deceased)

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Amanda (girlfriend of Howard)

Words escape Jeff Engelhardt in describing the sudden loss of the three family members he calls his "best friends" who died in a stabbing rampage in Hoffman Estates.

All he knows is, "I love my whole family. I'm going to miss them forever - I don't think I'll ever stop missing them," the Southern Illinois University junior said Saturday.

The boyfriend of Jeff Engelhardt's older sister, Amanda, is charged with killing his father, Alan Engelhardt, 57, his younger sister Conant High School senior Laura, 18, and maternal grandmother Marlene Gacek, 73, on Friday.

D'Andre D. Howard, a 20-year-old ward of the state with a history of mental illness and criminal arrests, had been dating Amanda Engelhardt, 23, for three years, according to authorities, and they had a child together.

On Saturday, Cook County Judge Samuel Betar denied bond for Howard, who was under police guard at Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove Village. He is recovering from wounds inflicted by Laura, who risked her life in a desperate attempt to help her mother and sister.

"I get a sense Laura had no fear ... Laura was fighting for her family," the Rev. Bill Cate said during a service Saturday evening at St. Peter Lutheran Church in Schaumburg where the Engelhardt family attended.

Howard is charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder and aggravated unlawful restraint.

Jeff, Laura and Amanda's mother, Shelly Engelhardt, 52, also was attacked and was in critical condition Saturday at St. Alexius Hospital in Hoffman Estates.

Public Defender Stephen Herczeg said Howard, who has lived in Chicago most of his life, had been abused and neglected as a child and suffered from mental health issues but did not elaborate. Illinois Department of Children and Family Services officials had no comment.

Howard's parents' rights to custody were terminated in 2001, officials said, and the state took over his care.

In 2004, he was charged as a juvenile with aggravated criminal sexual abuse.

For Jeff Engelhardt and other relatives, the grief "hasn't set in yet."

He described his family as incredibly close-knit and events laid out in bond court show a group of individuals doing their utmost to protect each other from deadly violence.

The tragedy at the Engelhardt home stemmed from a quarrel between Amanda Engelhardt and Howard late Thursday over accusations of infidelity - an argument that began at their apartment in the 900 block of Evanston Street in Hoffman Estates, police said.

Howard ordered Engelhardt out and she left with their 8-month-old baby daughter to a place she felt safe - her parents' home in the 1000 block of Bluebonnet Lane.

Prosecutors allege Howard followed Amanda and the argument continued at 1:30 a.m., waking up Shelly and Laura, who rushed down to the first floor to help.

"The defendant became increasingly angry," Cook County prosecutor Maria McCarthy said. "He grabbed a butcher knife and waved it in his girlfriend's face."

Howard pushed Shelly Engelhardt with the knife also, then used yarn to tie up the women and stuffed a sock in Laura's mouth. He was interrupted by Shelly's sister, who is disabled, and he ordered her to sit on the couch, McCarthy said.

At some point, Howard started to untie Laura, who seized the butcher knife and cut him on the arm. He wrestled the weapon away and slashed at her and Shelly.

The commotion drew Marilyn Gacek down to the kitchen where Howard killed her, McCarthy said.

The next victim was Alan Engelhardt, who confronted Howard in the kitchen. Howard slit Engelhardt's throat, but before he died he managed to stagger into the family room where his teenage daughter and wife lay wounded.

The last family member to come on the scene was Alan's mother, who is 85. "She saw her son lying lifeless," McCarthy said.

Amanda Engelhardt, who along with her paternal grandmother and aunt was physically uninjured, pleaded with Howard to let her call 911 but he ripped the phone jack from the wall, prosecutors said.

After trying to wipe the blood off the kitchen floor with bleach, Howard apparently relented and allowed Amanda to alert police, which she did around 6:44 a.m.

Laura died in hospital Friday afternoon but was conscious and able to tell authorities what happened, police said. She suffered stab wounds to her back, stomach, abdomen and aorta.

The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office conducted autopsies Saturday and determined that all three died of stab wounds.

A close friend and neighbor of the Engelhardts, Gayle Irvin sat in shock during bond court Saturday morning. She recalled a loving family that supported each other through thick and thin. "I'm just numb," Irvin said. "I don't know why someone could have so much hate."

Alan Engelhardt was a landscaper who switched to stay-at-home dad and took to it naturally - ferrying kids around to school, games and an American Idol concert at the state fair for Laura.

He was capable of coaching a basketball team to victory and cooking a memorable meal, Jeff Engelhardt said.

"He was a giver - he'd do anything for anybody. He wanted to make everyone's life as easy as possible," Jeff said. Alan also was an eager reader of his son's stories - Engelhardt is managing editor at SIU's Daily Egyptian.

Laura Engelhardt wasn't the type of teen who talked behind people backs, her friends said. The little girl who was a "bit of a tomboy," according to her brother, grew up to aspire to be a veterinarian and had just decided to attend the University of Missouri in the fall. She belonged to the Conant band and loved playing basketball and volleyball. Classmates said jokingly her hustle made up for the bruises she earned on the court.

"We were best friends, when we were younger we always hung out together," Jeff said.

When Marilyn Gacek's husband died, her daughter and son-in-law moved to the house on Bluebonnet Lane and they put on an addition.

"It was a lot of fun growing up," Jeff Engelhardt said.

He recalled his grandmother as a warm person and "good listener." "We could have conversations for hours," he said. "She was always there."

The birth of Howard and Amanda's child brought new joy to her grandparents, Irvin said. "They just adored the baby," she noted, adding that Shelly and Alan supported the couple and had talked about buying a car for them.

But she noticed tensions between Howard and the Engelhardts also, saying he was disrespectful to Amanda's parents.

In 2004, Howard was convicted in juvenile court of aggravated criminal sexual assault in Cook County. He violated his probation but was placed on probation again in 2006, officials said. He also is scheduled to appear in court this May on a battery charge in Hoffman Estates.

In addition, there is an order of protection against him issued by a Lake County judge. Howard's next court date is Monday.

McCarthy is asking that the case be treated as a capital crime.

The road leading up to the Engelhardts was still blocked off Saturday afternoon as investigators walked in and out of the home.

Close friend Mimi David was with Amanda Engelhardt Friday night at a gathering at a relative's house in Mount Prospect. "The family is still in shock," David said. "... It's a shame something so senseless had to happen to them."

David did not know Howard. "Funny things sometimes happen when people are in relationships," she said, "and sometimes people just snap."

Funeral arrangements are pending. Meanwhile, Conant High School officials said counselors will be available for students on Monday and a memorial is expected to be organized.

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=287580

[Wicked Doll]

http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss306/wicked_doll777/engelhardt.jpg
Engelhardt Family


D'Andre Howard, 20, is being held without bond, and is due for a preliminary hearing at the Rolling Meadows courthouse.

CBS 2's Mike Puccinelli reports Howard was arrested on an oustanding warrant and released just hours before he is alleged to have fatally stabbed three members of his girlfriend's family.

Howard is charged with stabbing his girlfriend's father, sister and grandmother to death in the family's home in Hoffman Estates. He is a state ward who allegedly has a history of mental health problems and a criminal past.

Howard suffered injuries while allegedly committing the crime, but was apparently well enough to make the trip from the Cook County Jail to the Rolling Meadows Courthouse.

At Howard's court appearance, prosecutors asked the judge to take more evidence from him, and the judge ordered him to stay away from his girlfriend and her family.

Howard didn't say a word in court but did look around briefly. He was wearing a brown jump suit and his hands were cuffed behind his back. On his right arm, there was a bandage covering a stab wound that was left there by Laura Engelhardt, who was killed after trying to defend her family.

Jeff Engelhardt lost his father, younger sister and his grandmother in the Friday attack. But he wasn't prepared to call for the death penalty of the 20-year-old man who prosecutors say killed his loved ones.

"I'll leave that to God and the judicial system," Jeff said. "I'm just sad my family is gone, I'm gonna miss them."

Outside of court, Howard's defense attorney would only say that his client was confused.

"He's a little confused as to what's going on. I'm not really at liberty to talk about matters that we talked about, but there is a plentitude of mental health issues that are going to be explored in the court," said defense attorney James Mullinex. "We'll find out about those issues soon enough."

Meanwhile, friends and classmates of Laura Engelhardt, 18, brought flowers Monday for a memorial at Conant High School. Her best friend said she had to do something to ease her own pain.

"I was lucky to know her for a really long time; since I was 5," said Katie McCoy. "We grew up together; I probably talked to this girl pretty much every day."

"Today we want to give the students the opportunity to pay their respects, and honor her for just being a wonderful person and her heroic last efforts," said Jenna Verde.

A classmate who works at Alexian Brothers Medical Center says he served food to the wounded suspect on Saturday.

"Both arms were stitched up and sewn up, and there was a bunch of cops around," said Nat Block. "He tried to reopen his wounds to make him bleed himself to death."

Block said at the time, he did not know the man he was serving was accused in the crime.

The students at Conant High School plan to move their flower memorial to Engelhardt outdoors so the community can contribute if they wish.

Counselors are in every class of Laura's on Monday to help her friends and classmates.

"I know Laura had hundreds and hundreds of friends. It gives me a little bit of joy that she was able to mean that much to that many people," Jeff Engelhardt said.

Jeff says his grandmother was always there for him, and his father did his best to lead by example and show him how to live.

"My dad, especially, he lived to make other people's lives as good as possible," Jeff said. "If I could be half as giving as my dad was, that's a successful life, I'd say."

Jeff says his mother, Shelly Engelhardt, is still hospitalized in the intensive care unit, but is expected to make a full recovery.

"They've always been the most giving people that I've ever met in my life," Jeff said of his murdered family members. "They were everything to me."

Prosecutors: Murder Spree Started With Lovers' Quarrel
Prosecutors say it all started when Howard got into an argument with his girlfriend of three years, Amanda Engelhardt, over infidelity. Howard ordered her to leave their Hoffman Estates apartment with the couple's 8-month-old daughter, authorities said Saturday.

At 12:13 a.m. Friday morning, police were called to Howard's apartment because of a report of loud music. That's where they found the suspect. He was wanted on an outstanding warrant out of Oak Park for failure to appear in traffic court. Howard was booked and brought to the police station. Police say he gave no indication he was violent while in custody.

Howard posted bond at 1:20 a.m. and then went to the Engelhardt house 10 minutes later where he began fighting with Amanda.

Prosecutors say, Howard confronted his girlfriend in her parents' house. When her mother and sister, 18-year-old Laura Engelhardt, came to her aid, prosecutors say Howard grabbed a weapon.

Over several hours, he allegedly tied up various members of her family and stuffed a sock in Laura's mouth. After a while, he put the knife down and untied Laura.

While he was starting to untie her sister and mom, the Conant senior tried to defend her family, and managed to stab Howard in the arm.

Prosecutors say Howard grabbed the knife and stabbed Laura, her mother Shelly, grandmother and father. Prosecutors said Howard stabbed the father in the shoulder, and slit his throat.

Laura, her father, Alan Engelhardt, 57, and her grandmother, Marlene Gacek, 73, all later died. Amanda's mother, Shelly, remains hospitalized in critical condition. Amanda's 8-month-old daughter was not harmed.

After the attack, Howard's girlfriend begged him to allow her to call 911. He refused for 45 minutes. During that time, her father and grandmother died. Her mother and sister were alive when paramedics arrived, but Laura later died.

He tried to clean up the blood, then allowed Amanda Engelhardt to call police with a cell phone around 6:45 a.m. He was at the house when police arrived.

"I can't even say how hard it is for me, but for her to have to have been there, I can't even begin to think," said Amanda's brother Jeff Engelhardt.

A Saturday autopsy determined Alan and Laura Engelhardt both died from multiple stab and incise wounds and Marlene Gacek died from a stab wound to the chest, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's office.

Howard is charged with three counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted murder and one count of unlawful restraint.

Laura was able to give details before she passed away. Those details were recounted at Howard's bond hearing, where Cook County Judge Samuel Betar III denied bail.

Prosecutors said Howard previously received two years' probation after being convicted of aggravated criminal sexual abuse in Juvenile Court in 2004.
In 2006, he was sentenced to 15 days in the county jail and six additional months of probation for violating his probation stemming from the 2004 incident.

http://cbs2chicago.com/local/dandre.howard.court.2.988987.html

[sanityslipping]

Laura was able to give details before she passed away. Those details were recounted at Howard's bond hearing, where Cook County Judge Samuel Betar III denied bail.

This is interesting, I just walked into my bedroom, where the morning news is on, and they said he was released from police custody, out on bond?