PALM BAY, Fla. (Court TV) — A Florida man was sentenced to life in prison after his conviction on charges he murdered his girlfriend, buried her and then dug up her remains to dispose of them again.
After nearly two and a half hours of deliberations, a jury found Daniel Loren Stearns, 35, guilty of second-degree murder with a firearm, abuse of a dead human body, and tampering with evidence in the 2023 killing of his girlfriend, Nancy Howery. A judge sentenced him to a term of imprisonment for his natural life without the possibility of parole.
Daniel Stearns enters a Florida courtroom on the first day of his murder trial. He’s accused of fatally shooting his girlfriend, burning her body and scattering her remains. (Court TV)
Howery, 44, disappeared on Feb. 15, 2023. Investigators learned that Stearns and Howery had been in a relationship for two years and had been arguing in the hours before she was last seen. A friend of Howery’s said that she had heard the couple arguing over the phone that day and making plans to meet to make up.
In an arrest affidavit, police said Stearns eventually confessed to murdering Howery and disposing of her body, but claimed that she “forced him” to do it. Stearns said the two met up after arguing, at which point Howery asked for a shooting lesson. They went to an area known as “The Compound” — an undeveloped area of land spanning 12.2 square miles. During the lesson, Stearns said he was holding his Glock 17 p80, pointing it down range in a “vulnerable position” when Howery lunged at his gun. After a physical struggle, Stearns said he was afraid for his life when he fired a single shot into Nancy’s head.
Investigators noted in their report that Stearns is a U.S. Army veteran who served in Afghanistan and has claimed to be trained in “combative techniques” and Aikido martial arts.
Stearns allegedly told officers that he didn’t trust the police, so he carried Howery’s body into the woods and left her on the ground. He said he returned to the area later, buried the body and then left again. Stearns said he then returned a second time and used his truck to take the remains to a different part of The Compound, where he doused her body in lighter fluid and set it on fire. Days later, he said he returned to that area to gather the evidence into buckets, which he then scattered in various locations.
Jurors never heard Stearns’ suppressed confession, which was ruled inadmissible before trial based on a violation of his Miranda rights, leaving prosecutors to rely on digital forensics, cell data, and forensic anthropology evidence connecting him to the disposal sites.
DAILY TRIAL UPDATES
DAY 6 – 10/6/25
- Dr. Heather Walsh-Haney, forensic anthropologist from Florida Gulf Coast University, testified about examining over 800 bone fragments recovered from four different sites
- Extreme fragmentation found: Fragments ranged from half-inch to 3.5 inches, consistent with fire damage and thermal exposure
- Gunshot wound evidence: Expert identified a semi-circular defect with beveling on skull fragment consistent with a gunshot exit wound to the right temple area
- Blunt force trauma: Additional evidence of blunt force trauma found on left side of victim’s head
- Single victim confirmed: All bone fragments came from one person, identified as Nancy Howery
- On cross, defense attorney Bradford Fisher challenged the certainty of gunshot wound identification
- Alternative theories were presented: Defense suggested injury could be consistent with suicide or accident
- Walsh-Haney admitted it was “possible” but “unlikely” the wound was caused by something other than gunshot
- Missing evidence highlighted: Defense noted absence of entrance wound and metal fragments
- State rested
- Defense motioned for acquittal, Judge Speicher denied it
- Stearns chose not to testify, the defense presented no witnesses
- Prosecution delivered closing argument which highlighted Stearns’ internet searches of violent content on “alivegore.com” and inconsistent statements to police
- Defense delivered closing argument which argued lack of direct evidence, suggested Nancy may have committed suicide, claimed Stearns panicked and cremated body rather than mutilating it
- Prosecution delivered rebuttal emphasizing Stearns’ shifting stories to police and rejected suicide theory as speculation
- After deliberating for approximately 2.5 hours, the jury found Stearns GUILTY on all counts:
- Second-degree murder with a firearm
- Abuse of a dead human body
- Tampering with evidence
- Sentencing scheduled for December 3
DAY 5 – 10/3/25
- Agent Jason Hammond, Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, Digital Forensics Unit
- Testified about phone search history from defendant’s device
- Presented extensive web search history including:
- Searches for violent content: “woman dies of stab wounds, uncensored videos murders executions suicides terrible accidents”
- Searches related to local crimes: “two black teens found dead at the compound” (searched days before police contacted defendant)
- Searches about blood loss: “if i lose a lot of blood, how long before i can’t put it back into my body”
- Searches about hiding evidence: “which materials can hide you from thermal devices”
- Amazon searches for tactical torches and butane torches
- Searches about missing persons cases in Palm Bay area
- Defense clarified that records included both actual searches and clicked links from web browsing
- Kaitlin Pill, Latent Print Examiner, Brevard County Sheriff’s Office
- Certified latent print examiner who analyzed fingerprint evidence
- Initially examined 18 print lifts with negative results
- Successfully obtained fingerprint from skin fragment evidence:
- Cleaned skin fragment and placed on gloved finger
- Rolled through black ink to capture friction ridges
- Pressed onto clean card for comparison
- Determined print from skin fragment matched left finger of Nancy Howery
- Conducted side-by-side comparison confirming match to known prints of victim
- Joseph Kennedy, Former FDLE Crime Lab Serology/DNA Analyst
- Former state lab analyst, now in private sector
- Obtained complete DNA profile for Nancy Howery from toothbrush
- Analyzed multiple evidence items with mostly insufficient DNA for analysis:
- Swabs from lighter – insufficient DNA
- Hair and scalp material – no root material to work with
- Steering wheel of truck – Daniel included in mixture, Nancy couldn’t be included or excluded
- Explained that time delay between crime (February 15) and evidence recovery (March 10) could degrade DNA
- Only positive DNA match was defendant’s own DNA on his truck’s steering wheel
- Dr. Matrina Schmidt, Associate Medical Examiner
- Previously District 18 Associate M.E. for Brevard County, now District 21 Associate M.E. in Fort Myers
- Conducted examination (not autopsy) of scattered remains on March 15, 2023
- Examined contents of multiple evidence bags containing:
- Skin fragments ranging from 4 to 29 centimeters
- Bone fragments with evidence of burning
- Three pieces of skull bone with matted hair
- Skin fragments with fingernails showing red and gold nail polish
- Tooth evidence
- Identified gunshot wound to skull:
- Found exit gunshot wound on frontal bone with external beveling
- Skull pieces had been cemented together by forensic anthropologist
- X-rays negative for projectiles/bullets
- Determined cause of death: Gunshot wound of the head
- Determined manner of death: Homicide
- Defense questioned whether wound could be keyhole entry wound rather than exit
- Former Deputy Connor Gray, Brevard County Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit
- Former BCSO helicopter pilot, now civilian working at Blue Origin
- Conducted aerial surveillance of defendant on March 9, 2023
- Two separate surveillance flights tracking defendant’s black pickup truck
- First flight observations:
- Followed truck to area known as “the Compound”
- Observed defendant stop multiple times and walk approximately 50 feet into woods
- Saw shovel in back of pickup truck
- Had to end surveillance to refuel
- Second flight observations:
- Observed defendant appearing to dispose of something in water or wash hands
- Coordinated with ground units for arrest
- Defendant arrested as he walked back toward truck from woods
- Presented helicopter surveillance video showing defendant’s movements and activities at compound location
DAY 4 – 10/1/25
- Agent Neil Lee, Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, co-led the investigation into Nancy Howery’s disappearance with Agent Peterson, who was on paternity leave during trial.
- Conducted audio-recorded interview with defendant Daniel Stearns about Nancy Howery’s whereabouts
- Stearns claimed he stopped talking to Howery “one or two days” before the interview because “I don’t want someone who goes and sees other men”
- Defendant described domestic violence issues with Howery’s ex-husband and said she was being stalked
- Stearns said he normally communicated with Howery through WhatsApp calls and that she worked from home doing Amazon reselling
- Defendant claimed he met Howery through Tinder and had no idea where she could be
- Investigation found no evidence supporting Stearns’ claims about prior domestic violence incidents involving Howery
- Analyzed Flock camera license plate reader images showing defendant’s vehicle movements during the investigation timeframe
- Testified that BP gas station security footage from the relevant time period had been automatically overwritten before police could obtain it
- March 8, 2023 Video Interview Conducted follow-up interview with defendant Stearns at his residence, captured on video recording.
- Stearns initially claimed he hadn’t physically seen Nancy Howery on February 15, 2023, then changed his story
- Defendant acknowledged there was a plan to meet with Howery on February 15th to discuss their relationship status, but claimed they “called it off”
- Stearns later admitted he did see Howery at a BP gas station pumping gas but decided not to approach her because he was “pissed off”
- Defendant claimed he was just “driving around” after deciding not to meet with her and took “the long way” home
- Stearns said he saw Howery alone at the BP station sometime between 12 pm and 5:30 pm but couldn’t remember what she was wearing
- Defendant claimed he blocked all contact with Howery after seeing her at the gas station
- When confronted about text messages, Stearns denied sending them and suggested they were “forged,” comparing it to incidents from his Army service
- Stearns served in the Army infantry and mentioned having service-connected PTSD
- Conrad Schneider, Crime Scene Investigator, Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, assisted with forensic processing of Nancy Howery’s minivan and related evidence collection.
- Processed Nancy Howery’s minivan for forensic evidence and documented the chain of custody
- Found Howery’s driver’s license and bank card left in the vehicle’s seat
- Discovered a BP gas station receipt during vehicle processing that corroborated timeline evidence
- Took photographs at the Sospel Avenue compound area including Stearns’ black Chevrolet Silverado
- Documented a bucket/fire pit area with an empty butter container inside it
- Found a sandal-type shoe at a creek area and noted sand indentations consistent with the bucket’s curvature
- Assisted dive team searches in the lake area, though searches were ultimately negative
- Returned to the compound area on March 21, 2023 for additional searches that yielded no results
- Collected DNA swabs from both the bucket and butter container found at the scene
- Noted extensive tire tracks, footprints, and aluminum cans suggesting the area was frequently visited by people, possibly for drinking
- Agent Jason Hammond, Brevard County Sheriff’s Office Digital Forensics Unit, analyzed digital evidence from Nancy Howery’s devices and vehicle infotainment system.
- Extracted data from Nancy Howery’s vehicle infotainment system using specialized Berla software
- Analyzed Nancy Howery’s cell phone using Cellebrite forensic software to recover digital communications
- Found that Howery used a Snapchat account called “goodvibes2020”
- Discovered no traditional SMS text messages on Howery’s device, but found extensive WhatsApp usage
- Documented WhatsApp communications between defendant Stearns and Nancy Howery on February 15, 2023
- Found two rejected WhatsApp calls from Howery to defendant plus one missed call on the morning of February 15, 2023
- Created animated timeline showing Nancy Howery’s Honda minivan movements on February 15, 2023 using GPS data
- Confirmed BP gas station purchase at 11:18 am on February 15, 2023 through digital evidence
- Determined the final location where Howery’s minivan was found, though could not establish when it first arrived at that location
DAY 3 – 9/30/25
- Flock license-plate reader images of Stearns’ truck were admitted over defense objection
- Agent Tyler Harrell of the BCSO GAMEOVER task force described moving surveillance inside Palm Bay’s Compound after outside vantage points failed, tracking a black Chevy on March 7, briefly losing it, then reacquiring it near Mori Court/Walcott Street.
- Testified he hid overnight, heard a loud metallic “pinging,” and later found freshly disturbed dirt with circular, shovel-like grind marks; jurors also saw a photo of the truck with a shovel in the bed.
- On cross, Harrell agreed he could not say what Stearns did while the truck was out of view.
- Cpl. David Lovell (K9) testified that his HRD dog, Tito, alerted on five spots in the Compound on March 9, 2023: Alcova Street, near Mori Court, a spot of dirt near a dead-end on Sospel Ave (SW), the banks of a canal, and a free-air alert at the truck’s tailgate.
- Said Tito detects decomposition odor, not live scent; the defense pressed on the limitations of K9 tracking and risk of false positives.
DAY 2 – 9/29/25
- Monica Hasbun, an AT&T records custodian, testified to Howrey’s records and walked jurors through basic terminology.
- On cross, the defense highlighted that a number, believed to belong to Stearns, did not appear in the records. On redirect, Hasbun confirmed that WhatsApp calls wouldn’t be listed in a carrier log.
- Indian Harbour Police Sgt. Timothy Gannon, who assisted in the search for Howery when she was reported missing.
- Phone records showed the last place her phone pinged was at the Malabar gun range in Palm Bay on Feb. 15, 2023, at 12:06 p.m.
- Gannon located Howery’s gray 2014 Honda Odyssey, containing groceries and personal effects, about 3.8 miles from the gun range.
- Circle K manager Kenneth Underwood authenticated store surveillance, which was not immediately shown to the jury.
- BSCO agent Daniel Genova summarized TD Bank records showing Howery’s last in-person card use was a $20.16 purchase at BP on Feb. 15. After that, only recurring charges were made on the card.
- Palm Bay officer Cory Presley described a Feb. 19, 2023, welfare check at Stearns’ home.
- Presley identified Stearns, who had said that he and Howery had a falling out and he hadn’t seen her in “weeks.” He also claimed not to have her number and offered vague suggestions as to where she could be.
- Jurors were shown an edited portion of footage recorded by police bodycameras that were redacted per the rules of evidence.
- Iana Ramos, who testified through Portuguese-English interpreter, was a friend and local store owner who described her close relationship with Nancy Howery and testified about Howery’s actions on the last day she saw her alive.
- Ramos lived in Palm Bay for six years and met Nancy through her store.
- Frequently discussed their shared Brazilian heritage and food.
- Testified she saw Nancy on the morning of February 15, 2023; they drank coffee together.
- Nancy spoke about meeting someone named Daniel and was seen talking to him via FaceTime.
- Ramos identified both Nancy and Daniel from photo evidence.
- Nancy planned to meet Daniel at the CVS on Emerson Drive, leaving her car there because Ramos’ garage was too small.
- Ramos never saw Nancy again after she left that morning.
- Recalled that FaceTime conversation was lengthy and broken up due to Nancy’s phone battery issues.
- Jonathan Rowland, neighbor near where Howery’s vehicle was found, provided testimony regarding the location and condition of Nancy Howery’s minivan in the days following her disappearance.
- Noticed Howery’s gray minivan parked in an unusual spot at Platt Ave and Oakleaf St.
- Saw the vehicle before leaving town on February 16 and confirmed it was still there when he returned around midday Sunday, February 19.
- Agent Taylor Dunn, Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, GAMEOVER Task Force, testified regarding surveillance of the defendant’s residence and suspicious activity by the defendant around the time of Howery’s disappearance.
- Conducted surveillance of the defendant’s home on March 8, 2023.
- Observed the defendant’s truck at the residence around 9:15 pm; defendant entered and exited the home.
- Early hours of March 9, saw defendant place an unknown item in truck bed, handle a shovel, and move in and out of the truck several times.
- Defendant left home in the black Chevrolet pick-up truck around 4:15 am on March 9.
DAY 1 – 9/26/25
- Assistant State Attorney Bernadette Serafinowicz delivered the prosecution’s opening statement, outlining the sequence of events leading to Nancy Howery’s murder and the evidence to be presented.
- Nancy Howery, a divorced mother of two, was last seen alive on February 15, 2023, the day the defendant, Daniel Stearns, is alleged to have murdered her.
- Ms. Howery had an on-and-off, volatile relationship with the defendant, who wanted exclusivity that she did not reciprocate.
- Ms. Howery spent her last morning with her friend, Iana Ramos, planning to look for rental homes, and Facetimed repeatedly with Stearns, leading to a heated argument.
- Ramos last saw Howery leaving her house at 11:30 a.m. to meet Stearns at CVS; this was the last time she was seen alive.
- Howery failed to pick up her children from school that afternoon and again the next day, prompting her ex-husband Todd Howery to report her missing.
- Police found Howery’s van abandoned in Palm Bay; her personal items and groceries were inside.
- Investigators focused on Daniel Stearns as a suspect after verifying Todd Howery’s alibi using surveillance footage.
- Flock cameras recorded Stearns’ black Chevy pickup truck frequenting “The Compound”—a remote, undeveloped area outside Palm Bay—late at night.
- Brevard County Sheriff’s Office and GAMEOVER Task Force surveilled Stearns; observed him repeatedly going into The Compound and spending time in wooded areas.
- On March 9, 2023, STAR unit helicopter with infrared surveillance recorded Stearns dumping material from a bucket into a canal before he was detained; shovels, gloves, a tarp, and other items were found in his truck.
- Cadaver dogs led deputies to human remains spread across four locations within The Compound; a fingerprint confirmed the remains included Nancy Howery’s middle finger.
- Medical Examiner Dr. Schmidt and forensic anthropologist Dr. Walsh-Haney determined the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head, with clear evidence of an exit wound above the right eye.
- Todd Howery (Nancy’s Ex-Husband), testified to the circumstances of Nancy’s disappearance, his efforts to pick up their children, and steps taken to report her missing.
- He and Nancy split custody of their two children and regularly exchanged drop-offs and pick-ups per their parenting agreement.
- Was alerted on February 15 when Nancy failed to pick up the children after school, and again the next day.
- Took over pick-ups, grew concerned after repeated missed contacts, and with his children, went to Indian Harbour Beach Police Department to report Nancy missing.
- Verified for the jury the vehicle Nancy drove—a 2014 Honda Odyssey Touring—with its specific tag and damage.
- Described his daughter’s last contact with Nancy on the morning of February 15th, and his own attempts to reach her via text which went unanswered.
- Explained Nancy operated an Amazon arbitrage business, buying in bulk and reselling goods.
- Officer Christopher Malagon (Indian Harbour Beach Police Department) took the initial missing persons report from Todd Howery and described the steps taken to start the investigation.
- Recently appointed and still in field training during the time of Nancy’s disappearance.
- Responded to the police station, received the missing person report from Todd and his children, and wrote up the police report with all pertinent information about Nancy, her vehicle, and her phone.
- Contacted hospitals and jails, canvassed Nancy’s neighborhood, and spoke with her mother and friends to try to locate her.
- Performed a “ping request” to obtain the last known location of Nancy’s cell phone, with the results received the following day.
- Knocked on doors at Nancy’s last known address, a duplex at 507 Ronnie Drive, but did not make contact with her.
- Compiled a chronological report based on witness statements and tried to determine the precise timeline of her disappearance.
Parts of this story were reported by a journalist and converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Facebook Comments
