Illinois Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Strangling Mother with Bungee Cord over Dating and Money Dispute

Norma Caraker was found by cops with the cord still wrapped around her neck

An Illinois man, Neil Howard, 46, has been sentenced to 30 years in state prison for the brutal 2023 murder of his mother, Norma J. Caraker, whom he strangled with a bungee cord after she returned home from a date. The sentence was handed down by Circuit Judge Amy Maher on Tuesday, following Howard’s conviction for first-degree murder in February.

Howard, who must serve the entirety of his sentence without parole, will be 76 before he is eligible for release. Prosecutors said the killing occurred after Howard became increasingly enraged over his mother’s dating life and refusal to give him money. Assistant State’s Attorney Luke Yager told jurors during the trial that Howard’s anger built up until he got drunk, wrapped the bungee cord around his mother’s neck, and strangled her until she stopped breathing.

Neil Howard, 46, has been convicted of strangling his mother to death at their shared home, upset that she was “sleeping around.”

According to the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office, the crime occurred at approximately 1:30 a.m. on September 13, 2023, at Caraker’s residence in the 600 block of Lower Marine Road in Troy, Illinois—about 20 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. Howard himself called 911, claiming his mother was unresponsive. Officers found Caraker in her bed with the cord still around her neck. Despite efforts to revive her, she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Initially, Howard, who was visibly intoxicated, told police he had seen a mysterious man flee through a sliding-glass door. However, investigators quickly determined that the door was locked from the inside, and no forced entry had occurred. Howard was arrested shortly thereafter.

Prosecutors argued that Howard’s violent tendencies were well-documented, with prior arrests involving other family members. They sought a 45-year minimum sentence, highlighting his pattern of aggression, particularly toward women.

The mother and son’s once shared, idyllic Madison County, Illinois, home

State Attorney Tom Haine praised the efforts of law enforcement and the prosecution team, emphasizing the reliance on forensic and digital evidence to secure the conviction. “The careful and meticulous work of the responding officers and investigators allowed our prosecution team to show the jury exactly what happened in the critical timeframe around Norma Caraker’s senseless death,” Haine said. “This was a challenging case that relied heavily on scientific and technological evidence.”

Despite the conviction, some members of Howard’s family, including his sister Andrea Hall and fiancée Dawn Hall, stood by him and testified in his defense. They believed police had arrested him prematurely and claimed that authorities failed to pursue other leads—particularly the man Caraker had dated the night of her murder. Defense attorneys Jeremy Sackett and David Fahrenkamp, who took the case pro bono, also criticized the investigation, citing delays in obtaining DNA from the other potential suspect.

DNA evidence presented at trial complicated the case. A crime lab technician testified that samples found on the bungee cord and under Caraker’s fingernails matched the man she had dated, not Howard. However, the jury remained unconvinced and found Howard guilty after about three hours of deliberation.

Though Howard’s supporters expressed disappointment in the verdict, prosecutors maintained that the overwhelming evidence pointed to him as the killer. He will remain in custody at the Madison County Jail until he is transferred to state prison.