Jun 30, 2009 9:26 am US/Central
Budget Crisis May Hamper Murder Defense
Public Defender: No Money To Defend Death Penalty Case Of D'Andre Howard
ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill. (CBS) ―
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D'Andre Howard is charged in the murder of four members of a family in Hoffman Estates.
Hoffman Estates Police Department
Money troubles in Cook County may dramatically change the case of a man charged in the stabbing deaths of a young woman, her father and her grandmother in Hoffman Estates.
D'Andre Howard, 20, is charged with killing Laura Engelhardt, 18; her father, Alan Engelhardt, 57; and her grandmother, Marlene Gacek, 17, on
April 17, at their home in the 1000 block of North Bluebonnet Lane.
Howard was the boyfriend of Laura's sister, Amanda, with whom he had been engaged in a feud for several days at the time of the murders.
Howard's has been appointed an attorney by the Cook County Public Defender's office. The public defender now says there isn't enough money in the county budget to defend Howard in the case, where the death penalty is a possibility.
The Daily Herald reported Tuesday morning that Howard's case is one of 60 or so capital cases that the public defender's office says they can't afford to defend. They say the office's cut of the Capital Litigation Trust Fund is now bankrupt, and thus, they can't pay for DNA tests, expert witnesses, mitigation specialists, and other expenses needed to defend against death penalty cases, the Daily Herald reported.
Assistant Public Defender Jim Mullenix, who represents Howard, asked Rolling Meadows Court President Judge Joseph Urso to withdraw the death penalty as an option in the case, according to the Daily Herald. A ruling has yet to be issued.
A short time before the murders, Howard had kicked Amanda Engelhardt and their 8-month-old baby out of their Hoffman Estates apartment. She went to stay with her parents and relatives.
But at 1:30 a.m. on April 17, Howard allegedly went to the home and a quarrel ensued. He allegedly grabbed a knife from the kitchen and ended up stabbing Engelhardt's father and maternal grandmother. Both died at the scene.
He also tied up Amanda's sister Laura, but later untied her, prosecutors said. The Conant High School senior managed to stab him in the arm before being stabbed. Howard allegedly critically wounded Amanda's 52-year-old mother, who was hospitalized, and restrained her 85-year-old paternal grandmother who also lived in the home.
Howard did not injure his girlfriend or the baby, but did not allow her to call authorities for 45 minutes, and even ripped some phone jacks out of the wall to stop her, prosecutors said. She eventually did call and was still on the phone when police arrived, prosecutors said.
Laura Engelhardt was conscious and able to tell them what had happened, but she died at a hospital later that day.
The STNG Wire contributed to this report.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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