Howard yari yarakatiwe igihano cy’urupfu nyuma yo guhamwa n’icyaha cyo kwica Vickie Swartout, wari ufite imyaka 42, mu bujura bwabereye mu iduka ryo mu mujyi wa Silsbee muri Texas mu 2000.
Yari afite imyaka 20 igihe yakoraga icyo cyaha. Nk’uko byatangajwe, mu gihe cy’ubujura yarashe Swartout, hanyuma atwara amafaranga 114 yari ari mu bubiko bw’icuruzwa.
Howard yishwe ku wa Gatatu, tariki ya 07 Ukwakira 2026, nimugoroba, aho byatangaje ko yapfuye saa 8:03 z’umugoroba.
Inkuru dukesha ikinyamakuru TMZ ivuga ko, mbere y’uko Howard ahanishwa igihano yari yarakatiwe, abamwunganiraga mu mategeko basabye ko gihagarikwa, bagaragaza impungenge ku muti wari uteganyijwe gukoreshwa.
Izi mpungenge zari zishingiye ku byabaye muri Tennessee, aho Christa Pike, wari warakatiwe igihano cy’urupfu, yari yararokotse igeragezwa ryo kumuhana hakoreshejwe uyu muti witwa pentobarbital.
Abunganizi ba Howard bavuze ko Texas itagombaga gukomeza gahunda yayo ititaye ku byabaye muri Tennessee, basaba ko habanza gukorwa isuzuma ku mutekano w’uburyo bwari buteganyijwe.
Urukiko rw’Ikirenga rwa Amerika ariko rwatesheje agaciro ubusabe bwa Howard bwo guhagarika igihano, nta mpamvu rwatanze mu cyemezo cyarwo. Umucamanza Ketanji Brown Jackson ni we wenyine wagaragaje ku mugaragaro ko atemeranya n’icyo cyemezo.
Mbere yaho, Urukiko Rushinzwe Ubujurire ku byaha muri Texas na rwo rwari rwanze ubusabe bubiri bwo guhagarika igihano cye, bwari bushingiye ku mpungenge z’uko uwo muti wari ufite ikibazo.
Abunganizi ba Howard banasabye ko igihano cye gihagarikwa kubera ko bavugaga ko yari afite ibibazo byo mu mutwe (intellectual disability).
Icyakora, Leta ya Texas yavuze ko abamwunganiraga batagaragaje ibimenyetso bihagije byemeza ko Howard yujuje ibisabwa n’amategeko kugira ngo afatwe nk’umuntu ufite ibyo bibazo.
Ku rundi ruhande, abunganizi be bakomeje kuvuga ko hari impamvu zagombaga gutuma igihano cye gisubikwa.
Howard yahamwe n’icyaha cy’ubwicanyi bukomeye (capital murder) kubera urupfu rwa Vickie Swartout, wiciwe mu bujura bwabereye mu iduka. Igihano cyabaye mu gihe Tennessee yari iri gushaka amakuru ahagije n’ibimenyetso bisobanura ibyabaye kuri Pike
Igihano cya Howard cyabaye ku munsi umwe n’uwo umucamanza muri Tennessee yafatiyeho icyemezo cyo gutegeka urwego rushinzwe amagereza muri iyo Leta kubika ibimenyetso bifitanye isano n’igeragezwa ry’igihano cya Christa Pike.
Ikigo Death Penalty Information Center kivuga ko Pike ari we muntu wa mbere muri iki gihe warokotse igihano cy’urupfu cyari giteganyijwe gukorwa hakoreshejwe uburyo bwo guterwa imiti mu mubiri.
Ibi byatumye ikibazo cy’imikorere n’umutekano w’ubwo buryo gikomeza guteza impaka muri Leta Zunze Ubumwe za Amerika, ariko birushaho gukomera ubwo uyu mugabo yapfaga yishwe n’umuti wananiwe kwica Christina Pike.