19-year-old Na'Zier Howard changed his plea Wednesday afternoon. He was indicted for the death of Ke'Vonta Cowan. Howard was 17 years old at the time of the murder and he allegedly shot Cowan at a home on Kenilworth Avenue. Cowan was later pronounced dead at the hospital. As part of Howard's plea agreement, prosecutors dropped another murder charge and a weapons while under disability charge.
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Lawyers for 19-year-old Na'zier Howard asked for more time to prepare for the trial which has been moved from May 31st to after Labor Day. Howard was indicted by the Allen County Grand Jury on the charges of aggravated murder, murder, and having a weapon under disability.
A Lima teen has only a couple of weeks before he faces a jury for a 2019 murder.
Howard was indicted in the fall of 2021 and again in January of this year for the death of Kevonta Cowan. But because of an Ohio Supreme Court ruling in another case, the Allen County prosecutors had to start the process over again to make sure all of the steps were taken before his case heads to trial.
Judge Jeffrey Reed dismissed the murder charge against Na’zier Howard Friday morning. Prosecutors filed a different murder charge against him in Allen County Juvenile Court. Howard was 17-year-old in December of 2019 when Kevonta Cowan was found with a gunshot wound on Kenilworth Avenue. He was later pronounced dead at a local hospital. Howard was indicted on aggravated murder in 2021 for Cowan's death.
Howard was accused of the shooting death of Kevonta Cowan. Cowan was found with a gunshot wound in mid-December of 2019 at a home on Kenilworth Avenue. He was pronounced dead at the hospital. Howard is currently in prison serving a 14-year sentence for robbing Hermies Party Shop and Little Ceasars in January of 2020.
A 19 -year-old lima man facing a murder charge gets a new judge and a new trial date. Na’zier Howard case has move from Judge Terri Kohlrieser court to Judge Jeffrey Reed’s court after she had to recuse herself from the murder trial. Howard is facing murder and having weapons under disability charges and a March trial date has been set for a jury to hear the case. According to the indictment, Howard allegedly responsible for the shooting death of Kevonta Cowan. Cowan was found with a gunshot wound in mid-December of 2019 at 225 South Kenilworth Avenue. He was pronounced dead at the local hospital. Howard is currently serving a 14 to 16 year sentence in prison for robbing Hermie’s Party Shop and Little Caesars in January of 2020.
Howard and Juan Freeman II are suspected to have robbed Little Caesars and Hermies Party Shop in mid-January. The Allen County Sheriff's Office says they first tried to rob Hermies, but were unsuccessful when an employee was armed. The Lima Police Department says they ran off and later robbed Little Caesars the same night. Security footage shows two people brandishing guns toward employees. Howard is expected to have a new attorney by the end of Thursday.