Charges dropped against suspect's girlfriend; could be refiled later

Charges have been dropped against the girlfriend of a man accused of strangling his mother with a dog leash and burning her body last year in Scott County, but that does not mean she is off the hook, a prosecutor said.

Tiffany Warner, 25, was indicted last year on charges of tampering with evidence in connection with the Aug. 7, 2013, death of Cynthia Canoy, 48, of Scott City. The charges were dropped July 24, according to the New Madrid County, Missouri, Circuit Clerk's office.

Canoy's son, Neil Howland, 26, faces charges of first-degree murder, abandonment of a corpse, tampering with evidence, knowingly burning and two counts of animal abuse.

He is accused of

strangling his mother with a dog leash, putting her body and her two pet dogs in her car, taking them to a cornfield near County Road 323 and setting the car on fire in an attempt to destroy evidence.

Cynthia Canoy

A probable-cause affidavit filed in the case against Warner accused her of burning the leash Howland used to strangle his mother and asking her sister to remove guns, a security system and a machete from the house where Warner and Howland lived and where the murder is alleged to have occurred.

Scott County Prosecuting Attorney Paul Boyd said he made a "prosecutorial decision" to drop the charges against Warner for the time being while he focuses on Howland, who is the primary suspect in the case.

In a telephone interview Wednesday, Boyd said he has the option of refiling the charges later.

Howland's case is scheduled for trial beginning Oct. 16 in New Madrid County.

The case was moved from Scott County last fall after a discussion about media coverage of the case, online court records show.

Neil Howland Jr.

epriddy@semissourian.com

388-3642

Pertinent address:

Scott County, MO