Suspect in murder pleads not guilty, waives arraignment

Murder suspect Neil Howland pleaded not guilty and waived formal arraignment Thursday, and his attorney requested a change of judge and venue in connection with the killing of his mother, Cynthia Canoy of Scott City.

Howland appeared in front of Scott County Presiding Circuit Judge David Dolan.

Since Howland's preliminary hearing last month, a grand jury indictment was handed down and a cash-only bond was issued for $500,000. Howland also has a new attorney, public defender Ella Boone; his former lawyer Amy Commean is on maternity leave.

Howland is charged with first-degree murder, abandonment of a corpse, tampering with evidence and knowingly burning -- all felonies. He faces two additional class D felonies of animal abuse. These charges are for the alleged torture and/or mutilation of an animal while it is alive. Along with his alleged role in burning the body of his mother, he is accused of placing two of her pet dogs in the vehicle before setting the vehicle on fire.

On Aug. 7, crews responding to a car fire off County Road 323 discovered a body in the car. An autopsy showed Canoy died before the fire.

Howland is charged with killing Canoy by strangling her with a dog leash. Police say Howland transported Canoy's body and two of her dogs to a field near the county road and set the vehicle on fire in an attempt to destroy evidence.

He was arrested Aug. 9, two days after his mother's body was found, on charges of third-degree assault and unlawful use of a weapon in connection with a May 18 incident in which Canoy and her husband, Jerry Canoy, told police Howland had threatened them with a machete and firearms.

While in jail on those charges, Howland was charged with Cynthia Canoy's murder.

Howland's girlfriend, Tiffany Warner, faces charges in connection with Canoy's death. She is charged with tampering with evidence and has a preliminary hearing set for Oct. 23.