Trial date moved again for man accused of killing mom, pets

For the second time, the jury trial for Neil Howland has been rescheduled.

In October, Howland's trial was set to begin, then was postponed until April 23, according to previous reports. Then that trial date was postponed until the return hearing scheduled for Tuesday morning.

Howland appeared in Circuit Judge Fred Copeland's New Madrid County courthouse for about two minutes Tuesday to reschedule his jury trial to Dec. 10. Copeland estimated the trial would take about two days to complete.

Howland is charged in connection with the Aug. 7, 2013, murder of his mother, Cynthia Canoy of Scott City.

Howland is charged with four felonies -- first-degree murder, abandonment of a corpse, tampering with evidence and knowingly burning. He faces two additional felonies of animal abuse.

Along with accusations he strangled his mother and torched her body in her car, Howland is accused of putting two of her pet dogs in the vehicle before setting it afire.

Canoy's body was found in August 2013 as crews responded to a car fire off County Road 323. An autopsy showed Canoy died before the fire began.

Howland is accused of 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.

smaue@semissourian.com

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pertinent address:

450 Main St., New Madrid, Missouri