Lawrence J. Howell, a 38-year-old white man from Chesterfield, Virginia, was killed in a case that began with a domestic attack on the night of August 23–24, 2018. Police initially responded to a report of a woman with multiple gunshot wounds and found Sarah Federico, who was seven months pregnant and critically injured; Howell was missing. His remains were later recovered in a burn pit on a horse farm adjacent to Joshua M. Federico’s home.

Authorities identified Joshua M. Federico, the estranged husband of Sarah Federico, as the primary suspect and charged him with numerous offenses, including Howell’s murder, malicious wounding of Sarah Federico, and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. At trial the jury convicted Federico of seven felony counts, including murder and attempted first-degree murder, and recommended two life sentences. Sarah Federico testified at trial; her unborn son survived and was later named Lawrence James in honor of Howell.

While incarcerated, Federico was implicated in a conspiracy to hire people to kill witnesses, a scheme that involved his mother Wendy Federico, his brother Joseph Federico, and an acquaintance, Constantine Trikoulis, and produced additional charges of conspiracy to commit capital murder and attempted capital murder. Does anyone in the Chesterfield area have information about Howell or the events that night?