Melissa Howes, a 54-year-old woman from Illinois, has been sentenced to prison after admitting to the deliberate murder of her husband. Howes was under the influence of alcohol when she fatally ran over her husband with her car in a Dollar General parking lot. The incident occurred in the small village of Dix, at the Dollar General located at 101 S. Main St. in September 2024. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the guilty plea in a press release shared on social media.
The court heard that Howes had pleaded guilty to charges of first-degree murder and aggravated DUI. The charges stemmed from an investigation by the Sheriff’s Office, which concluded that Howes had intentionally run over her husband. As part of her plea agreement, Howes will serve a 20-year sentence in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
The prosecution presented video evidence from a nearby apartment complex, which showed Howes pushing her husband to the ground before getting into her car. She then backed up her vehicle before accelerating forward to run over him. The motive behind Howes’ actions remains unclear, with no additional reasons provided beyond her intoxication.
Emergency services attempted to save her husband at the scene before transporting him to a local hospital. However, doctors pronounced him dead upon arrival. The Sheriff’s Office noted signs of alcohol impairment in Howes and called in detectives to assist with the investigation. Following the conclusion of the investigation, Howes was arrested and charged with Aggravated DUI involving a Death. She was then taken to the Jefferson County Justice Center.
Local news outlet The Sentinel obtained incident logs describing the incident as a “person vs. car” situation. Upon arrival at the scene, officers reportedly found the victim “under the car”. A sheriff’s deputy and a bystander had to lift the vehicle to allow first responders to administer treatment. The victim was in cardiac arrest and required immediate CPR.
As of Tuesday, Howes remained in custody at the Jefferson County Jail. She is currently awaiting transfer to the Illinois Department of Corrections.