ST. LOUIS, MO  (July 14, 2026) — A St. Louis jury found Kenneth Howard, 60, guilty Tuesday of first-degree burglary and second-degree property damage for a January 2026 incident in the City's North Hampton neighborhood.

On January 5, 2026, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers responded to the 5000 block of Lindenwood Avenue after receiving a report of a prowler attempting to enter a home. Officers spoke with a 26-year-old woman who reported that Howard broke the screen off a window, opened it, and reached his hand inside while she was alone in the house. Before opening the window, Howard paced around the front porch, knocked over a flowerpot, and tried the front door handle. Fearing for her safety, the woman ran from the home. The woman provided officers with surveillance video showing Howard pacing around her porch. Officers broadcast a description of the suspect, searched the area, and located Howard nearby. During a show-up identification, the woman positively identified Howard as the man who attempted to enter her home.

In 1997, Howard was convicted of second-degree murder, first-degree burglary, and armed criminal action and received a sentence of life in prison plus 115 years. He was later released on parole by the Missouri Board of Probation and Parole. Sentencing is scheduled for September 11, 2026. 

"A woman should never have to flee her own home in fear,” said Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore. “Our office will continue to hold violent offenders accountable when they threaten the safety of our neighborhoods."

Assistant Circuit Attorney Isabella Zoog, Assistant Circuit Attorney Andrew Bennett, and Deputy Chief of Homicide Carolyn Chkautovich prosecuted the case.

The defendant’s case number is 2622-CR00047-01.