A 34-year-old heroin addict murdered his mother, 70, and set her remains on fire outside the $900,000 home they shared in affluent Cape Cod, Massachusetts, the local prosecutor’s office said.
Adam Howe was arrested on Friday night after the Cape Cod SWAT team raided the house. Authorities were called to the home in the town of Truro by family friends who were seeking a welfare check on Howe’s mother, Susan.
At the same time that the welfare check was called, the local fire department were also called to the scene after receiving a report of a fire.
Assistant District Attorney Tara Miltimore told the Cape Cod Times: ‘A family member had called and asked to check on the residence.’
A source close to the family told DailyMail.com that Adam and his wife both suffered from heroin addiction.
The source said that Adam had been living with his mother and that she had been on the verge of kicking him out due to his drug use.
Susan Howe pictured with her son, Adam, at the birth of his daughter in 2019
Adam Howe’s mugshot following his arrest by local authorities
The source said that Adam had been living with his mother and that she had been on the verge of kicking him out due to his drug use
The joint press release from the police department and the prosecutor’s office said that when officers arrived at the scene, they quickly realized that the fire was a the result of a dead body burning
Adam had been standing near the blaze but ran inside when the cops arrived
The joint press release from the police department and the prosecutor’s office said that when officers arrived at the scene, they quickly realized that the fire was a the result of a dead body burning.
Adam had been standing near the blaze but ran inside when the cops arrived.
He was arrested shortly afterwards. Officers were able to ascertain that the person burning was Howe’s mother.
Susan Howe was the chair of the Truro Commission on Disabilities and the president of the Truro Historical Society. According to her Facebook page, Susan also worked at a clothing store in Wellfleet, Massachusetts.
Susan regularly posted photos showing her with her son and his son’s wife, Ailey. The most recent publicly visible post came in September 2021 when she shared photos showing the family laughing at brunch.
Adam said in a Facebook post that he married his wife, Ailey, in December 2019
On the eve of their first anniversary he wrote on Facebook: ‘365 days ago I married the greatest woman in the world!’
In October 2020, the trio took a vacation together to Boca Raton, Florida.
Adam said in a Facebook post that he married his wife in December 2019. On the eve of their first anniversary he wrote on Facebook: ‘365 days ago I married the greatest woman in the world!’
The couple have a daughter together. On the Intro section of his page, Adam wrote: ‘I’m a new husband and a new dad! My life is awesome!’
On his LinkedIn page, Adam says that he previously worked as a chef in numerous restaurants in Vermont and Massachusetts.
In 2012, he appeared on an episode of the Food Network’s show: Chef Wanted with Anne Burrell. Adam was also a food writer for the magazine Southern Vermont Landscapes.
The latest update on that profile says that Adam is working on an English degree at Castleton University. He previously studied English Literature at Emmanuel College in Boston.
On September 15, Adam wrote on Facebook that his latest children’s book was due to be published titled: Is That My Ring?
The plot deals with a little girl searching through the big city looking for her mother’s wedding ring.
On the same day, Adam also wrote on Facebook that he appreciated the outpouring of support for his wife, Aliey.
He wrote: ‘Aliey is safe and doing well and recovering and we are happy to say that she is on her way back to her loving family.’
The murder suspect added: ‘We are all readying for the day that the Howe’s are all where they are supposed to be. And where they can all be their happiest and healthiest selves.’
Susan Howe lived in the Houser Way neighborhood in Truro. Her home is valued at just over $900,000, according to Zillow
Susan Howe lived in the Houser Way neighborhood in Truro. Her home is valued at just over $900,000, according to Zillow.
Susan’s death came just a few weeks before her 71st birthday.
She was a native of Natick, Massachusetts, and graduated from both Syracuse University, in 1974, and Boston University, in 1978.
The local Truro government issued a statement on Howe’s death saying: ‘Our hearts are heavy with the news that we have lost a beloved member of our community, Susan Howe.’
It continued: ‘Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family and friends at this time of tragic loss. We are following the lead of law enforcement as they investigate this tragedy and have no further comment at this time.’
Susan Howe was a native of Natick, Massachusetts, and graduated from both Syracuse University, in 1974, and Boston University, in 1978
Speaking to the Boston Herald, DA Michael O’Keefe conceded that murders are rare in Truro, a town best associated realist painter Edward Hopper, who lived there in the 1930s and based some of his most famous works on the visual beauty of the area.
In 2002, writer Christa Washington was raped and murdered in her home in the town. O’Keefe would not ‘get into comparisons’ with the two cases, according to the Herald.
Washington was at home with her daughter when the crime occurred. Her daughter was unharmed.
Trash collector Christopher McCowen was later convicted of the killing and sentenced to life in prison.
O’Keefe also told the newspaper: ‘I don’t think it’s going to shock people to hear that we have a broken mental health system and it’s been broken for a long time.’
In a separate interview with the Boston Globe, O’Keefe said that his office is seeking to have Howe removed from police custody and brought to a mental health facility.
He said: ‘We have to prove, affirmatively, at any subsequent legal proceedings that this guy was sane at the time of the crime. We want the evaluation done closest in time to the actions that resulted in someone’s death.’
Officials had said that Howe will undergo a mental health evaluation as a result of conversations with and information from family members.
The incident is under investigation by the State Police Detectives assigned to the District Attorney’s Office, Truro Police, and the State Fire Marshalls Office.