18 December 2017 :

Arkansas Parole Board releases former death row inmate Timothy Howard. Howard was released from Varner Supermax Prison yesterday afternoon after 20 years in prison, 14 of them on death row. He always maintained his innocence in the murder of Brian and Shannon Day and attempted murder of their child. Howard was sentenced to 2 death sentences in 1999. His convictions were thrown out in 2013. Then in 2015, a new trial for Howard was ordered after the Arkansas Supreme Court ruled that the lab compromised DNA samples. In the second trial, Howard was convicted on lesser charges of second degree murder and attempted second degree murder and sentenced to 38 years in prison. He was denied parole in 2015. The Parole Board voted 5-0 on Nov. 20 of this year to grant parole to Howard. Several conditions were placed on parole, including an employment plan, periodic drug testing, no association with victim or relatives, maximum supervision for the remainder of his probation by the Department of Community Correction, a curfew if he is not at work, school or church and community service work if he is not employed. He also may not return to Sevier or Little River County.