A Florida man has been handed a life sentence after a jury found him guilty of killing his girlfriend, dismembering her body, and burning her remains in a remote area of Brevard County.
On December 3, 2025, 32-year-old Daniel Stearns was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Nancy Howery, a woman from Indian Harbour Beach.
Howery, a mother of two, was reported missing in February 2023 by her ex-husband, Tom Howery, after she failed to pick up her children from school in Satellite Beach.
The next day, her vehicle was found abandoned in Southwest Palm Bay, and according to Fox35Orlando news, this discovery deepened concerns and pushed investigators to launch a wide search.
Her remains were later found burned and buried in an undeveloped area of Brevard County known as “The Compound,” a large stretch of land west of Palm Bay.
During the investigation, detectives uncovered that Stearns planned a meeting with Howery in early February 2023.
After she showed up, he shot her in the head with a handgun, then dismembered her body, burnt them and buried it.
Officials also shared that the pair had met on social media and began dating but, Stearns grew angry when Howery refused to date him exclusively.
In October 2025, a jury found Stearns guilty of Second-degree murder, Abuse of a dead human body and Tampering with or destroying evidence
These charges carried heavy consequences, ultimately leading to the life sentence handed down in December.
The Office of the State Attorney, 18th Judicial Circuit, said the evidence and witness testimony clearly showed Stearns’ role in the crime.
During the sentencing hearing, Howery’s ex-husband delivered an emotional statement, highlighting the deep and permanent impact Nancy’s murder had on their children.
"What happened took away my children’s mom. Took away Nancy from her life," he said. "So, now my children don't have a mom. They don't have a mom to share birthdays with. My daughter doesn't have a mom to share prom with, wedding day, same with my son."
Stearns, who was arrested in March 2023, now faces life behind bars for the killing that robbed two children of their mother and devastated a community.
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