Murder suspect points police to gun used in fatal June 30 shooting, detective says

Cyrus Howard admitted gunning down James Richardson Jr. in the foyer of Richardson’s Hunter Ridge Circle home on July 30 and told police where to find the gun he used, a detective testified Friday in Columbus Recorder’s Court.

Cpl. Stuart Carter said Howard’s mother lives just down the street from Richardson’s 6145 Hunter Ridge Circle home, where the victim’s wife called police after finding her husband’s body about 9:20 p.m. that Monday.

Officers canvassing the neighborhood for witnesses suspected Howard after hearing he was seen walking from his mother’s home to Richardson’s and back, Carter said.

So they converged on the mother’s house, where they first spoke with Howard’s brother, who was evasive about whether Howard was there, the detective said. Then officers heard a voice in another room and called Howard’s name, and Howard came from a back bedroom to the kitchen where police were questioning his brother.

When Howard’s mother gave them permission to search the residence, investigators found Howard’s clothes in a bathroom tub, soaking in bleach, Carter said.

Over the next few days, Howard wavered on whether to give police a statement, initially telling them only that he’d known Richardson for four or five years, the officer said. Finally on Aug. 2, Howard came with his mother to police headquarters, where he was advised of his rights and agreed to speak with detectives, Carter said.

That’s when Howard told them he’d walked to Richardson’s home and shot the 36-year-old repeatedly when Richardson came to the door, then went back to his mother’s and took her car to his Lee Street apartment to get rid of the gun, the detective said.

He told them a friend had the gun in another apartment, and that’s where police recovered the weapon, finding it was the same caliber as the bullets that killed Richardson, and live bullets in the gun matched the spent shell casings found at the scene, Carter said.

Judge Julius Hunter found probable cause to send the case to Muscogee Superior Court, ordering Howard, 48, held without bond.

This story was originally published August 10, 2018 at 3:01 PM.