CANYON COUNTY, Idaho — A California man accused of trying to kill his pregnant wife at Celebration Park in January will now face trial in district court after a Canyon County judge found probable cause Wednesday for two felony counts against him.
Robert Howell was previously charged in Canyon County after prosecutors said he attacked his pregnant wife during a family trip to Idaho. At Wednesday’s preliminary hearing, court testimony showed the case is now moving forward on an amended complaint that includes one count of battery with intent to commit murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder.
The state’s first witness, Canyon County Sheriff’s Office Corporal and Detective Cameron Witgenstein, testified that he interviewed Howell after the incident at the sheriff’s office. According to Witgenstein, Howell said he, his wife, and their five children had come to Idaho to visit and look at construction job opportunities. Witgenstein testified that Howell said there had been no arguments on the trip, though his wife had complained of stomach pain.
Witgenstein says Howell also told investigators he was concerned his wife may have consumed something that could harm the baby. She was seven months pregnant at the time.
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Witgenstein testified that once the family got to Celebration Park, Howell sent the five children away to play, then returned to the car where his wife was sitting. The detective testified that Howell said he got into the vehicle intending to kill her because he believed she had done something to abort the child.
According to Witgenstein, Howell first began strangling his wife in the back seat with his hands on the front of her throat, then got behind her, wrapped his arm around her neck, and pulled back until he heard what he described as “agonal breathing,” a term the detective testified Howell used himself and knew from his combat medic training in the military. Witgenstein testified that Howell said he then stopped, got out of the car, went toward the river, and later returned.
When Howell came back, Witgenstein testified, his wife was still alive inside the vehicle. The detective said Howell saw her on the floorboard between the front and back seats, did not render aid, and instead ran about 100 yards to park rangers to call for help.
Witgenstein also told the court that surveillance footage from Celebration Park corroborated parts of that timeline. During questioning and clarification from the judge, the detective said the cameras were able to see the car and also see Howell’s wife still inside when Howell returned.
The hearing’s second witness, Canyon County paramedic Olaia Moad, testified that first responders were initially dispatched for an unknown problem before the call was upgraded to an attempted strangulation. Moad testified that Howell’s wife was minimally responsive and somewhat combative when crews arrived, and that it was easy to tell she was pregnant. Moad said it was not immediately obvious she had been strangled until an officer told medics while they were evaluating her.
Moad testified that a photo taken that day showed red dots consistent with petechiae, an injury often associated with strangulation. She also testified that paramedics could not immediately tell how the baby was doing at the scene, but there were no obvious signs of an induced abortion.
Under cross-examination, Moad testified that Howell’s wife also had bruising to the jaw and neck, bruising on other parts of her body in various stages of healing, and scratches on her belly. Moad said her pupils were very small when medics arrived, prompting Narcan administration because of concerns about a possible overdose. She said that the Narcan had some effect, though not the kind of response medics might expect in a simple overdose.
After the state rested, prosecutors argued they had met their burden, pointing to testimony that Howell sent the children away before returning to the vehicle as part of their premeditation argument. Defense attorneys argued the second count tied to the unborn child should be treated differently, contending Howell intended to kill his wife, not the baby.
Judge John Meienhofer ultimately ruled the state had met its burden on both counts. In remarks from the bench, the judge said Howell told investigators he tried to kill his wife and knew she was pregnant. The judge found probable cause on the first count and also found probable cause on the second count, concluding that Howell’s alleged attempt to kill his wife while knowing she was pregnant was enough at this stage for the case involving the unborn child to move forward.
According to remarks from the state, both Howell’s wife and the baby are alive and healthy.
Howell’s next court appearance is scheduled for April 30 at 10:30 a.m. in district court.
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