A Missouri man has been convicted of fatally shooting his former girlfriend, abandoning her body in a wooded area, and later sending Facebook messages to her daughter after the woman disappeared, prosecutors said.
A Jackson County jury found Charles Smith-Howell, 44, guilty in the 2023 killing of Ebony Duncan, 44, a mother of three.
The jury convicted Smith-Howell of:
- Second-degree murder
- Armed criminal action
- Unlawful use of a weapon
- Abandonment of a corpse
- Two counts of tampering with physical evidence
He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 5.
Victim Last Seen Leaving Work
According to investigators, Duncan was last seen alive on Sept. 6, 2023, after finishing her shift at a senior care facility in Independence, Missouri.
Surveillance video showed her walking toward her home while talking on her cellphone before getting into the passenger seat of a silver sedan.
Authorities said she disappeared shortly afterward.
Body Discovered in Wooded Area
After weeks of searching, investigators acting on a tip found Duncan’s remains on Halloween 2023 in a wooded area near 83rd Street and Hillcrest Road in Kansas City, Missouri.
The discovery confirmed investigators’ suspicions that Duncan had been the victim of a homicide.
Detectives Focused on Ex-Boyfriend
According to court documents, detectives learned from one of Duncan’s coworkers that she had been receiving threatening messages from an ex-boyfriend before she disappeared.
The coworker told investigators that the former boyfriend had even threatened to kill her.
Police later determined that Duncan was speaking on the phone with Smith-Howell at the time surveillance footage captured her getting into the silver sedan.
Investigators also noted that the vehicle matched a Chrysler 200, the same model driven by Smith-Howell’s then-girlfriend.
Phone Data Linked Defendant to Victim
Authorities said cellphone location records and license plate reader data showed Duncan’s phone and Smith-Howell traveling from Independence into Kansas City after she disappeared.
Investigators used the digital evidence to help establish the movements of both the victim and the defendant.
Daughter Received Facebook Messages
After Duncan went missing, her daughter contacted Smith-Howell through Facebook Messenger, where investigators said he used the name “Charles Smith.”
According to police, Smith-Howell replied:
“I saw your mother last night.”
He then allegedly added:
“I’m sorry if something bad happened to her.”
Investigators later used those messages as part of the evidence presented in the case.
Victim Was Trying to End Relationship
In a 2024 interview with local media, Duncan’s daughter said her mother had been attempting to end her relationship with Smith-Howell.
She said he frequently waited outside Duncan’s workplace to pick her up and would also wait outside her home without her knowledge.
According to her daughter, Duncan had asked Smith-Howell to remove his belongings from her home the day before she disappeared, indicating she wanted to end the relationship.
Prosecutors Say Defendant Destroyed Evidence
During the four-day trial, prosecutors argued that Smith-Howell shot Duncan before attempting to conceal the crime.
According to the prosecution, he destroyed both Duncan’s cellphone and her vehicle in an effort to eliminate evidence and cover up the killing.
After hearing the evidence, the jury returned guilty verdicts on July 17.
Sentencing Set for October
Smith-Howell remains in custody and is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 5.
He faces a lengthy prison sentence following his convictions for second-degree murder and the related offenses connected to Duncan’s death and the subsequent efforts to conceal the crime.
