Nancy Howery

Nancy Howery, a 44-year-old White woman and mother of two children, was described by friends as a "wonderful person" who transmitted good energy. She had been dating Daniel Stearns, a man she met through a dating app, on and off for about two years before her death.

On February 18, 2023, Howery was reported missing from Indian Harbour Beach by her ex-husband after she failed to pick up her children from school. The Indian Harbour Beach Police Department began a missing person investigation and soon found evidence suggesting she had been a victim of foul play. Because the incident occurred outside their jurisdiction, the case was turned over to the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office.

Investigators identified Stearns as a suspect. They determined that on February 15, the last day Howery was seen alive, she and Stearns had an argument. Prosecutors stated the conflict was driven by jealousy, as Stearns was angry that Howery would not date him exclusively. He lured her to an undeveloped, wooded area in Palm Bay known as “The Compound,” where he shot her in the head. Over the next few days, Stearns dismembered and burned her body, burying her remains in several different locations within the vast, isolated area.

The investigation led deputies to conduct surveillance on Stearns. On March 9, 2023, they followed him from his home to “The Compound,” where they observed him attempting to dispose of evidence. He was detained at the scene. A sheriff's office canine unit alerted to the presence of human decomposition, and a search of the area uncovered burned human remains. Forensic testing later confirmed the remains were those of Nancy Howery. Stearns confessed to the murder and to his attempts to destroy her body.

Stearns was arrested and charged with second-degree murder, abuse of a dead human body, and tampering with evidence. His five-day trial concluded in October 2025, when a Brevard County jury found him guilty on all counts after three hours of deliberation.

At his sentencing hearing on December 3, 2025, Howery’s ex-husband, who is now raising their son and daughter alone, spoke to the court. “What happened took away my children’s mother,” he said. “They don’t have a mother to share birthdays, prom, or wedding day for my daughter.” A judge sentenced Stearns to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder, with additional concurrent sentences for the other charges. As of December 2025, Daniel Stearns is serving his life sentence.