LAS VEGAS -- The family of an accused killer begged the victim's family for forgiveness Wednesday night.
"Please forgive my son. He's not a demon. He's not a monster. I'm going to miss my son just like the family is going to miss their mom. Please, please forgive us. Forgive my son for taking your family from you. I am so, so sorry," said Ron Howard, father of accused murderer, Jerry Howard.
Kathy Shines was found stabbed to death behind a Las Vegas bar Saturday morning. Metro Police arrested 24-year-old Jerry Howard for her murder.
Officers said Shines was alive when she was thrown into a dumpster, and she died after crawling out. Her body was found Saturday morning in the 3300 block of Nellis Blvd.
According to Metro Police, it was two of Howard's loved ones who turned him into authorities. They told detectives he was staying with his ex-girlfriend Melissa Stephens.
"I asked him about the pictures, and he just broke down in tears and said, ‘I didn't do this, and you know me better than this,'" Stephens said.
Stephens said her and Howard had a violent relationship, but she didn't fear him, nor did she ever think he could be capable of such a brutal and violent crime.
Jerry Howard's father said his daughter was the one who told him she saw a picture of her brother on a flyer.
"She was like, ‘Dad,' and I said, 'What's going on?' She was crying when she said, ‘That's Jerry.' I was like, 'What?' Again, she said, ‘That's Jerry.' After that, I just broke down and started crying. I couldn't believe that it was my son who did this," Howard said.
Howard said when his son was shown the incriminating surveillance video, Jerry broke down and started crying saying, "Dad, I can't believe I did that."
Shines' son said he appreciates the Howard family's apology.
"My heart goes out to them as well. I can't imagine how hard that must have been," said Ryan Young, Kathy Shines' son.
Shines' son said his mother, 54, was unemployed and would collect bottles and cans for recycling to make extra money. That is what she was doing when she was killed.
Howard said he plans to stand by his son in court, but he also wanted Shines' family to know how sorry he was and that he feels their pain.
Howard is facing murder, sexual assault with a deadly weapon, kidnapping with a deadly weapon and robbery with a deadly weapon.
According to police, Howard was arrested in 2009 on burglary, grand larceny and arson charges, but pleaded guilty to a lesser crime. He was also arrested twice for domestic violence - once in Dec. 2013 and again in Jan. 2014, but Howard took a plea deal and attended classes.
In Dec. 2014, he violated his probation. He also has 22 entries from when he was a juvenile.
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