Three suspects arrested in stabbing death of UConn's Howard

STORRS, Oct 28, 2009 (The Day - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- DHR | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- As Jasper Howard's family and friends were paying their final respects to the slain young man Monday in Miami, a Connecticut prosecutor and judge were signing arrest warrants for three men charged in connection with Howard's stabbing death on Oct. 18.

"We will provide all the additional support that may be necessary to ensure that justice is done, and that way we, too, will be able to pay our last respects to Jazz Howard," Department of Public Safety Commissioner John A. Danaher III said Tuesday at a press conference to announce the arrests.

Howard, a starting cornerback for the University of Connecticut whose nickname was Jazz, was stabbed outside a university-sanctioned dance hours after helping his team to a homecoming victory over Louisville. Someone pulled a fire alarm at the dance and two groups began to fight outside.

John W. Lomax III, 21, of Bloomfield was charged with murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree assault. He is being held on a $2 million bond.

Hakim Muhammad, 20, also of Bloomfield, was charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree assault. He is being held on a $750,000 bond. Both men are scheduled to be arraigned today in Rockville Superior Court.

Police said Jamal Todd, 21, of Hartford pulled the fire alarm that preceded the fight. He was charged with falsely reporting an incident and reckless endangerment and was released on a $5,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in court Nov. 10.

The three men are not UConn students. A fourth man, 21-year-old Johnny Hood, was arrested shortly after the fight and charged with interfering with an officer and breach of peace.

The UConn Police Department and the Connecticut State Police cooperated in a joint investigation, with 40 investigators working exclusively on the case and conducting more than 200 interviews. Both agencies will continue to investigate, said UConn Police Maj. Ronald Blicher.

Blicher gave sparse details about the arrests during the 10-minute press conference, citing the sealed arrest-warrant affidavits.

"We've had a tremendous number of e-mails asking us to solve the crime, and in layman's terms, make things right," UConn Chief of Police Robert S. Hudd said. "We're happy to say today we've done that."

The entire UConn team attended Howard's funeral Monday in Miami.

"I would have been very upset if the person who did this was not held responsible and punished and put in jail," sophomore tailback Jordan Todman said during the team's weekly Tuesday press conference. "I'm very happy, trust me. It brings a little closure, but the reality is my teammate's still not here with us.

"Now we know the person who did do this is not out there running around on the streets doing what he wants to do, so that makes us feel better. ... But we'd do anything just to have (Jasper) back."

Quarterback Cody Endres echoed his teammate, saying that "it is important for everyone to see justice be brought to the case, but at the same time it doesn't bring Jasper back."

Few students were walking around the campus Tuesday, with most in the dormitories to stay out of the rain or in afternoon classes.

But the news spread quickly online, with messages posted on Facebook minutes after the press conference with links to news stories about the arrests and statements like "R.I.P. Jazz."

In a message to the university Tuesday, President Michael Hogan wrote that "nothing can replace the void in our hearts left by his death. Yet, I know that many of you will feel reassured by today's news."

"I ask that we continue the compassion and dignity, as we grieve our loss and even as the grief subsides," he wrote. "Becoming a more caring and compassionate community out of this tragedy is perhaps one of the best ways we can honor Jasper's memory."

The UConn Division of Athletics established a scholarship fund and a fund to support Howard's family. Information on the funds can be found online at www.foundation.uconn.edu/stories-of-giving/2009-10-howard.html.

Day Sports Editor Chuck Banning contributed to this report.

To see more of The Day, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to
http://www.theday.com. Copyright (c) 2009, The Day, New London, Conn.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email
tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax
to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave.,
Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

More News:   Market Updates | Stock Alerts | All Trading News | Stock Index