Murdered & Buried in 48 Hours: Terri Howell’s Case - Part 2

Murdered & Buried in 48 Hours: Terri Howell’s Case - Part 2

From Murder At Land Between The Lakes by Amelia Courtney and Lainie Sullivan

May 5, 2026 · 46 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the case of Terri Howell, who was murdered and buried as a Jane Doe within 48 hours, highlighting the circumstances surrounding her death and the investigation.

In 1980, just months before Carla and Vickie were murdered, another horrific crime was unfolding just two hours away in Owensboro, Kentucky. What was supposed to be an ordinary Thursday night out dancing turned into a nightmare when two young women left a bar and accepted a ride from the wrong person. One woman jumped from the moving car and escaped to safety. The other, Terri Howell, was taken, murdered, and left in a burning abandoned house. Terri’s battered and burned body was transported to the coroner’s office, where she was swiftly autopsied and buried as a Jane Doe—all within 48 hours of leaving her home. Why wasn’t more time given for her family to properly identify her and lay her to rest on their own terms? Make sure to listen to Part 1 for all the details as we speak with Terri’s daughter-in-law, Penny Tomes. Resources: If you have any information regarding this case, please reach out to Detective O’Herron with the Davis County’s Sheriff's Office in Ownesboro Kentucky. coldcase@dcsoky.gov 270-240-5776

People in this episode

Hosts: Amelia Courtney, Lainie Sullivan

Guest: Penny Tomes

Topics covered

  • true crime
  • murder
  • cold case
  • investigation
  • victim identification

Keywords

  • Terri Howell
  • murder
  • Jane Doe
  • cold case
  • Owensboro
  • 1980
  • Penny Tomes
  • true crime

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Davis County’s Sheriff's Office

Places: Owensboro, Kentucky

More episodes of Murder At Land Between The Lakes

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Murder At Land Between The Lakes podcast page.