Source: Photo courtesy of Facebook/People / Ebony Duncan.
Charles Smith-Howell, the former boyfriend of 44-year-old Ebony Duncan, has been convicted in connection with the murder of the mother of three, according to reports from People,the Kansas City Star, and other outlets.
Ebony Ducan murder: Charles Smith-Howell convicted of second-degree murder among other charges.
On July 17, a Jackson County jury found the 44-year-old guilty of second-degree murder, armed criminal action, unlawful use of a weapon, abandonment of a corpse, and two counts of tampering with physical evidence in a felony prosecution, according to Jackson County court records cited bythe Kansas City Star.
Authorities had long considered Smith-Howell a suspect in Duncan’s disappearance before his arrest. Duncan was reported missing by her daughter on Sept. 7, 2023, after co-workers at Sunterra Springs became concerned when she failed to report to work that morning, according to a probable cause statement filed in support of his arrest.
According to People, Duncan was last seen on Sept. 6, 2023, getting into a vehicle in Independence, Missouri, police said at the time. Nearly two months later, on Oct. 31, 2023, her remains were discovered in a wooded area in Kansas City, Missouri, authorities confirmed in an update. A medical examiner later determined she had a bullet lodged in her body.
Charles Smith-Howell was arrested a year later.
Smith-Howell was arrested in July 2024 and charged with Duncan’s murder, according to online court records obtained by the outlet.
Investigators said friends and co-workers told police that Duncan and Smith-Howell had previously been in a relationship but had argued the day before she disappeared because she had begun dating other people, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by People.
As the search for Duncan continued, her daughter contacted Smith-Howell to ask whether he had seen or spoken to her mother, investigators said.
His response raised alarm.
“I saw your mother last night,” he responded. “I’m sorry if something bad happened to her.”
According to the affidavit, investigators used cellphone records, surveillance footage from the day Duncan disappeared, and statements from friends and co-workers to identify Smith-Howell as a person of interest in the case.
Authorities also discovered Duncan’s blood inside a vehicle belonging to Smith-Howell’s then-girlfriend, according to the affidavit, although the woman was not accused of any wrongdoing.
Duncan is remembered by loved ones as a devoted mother of three with a strong work ethic and determination. According to her online obituary, she earned her G.E.D. and became a certified nursing assistant while pregnant before later graduating from culinary school.
Outside of work, she “enjoyed spending time with family and friends and dressing exceptionally well,” her obituary reads.
“During her life Ebony accomplished an array of things, most of all being a loving daughter, sister, niece, auntie, cousin, and friend,” the obituary added.
Smith-Howell remains in custody at the Jackson County Detention Center. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 5.
