Mom Found Guilty of Daughter’s Murder After Blaming Her Toddler
RECKLESS HOMICIDE
A Tennessee woman has been found guilty in the murder of her 5-year-old daughter, according to WBIR. On Sept. 4, 2019, 5-year-old Destiny Oliver was shot in the chest and killed at the home of Robin Howington. Prosecutors argued that although there was no evidence that Howington shot the child, she was responsible, as she had left the gun out for days, tried to mislead investigators, and invented stories accusing Destiny’s father, and another random man of pulling the trigger. She also attempted to hide the weapon and discard her cell phone after the shooting, they said. On the stand, Howington claimed that her 2-year-old son had pulled the trigger. She said she had initially tried to dispose of the weapon, “Because I knew that was the gun that (the young boy) used to shoot Destiny, and I was trying to protect him.” Forensic investigators found that gun residue was on the younger child’s clothing. The jury opted to charge Howington with reckless homicide, a lesser form than first-degree murder. Howington was also found guilty of aggravated child neglect, making a false report, tampering with evidence, and attempting to tamper with evidence.