Yesterday marked a solemn reminder in Tarrant County as the Sheriff's Office paid tribute to Deputy Frank D. Howell, whose life was tragically cut short 38 years ago. In a somber post on the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office's Facebook page, they recounted Howell's over twenty-year career in law enforcement and the circumstances surrounding his death. On November 3, 1986, while investigating a suspicious vehicle in Fort Worth, Deputy Howell encountered a fatal confrontation that would unfold into one of the county's most extensive manhunts.
Howell, aged 38 at the time of his death, was a seasoned deputy with a deeply rooted history in the local law enforcement community, having started his career as a dispatcher at the tender age of 17. It was in pursuit of public safety behind a Veterans of Foreign Wars building on W. Felix Street that Howell's routine check quickly escalated into violence. The confrontation allowed one of the occupants to forcibly gain control of Howell's duty pistol, leading to the deputy's shooting. The suspect then decided to swiftly flee across the border to Mexico, according to the Sheriff's Office post.
The legacy of Howell's service, which extended beyond two decades, is remembered by his colleagues, community members, and most intimately by his wife and three children who survived him. The loss resonates with a certain persistence, underscoring both the inherent dangers of police work and the lasting impact of a public servant's dedication.
After the murder, Tarrant County authorities launched a manhunt that ranked among the largest in their history, sparing no effort to capture the individual responsible for ending Howell's watch. The suspect was ultimately apprehended and sentenced in Mexico.
