Ex-boyfriend and friend charged after threatening ex-girlfriend

PUTNAM COUNTY , WV (LOOTPRESS) – An ex-boyfriend and friend are facing serious charges after threatening to kill an ex-girlfriend and fight a new boyfriend.

On June 28, 2024, at approximately 2 am, Deputy B.M. Hodges and Sgt. Leport responded to a threat complaint in Putnam County, West Virginia . The victim reported that her ex-boyfriend, Joseph Dominick Howell, had been calling her and making threats to come to her residence and kill her, including saying he would “stick a gun in her mouth and make her beg for her life.”

The victim provided a video recording in which Mr. Howell could be heard saying, “We’re gonna go spray their house.” The recording indicated there were multiple people at the residence, including the victim’s brothers, niece, nephew, mother, and boyfriend.

During the response, officers observed a black Jeep with West Virginia registration N 14126A approaching the residence, driven by Christopher Joseph Holman, with Mr. Howell as the passenger. The officers conducted a traffic stop and detected signs of intoxication in both men, including the odor of alcohol, bloodshot eyes, and slurred speech.

Mr. Holman admitted to driving Mr. Howell to the residence so he could fight the victim’s new boyfriend and retrieve his belongings. A pistol was also found under the passenger seat where Mr. Howell was sitting.

Both men were arrested – Mr. Howell for domestic assault, conspiracy, and terrorist threats and Mr. Holman for DUI and conspiracy. They were transported to the Putnam County Courthouse, read their Miranda rights, and then to the Western Regional Jail.