#29: The Man Named John

Security cameras capture a silver vehicle following a woman from a church parking lot, maintaining a careful distance. Seventeen seconds after she leaves, the car pulls out behind her. When she arrives home and opens her garage door, what unfolds in those next moments will nearly cost her everything.

What investigators will later uncover is a plot involving multiple criminals, millions in embezzled money, and someone determined to make her death look like an accident. But as detectives trace prepaid phones and cash transactions back through time, they discover the conspiracy didn't start recently—it began while she was on a mission trip halfway around the world, and continued even as she attended church services and learned to dance with her spouse. The question that will haunt everyone who learns the details is devastating: how long had someone been planning her murder, and who stood to gain from her death?

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Before we begin. Do you have a theory about this
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(00:26):
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(00:48):
Now let's get into today's case. On the evening of
August eighteenth, twenty twelve, Nancy Howard attended a baptism service
at her church in Carrollton, Texas. She arrived at six o'clock,
entering through the south door as she always did. Security
cameras captured her car pulling into the parking lot. In
the footage, a silver Nissan Altama could be seen following

(01:11):
her in and parking in the same lot. Within seconds
of Nancy entering the building, the silver car drove out
of the parking lot, only to return at six fifty
five and park in the north corner. A person got
out of the vehicle, walked to the men's restroom, and
returned to the car four minutes later, apparently content to wait.

(01:31):
The baptism ceremony concluded at seven twenty five with a
brief reception. At seven twenty six and forty seconds, security
footage captured Nancy leaving the church, walking to her car
and exiting the parking lot. Seventeen seconds later, the silver
car pulled out and followed her into the misty evening,
Nancy stopped at a Taco Bueno to pick up dinner

(01:53):
before pulling into her driveway. As she opened the garage
door and got out of her car to gather her
purse and food, someone grabbed her from behind by the
neck and demanded her purse. The stocky looking man wore
a dark baseball cap and black rimmed glasses. In her
flustered state, she handed him the bag of tacos instead
of her purse. He swore and demanded it again. Nancy

(02:16):
thrust her purse at his chest while crying out, Jesus
save me. In response, he shot her in the head.
The bullet exploded directly over her left eye. Nancy Shore

(02:59):
met Friendank Howard and eventually became his second wife. Frank's
full name was John Franklin Howard, and he carried the
weight of a failed first marriage. Right after high school,
he had married a woman named Marcy, who he described
as his best friend and lover, but Frank admitted he
royally screwed up time after time, eventually letting go of
his wife and running away for several years. When Nancy

(03:23):
and Frank married, she was very young and immature in
her thinking about love and marriage. She moved directly from
her parents home into the home she would share with Frank.
Her father had died suddenly on a Christmas weekend, seventeen
years before the events that would later unfold, leaving a
void that Frank's father, a retired Baptist minister, would help phil.

(03:45):
From the start, Nancy's commitment to Frank's future was absolute.
They cut their honeymoon short so he could finish his
college degree requirements. Nancy worked for the first few years
of their marriage, but when the children started school, She
stopped working full time at Frank's request, becoming what she
called a domestic engineer, a professional homemaker who managed the

(04:08):
household and family calendar. For many months, they both made
sacrifices while Frank studied for his CPA licensing exam. They
viewed his career as a partnership. Over time, Frank built
a reputation as a man of unimpeachable character, an upstanding
business man, a strong Christian, and a devoted family man.

(04:28):
He became an active member of the largest Baptist church
in Carrollton, serving in youth ministry and singing in the
choir alongside Nancy. Their life together was deeply integrated with
their faith. They had agreed before marrying that God would
be the head of their household. They attended services whenever
the doors were open, and were committed to raising their

(04:49):
children to know the Lord and represent him well. They
attended parenting classes together and were deeply involved in their
children's activities, sports, theater, and music. The family even hosted
two foreign exchange students to broaden their children's worldview. Frank
became known as the master of surprises, creating elaborate and

(05:10):
thoughtful experiences for Nancy and their family. Around two thousand
and one, for Nancy's fortieth birthday, he orchestrated a spectacular
surprise trip to Alaska. He told her to pack for
both cold and warm weather, and arranged for her mother,
Eleanor to watch the children. The week long cruise began
in Vancouver, and Nancy would later recall the breathtaking glaciers

(05:33):
and watching a whale breach. In Juneo, Frank insisted on
buying her an expensive ring she had been drawn to,
overriding her objections about the cost. As Nancy approached her
forty fifth birthday, she wondered if Frank would still plan
a special surprise for her. The surprise that year came
in a casual moment. Frank tossed an envelope on the

(05:55):
kitchen table on his way to work, wished her an
early birthday, and kissed her head. Inside the envelope was
a card in her favorite color, purple, and two tickets
to a Barry Manilo concert. Nancy viewed the gift as
a sacrifice. She knew Frank was not a fan of
Manilo's music, yet he had paid a significant amount for
the tickets. She hoped he would use the second ticket

(06:19):
to go with her. The concert itself was exciting, but
Nancy later described the drive home as even more memorable.
They sang Manilo songs together, then joined their voices to
harmonize on a hymn they were preparing for the church choir.
Nancy was flooded by memories of singing together. It became
a special night she would always remember. Then came the

(06:42):
summer of two thousand and eight. At dinner one evening,
Frank announced he was taking their entire family of five,
along with his own parents, to the Olympics in Beijing.
Nancy was astounded, wondering how they could afford it. Frank
revealed he had been saving for months and had already
made all the arrangement flights, hotels, and event tickets. There

(07:03):
had been difficult periods for about four years Nancy battled
fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue, a rough time for both of them,
but they had navigated it together and it seemed temporary,
just another challenge overcome in what Nancy described as a
very strong relationship and a great marriage. Nancy had two brothers,
an oldest brother whose church she had spoken at, and

(07:25):
a youngest brother. Both of Nancy's names first and middle
meant Grace. Frank had an older brother who lived in
ponder Texas. His parents had been alive and well enough
to travel to Beijing with the family in two thousand
and eight. For nearly thirty years, this was the life
Nancy and Frank Howard had built together. Quick break ads

(08:01):
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Thanks for sticking through that. Let's get back to it.
On the morning of August eighteenth, twenty twelve, Frank Howard

(08:23):
was in California on a business trip when he sent
an email to Nancy at ten thirty nine a m
explaining that a car sale had fallen through and he
decided to stay over until Monday to ride back on
the plane with Richard Rayley, his wealthy client and employer.
He ended the message with I love you and can't
wait to get home to you. While Frank was thousands

(08:45):
of miles away, Nancy spent her day hosting two tables
at a women's tea at her church in Carrollton, Texas.
An ordinary Saturday filled with the kind of church activities
that had defined her life for nearly three decades. When
evening came, Nancy arrived at the church at six pm
for a service and the baptism of a friend's daughter,

(09:06):
Entering through the south door as she always did, Security
cameras captured her car pulling into the parking lot, and
in the footage, a silver vehicle later identified as a
Nissan Altima, could be seen following her in and parking
in the same lot. Within seconds of Nancy entering the building,
the silver car drove out of the parking lot, only

(09:28):
to return at six fifty five pm and park in
the north corner. A person got out of the vehicle,
walked to the men's restroom, and returned to the car
four minutes later at six fifty nine pm, apparently content
to wait. The baptism ceremony concluded at seven twenty five
pm with a brief reception where a photograph was taken
of Nancy smiling with her friends. At seven twenty six pm,

(09:52):
security footage captured her leaving the church, walking to her
car and exiting the parking lot, completely unaware that just
seven eighteen seconds later, the silver car would pull out
and follow her into the misty evening. Too busy to
eat at the reception, Nancy stopped at a Taco Bueno
on her way home to pick up dinner before pulling
into her driveway through the fine mist that had begun

(10:15):
to fall. As she opened the garage door and got
out of her car to gather her purse and food,
someone grabbed her from behind by the neck and demanded
her purse. The stocky looking man wore a dark baseball
cap and black rimmed glasses, and Nancy's first confused thought
was that it must be some kind of prank, until

(10:35):
she turned and saw the silver handgun aimed at her head.
In her flustered state, she handed him the bag of
tacos instead of her purse, prompting him to swear and
demand it again. Nancy thrust her purse at his chest
while crying out, Jesus save me, and in response, he
shot her in the head, the bullet exploding directly over

(10:55):
her left eye. When Nancy became aware of her surroundings again,
she found herself lying partially across a recycle bin. Hearing
a voice commanding her to get up. She managed to
pull herself to a standing position, but the floor had
become so slick with her blood that it was impossible
to keep her footing. Desperate for help, she resorted to

(11:16):
belly crawling to her car to press the on Star
medical alert button, only to discover it wouldn't work because
the key was in her stolen purse. Fearing her attacker
might still be in the driveway, Nancy hit the button
to close the garage door before staggering through her own
blood to get inside the house, where she somehow managed

(11:37):
to disarm the security system despite her injuries. In the bathroom,
she caught sight of her gruesome image in the mirror
and grabbed a towel to try to stop the bleeding,
before shuffling to the kitchen to dial nine one one
on the land line. The dispatcher, Dusty, stayed calm as
Nancy gasped for breath and gurgled blood in her throat,

(11:59):
managing to give her name, location, and a description of
the shooter. Dusty promised to stay on the line and
asked Nancy to make her way to the front door
to unlock it, where she sat in a chair in
the foyer to wait for help. When Nancy saw a
hand holding a gun through the glass pane of the door.
She panicked until Dusty reassured her it was a police officer,

(12:22):
and when she finally opened the door, she fell into
the officer's arms. Then around midnight in grand Seline, Michael
Lorentz returned home to his fiancee, Misty Ford. Uncharacteristically quiet,
he tells her that he had murdered somebody, a female,
and that he shot her in her garage in the forehead.

(12:55):
In the summer of two thousand and nine, Nancy and
her younger daughter traveled to Zambia with their church on
a mission trip, working with orphaned children who had lost
their parents to aides. The experience was profound for Nancy,
particularly when the church team prayed over a little girl
named Ennells, who they believed seemed to be demon possessed
and was subsequently healed. The experience solidified for Nancy the

(13:20):
power in the name of Jesus. While Nancy was in
Africa in mid July two thousand nine, Frank Howard met
Suzanne Leontef at a casino in Lake Tahoe. Suzanne, a
dental hygienist from California, was in Tahoe for her daughter's
softball tournament. Their relationship developed very quickly, and they spent
the following weekend together. When Nancy and her daughter returned

(13:43):
to DFW Airport, Frank was waiting for them. As they
shared stories of their trip, Frank began to sob uncontrollably,
something Nancy had never seen before. He told them that
a very close family friend had died suddenly from an aneurism.
While Nancy shared his grief, she found his dramatic reaction
to be out of character. Shortly after meeting Suzanne in

(14:06):
August two thousand nine, Frank began creating shadow companies and
bank accounts, some named after her by combining her name
with Tahoe Sudaho. A few months after Nancy's return from Africa,
Frank informed her he had taken on a new wealthy
client named Richard Rayleigh, whose work would require frequent and
extensive travel. Nancy was uneasy because Frank had made this

(14:29):
major life changing decision without consulting her, which was contrary
to how they had always operated. Frank's work for Rayley
soon evolved into a chief financial officer position. That fall,
Nancy noticed a distinct change in Frank's behavior. His business
trips became increasingly frequent and prolonged, and he began attending

(14:49):
numerous sporting events with the guys, which was out of
character for him. Nancy began to feel like a single
woman and came to hate Frank's suitcase, viewing it as
as a symbol of the mistress that had stolen my husband.
At the time, she believed this other woman was his
work for Richard Rayley. For Frank's fiftieth birthday in the

(15:11):
fall of two thousand and nine, Nancy planned an elaborate surprise,
giving him fifty small things each day for the fifty
days leading up to his birthday. For the days he
was traveling, she would pack the items into his suitcase.
The constant travel made it impossible for Nancy to plan
any date nights, leading to an angry confrontation where she

(15:32):
hurled a calendar across the room. On one rare occasion,
when they attended a Chicago concert together, Nancy tried to
sing to Frank, but he shook his head in disgust,
a response she noted still hurts. Nancy began going to
marriage counseling by herself, and Frank later agreed to join her.
During one session, the councilor bluntly asked Frank if he

(15:54):
was having an affair, to which he gave a resounding no.
Counseling led to a temporary pause in Frank's travel when,
at the councilor's suggestion, he got a medical check up
that Nancy insisted on attending. The check up revealed he
had prostate cancer, requiring several months of daily radiation treatments.
Forced to stay in town, Frank seemed less aloof and

(16:17):
more attentive, and Nancy was determined to walk the journey
with him. In early twenty ten, while undergoing cancer treatment
and marriage counseling, Frank made his first contact with a
convict named Billy Earl Johnson, using his first name John
as an alias. Frank called Billy and said he was
looking for someone to do a job. When Billy asked

(16:38):
what kind of job, Frank replied, kill my wife. Billy,
thinking it might be a joke, told John to call
him back when he had sixty thousand dollars. A few
days later, Frank called again and they agreed to meet
at a western wear store in Mesquite, Texas. At this meeting,
Frank handed Billy a Manila envelope containing sixty thousand dollars

(17:01):
in cash, a photograph of Nancy, and a copy of
her driver's license. Frank's instructions were to make it look
like an accident. Billy and his girlfriend, Stacy Sorenko quickly
spent the money on drugs and shopping. In October twenty ten,
Stacy Sorenko made an early attempt to expose the plot.

(17:21):
She spoke with a Sergeant White and another law enforcement
officer about what was taking place. However, she became frightened,
feeling that the officers did not believe her story. When
Billy was released from jail shortly thereafter, she froze and
did not follow through with her report. Frank continued to
make numerous wire transfers and cash payments to Billy, Earl

(17:43):
Johnson and his associates throughout this period. Billy's strategy was
not to carry out the murder, but to keep the
money coming from Frank. To give Frank some assurance that
he was working on the job, Billy would drive to
locations where Frank said no Nancy would be, such as
her book club meetings in Louisville or Allan. Frank provided

(18:05):
Billy with the addresses and instructed him to take her out,
adding that it didn't make any difference if her friends
got caught in it as well. In the summer of
twenty ten, Stacy Sorenko and Billy Earle followed Nancy to
an office complex where she was attending a meeting to
plan a fundraiser for a mission organization. They sat waiting

(18:27):
for her for many hours, during which time Billy slashed
Nancy's tires. Their plan was thwarted when a friend came
to pick Nancy up. While funding the plot to have
her killed, Frank made several gestures that convinced Nancy they
were working to salvage their relationship. In the summer of
twenty eleven, in a surprising move, Frank agreed to join

(18:50):
Nancy and their younger daughter on another church mission trip
to Zambia. Nancy noted that on the trip, Frank seemed
to enjoy working with the young boys and with our
During this trip, they had a conversation with another couple
who suggested that taking up a new hobby together, like
dancing lessons, was a good way for empty nesters to reconnect.

(19:12):
When they returned home, Nancy asked Frank if he would
be willing to take dancing lessons, and to her surprise,
he said yes. They enrolled in a class for dancing
in the round, which is similar to square dancing but
involves dancing with the same partner. Nancy discovered that Frank,
the methodical CPA, was a much better dancer than she

(19:33):
was and was very good at keeping up with the steps.
Frank enjoyed the classes so much that he made a
significant change to his work life to accommodate them. For
every Tuesday night until the class ended in July twenty twelve.
Frank arranged his travel schedule so that he could leave
for his trips on Wednesdays and be home on Monday nights,

(19:55):
ensuring he would never miss their dance class. This sustained
effort further convinced Nancy that he was committed to their marriage.
In January twenty twelve, Jennifer Northcutt, a friend of hitman
Billy Earl Johnson's daughter, was serving a sentence on a

(20:17):
federal drug charge when she told a DEA agent named
Daniel Morgan that Billy was receiving money from someone named
John to kill his wife. She even drew a map
for the agent showing the back of the Howard house
where money was picked up from a meter box. However,
with only the first name John and a general description,
there was not enough information for law enforcement to launch

(20:39):
a full investigation at that time. That spring, inspired by
a sermon, Nancy asked Frank if they could read scriptures
and pray together in the mornings. Frank agreed, and for
a few weeks they started their days this way, sharing
thoughts on devotionals even when he was traveling. However, this
practice gradually stopped, as Frank claimed his early meetings began

(21:02):
to interrupt this special form of communication. On April nineteenth,
twenty twelve, following a suggestion from Billy Johnson to cover
their tracks, Frank obtained a prepaid phone that would later
connect him to many of the conspirators. In May twenty twelve,
Frank's mistress, Suzanne Leontief, began to pressure him intensely to

(21:23):
end his marriage. On May seventh, she sent him a
text giving an ultimatum, I'm so sick of being alone.
You need to file for divorce by this Friday or
move on. I have waited long enough, heard all the
same bullshit for three years. It is now or never,
your choice. On May thirtieth, she sent another text, accusing
him of being defensive and hiding something. Now is the

(21:45):
time for you to grow up and deal with your
shit one way or another. Around this time, Frank and
Nancy celebrated their anniversary at a bed and breakfast. From
May twentieth to twenty first, twenty twelve, this was the
only period when there were no calls from his prepaid
phone to the East Texas Criminals. In late May twenty twelve,
the plot shifted significantly when Frank met Billy Earl's nephew,

(22:08):
Michael Speck at a Bass pro shop. A new plan
was formed to kill Nancy and San Marcos at her
mother's house. The San Marcos plan was set to take
place in early June, but it was thwarted when Billy
Earl Johnson and his girlfriend Stacy Cerenko were arrested in
Denton County. With Billy sidelined, Frank made it clear the

(22:28):
plan would now move forward, with Michael Speck stating in
a recorded jailhouse call with Billy, I'm all in with Michael,
signaling that he was finished dealing with Billy. On June thirtieth,
twenty twelve, Michael Speck stopped communicating with Frank. The very
next day, July first, twenty twelve, Dustin Hiram's Stacy Cerenko's

(22:49):
son began receiving money from Frank to carry out the murder.
Three days later, on July fourth, Dustin met Jason Renden
and Stephanie Della Cerda and told them about the murder
for higher plot, giving them thousands of dollars in cash.
A few days after their meeting, Dustin and Jason drove
to Carrollton and were stopped by police in Nancy's neighborhood

(23:11):
for suspicious activity a high Dustin told the officers he
was a hit man looking for a man named John
to pick up money, but they did not believe his story.
After learning the details of the plot from Dustin, Jason
and Stephanie began a blackmail scheme, contacting Frank and threatening
to go to the police. Over the next several weeks,

(23:33):
Frank paid them tens of thousands of dollars in cash
and wire transfers to keep them quiet. During this time,
Frank also asked them if they knew anyone who could
take care of it. In July twenty twelve, the weekly
dancing lessons that Frank and Nancy had been attending since
the previous summer came to an end. Frank told Dustin

(23:53):
Hirams that an ideal location for the hit would be
the Gaylord Texas Hotel, where Nancy would be attending a
conference from August eighth to eleven, twenty twelve. Frank specified
that Dustin should use a bat or a knife, not
a gun to avoid attracting attention. While Nancy was at
the conference, Frank called and asked for her room number,

(24:13):
which she gave him, thinking he might send her flowers
as a romantic gesture. On August eleventh, twenty twelve, the
last day of the conference, Michael Speck reestablished contact with Frank,
just seven days before the shooting would take place. Quick

(24:35):
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back to it. Nancy was admitted to the Trauma Center

(24:58):
at Parkland Hospital under a false name due to the
criminal nature of her case. Doctors determined she had extensive
head damage damaged nerves, a fractured rib, neck fractures, and
a collapsed lung With the bullet lodged in her right lung.
Surgeons worked to repair torn flesh around her eye, sinuses, throat,
and hard palate. Nancy was placed in the ICU with

(25:20):
a breathing tube down her throat and a cervical collar.
Her hands tied down to prevent her from pulling out
the tube while she endured hourly neurological tests and endless
rounds of medication. Frank arrived at the hospital after being
called by one of his daughters. He sat by Nancy's bedside, whispering, honey,
We're going to get through this together, which gave Nancy

(25:42):
hope that their marriage could be strengthened by the crisis.
On August twentieth, two days after the shooting, Frank delivered
devastating news Nancy's eye had been destroyed by the bullet
and would need to be surgically removed. A surgeon performed
the removal, noticing the trauma was so severe it was
difficult to distinguish tissue from the eye itself. After being

(26:06):
missing from the hospital for a day, Frank called Nancy
on August twenty first, three days after the shooting. On
this call, he did not say he was on his
way to see her, but instead admitted to having an
affair that had lasted almost three years. This confession was
prompted not by guilt but by necessity. Police detectives had

(26:26):
seized computers and cell phones and quickly discovered e mails, photos,
and bank records revealing his long term involvement with Suzanne
Leontief in California. While Nancy remained in the hospital, police
investigated the crime scene in Frank's activities, uncovering evidence of
the affair, the embezzlement of millions from Richard Rayleigh to

(26:47):
finance it, and bank transactions connecting Frank to a shady
family of criminals led by Billy Earl Johnson. About six
days after the shooting, detectives informed Nancy they had substantial
evacedence to arrest Frank on suspicion of murder for hire.
A couple of days later, on August twenty sixth, Frank
was arrested and jailed, an event that fueled a massive

(27:10):
flurry of media attention due to his reputation as an
upstanding Christian businessman and devoted family man. The family was
thrown into a roller coaster of conflicting news and emotions,
including false reports that Frank had confessed to the charge.
After Frank's arrest, the threat to Nancy's life was considered
very real. Doctors cleared her to move from the hospital

(27:33):
to a rehabilitation facility, the location of which was kept confidential.
The move happened suddenly. She was taken by ambulance with
no phone and no way to contact anyone, causing her
great anxiety. In rehab, Nancy spent three hours a day
in painful physical therapy to regain movement in her right
arm and to learn to function with one eye. She

(27:55):
also underwent cognitive therapy for brain retraining. The emotional truck
alma was severe. When Waits fell in the therapy room,
The loud noise frightened her so badly that her knees
buckled and she collapsed weeping. While Nancy was in rehab,
Frank's family and bookkeeper solicited letters of support for his
bail hearing, which was attended by over sixty people. At

(28:18):
the hearing, the lead detective laid out the evidence testifying
that Frank, using the alias John, had contacted convict Billy
Earl Johnson in early twenty ten paid him sixty thousand
dollars to kill Nancy and make it look like an accident,
and continued to make payments to Billy and his associates
for years. The detective also revealed Frank's suggestion that the

(28:41):
hit take place at the Gaylord, Texas Hotel. The judge
upheld the one million dollar bail and Frank was released
after paying one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. He was
required to wear an ankle monitor and stay away from
Nancy and their house. With Frank facing both criminal charges
and a civil lawsuit from Richard Rayleigh for embezzlement, Nancy's

(29:04):
lawyer recommended she file for divorce to protect her financial
health and freeze their community property assets. To make it
clear the filing was not an expression of belief in
his guilt, she included a specific statement, the decision to
file for divorce does not express a conviction of my
husband's guilt in the manner of criminal solicitation, but is

(29:25):
the required response to my husband's infidelity and deception where
our joint finances are involved. After over a month since
the shooting, Nancy's progress was sufficient for outpatient therapy, but
detectives warned her that returning to the crime scene was
still dangerous and advised her to move to a secret
location known only to a few close family members and friends.

(29:50):
She moved in with her youngest brother and her mother, Eleanor.
Nancy's first full day out of rehab involved a court
hearing in Denton for the divorce proceed Dressing herself was
a challenge, and applying make up with only one eye
was a comical struggle. At the court house, she saw
Frank with his parents and lawyers. A temporary compromise was

(30:13):
reached on separating their assets, with Nancy receiving the Carrollton
House and Frank being responsible for the properties in California
and Lake Tahoe. The hearing was widely covered by the media.
At the end of September, Nancy made her first visit
back to her church, accompanied by her daughter, son in law,
and mother. They arrived late and sat in the back,

(30:34):
but at the end of the service the pastor announced
her presence. She was surrounded by well wishers, but the
hugs and pats on the shoulder were excruciatingly painful due
to extensive nerve damage. Though she had possession of the house,
Nancy was terrified to return, especially to the garage. Her
trauma counselor gave her exercises to overcome her fear. Her

(30:57):
mother drove her to the house, where Nancy repeatedly walked
toward the driveway until her anxiety subsided, then opened the
garage door to look inside, and finally forced herself to
walk into the spot where she was shot until she
began hyperventilating. This exhausting process was a necessary step in
her emotional healing. As twenty thirteen began, Nancy's days were

(31:38):
consumed by agonizing physical therapy for her damaged right arm
and twice weekly massage sessions. Her prosthetic eye proved problematic,
frequently dislodging from the socket. The doctor determined she would
need a new prosthetic fabricated before any surgical intervention could proceed.
The question of divorce weighed heavily on Nancy's mind. She

(32:00):
feared that finalizing the separation might damage Frank's legal defense,
or worse, that she could lose custody of her children,
who still adored their father. But the deciding factor wasn't emotional.
It was the stark financial reality that only a divorce
could protect what remained of her assets. She made the
calls to each of her children, explaining that their father's

(32:22):
own choices had led to this outcome. The children understood intellectually,
but emotionally they were devastated. Frank's response to the divorce
filing was unexpected. Through his attorney, he requested reconciliation counseling.
Nancy saw through it immediately. This was a delay tactic
designed to postpone the divorce proceedings until after his criminal

(32:45):
trial concluded. In mid February, just days before her fifty
second birthday, Nancy spoke at her oldest brother's church, giving
her first public testimony about what had happened. On February nineteen,
she posted to Facebook expressing gratitude to God for saving
her life and thanking those who had supported her through
the nightmare. Nancy had made arrangements to meet Dusty, the

(33:09):
nine one one despatcher who had stayed on the line
with her during those terrifying minutes after the shooting. When
she listened to the five minute recording of the call,
she was transported back to that morning. The fear, the pain,
the desperation, she learned that Dusty had been voted Dispatcher
of the Year. Nancy was invited to present the award

(33:31):
at an upcoming banquet. On March twenty first, twenty thirteen,
a grand jury handed down an indictment against Frank Howard
six counts of criminal solicitation two counts of attempted capital murder.
Nancy felt profound grief. Despite everything, she was still in
love with the man she had married. With the indictment,

(33:51):
the evidence became public record. Nancy could now share details
with her children. She told them about the text message
Frank had sent just minutes after the shooting, a single
word status. She told them how he had suggested the
attack take place at the Gaylord, Texas Hotel, and how
he had proposed using a bat or a knife. Her

(34:13):
older daughter refused to accept it. She remained adamant that
these allegations would be disproved at trial. Media outlets began calling.
Nancy agreed to an interview with a local television station,
which produced a segment about her story as part of
a report on domestic violence. She believed it was God's
will when she agreed to speak with date Line NBC.

(34:35):
The production process stretched across several months. The crew filmed
in Carrollton, then traveled to New York to interview her daughters,
who appeared on camera defending their father. At the end
of March, Nancy underwent a three hour surgery to rebuild
the orbital floor beneath her damaged eye. The injury was
more extensive than the surgeons had anticipated. The first days

(34:58):
of recovery were excruciated four days later, on Easter morning.
She was still too weak to attend church in person.
She watched the service online, reflecting on resurrection and new life.
The emotional healing proved more difficult than the physical. Her
older daughter had embarked on what Nancy described as a
crusade to disprove the allegations against Frank. The constant questions

(35:22):
took their toll. Combined with calls from attorneys and financial institutions,
Nancy found herself consumed by anger. Anger at her children,
anger at Frank, anger at God for allowing this to happen.
In May, Nancy's younger daughter graduated from college in Nashville.
She insisted both parents attend. Nancy successfully petitioned the court

(35:45):
to temporarily waive the restraining order. The logistics were carefully
choreographed so that Nancy and Frank were never in the
same space at the same time. During the weekend, both
parents separately met with their daughter's boyfriend to give their
blessing for him proposal. The graduation fell on Mother's Day weekend,
Nancy attended church alone. All three children called with expressions

(36:09):
of love and gratitude, but something had shifted. Nancy could
no longer pretend she didn't believe their father was guilty.
After lengthy mediation sessions that extended late into the night,
a property settlement was finally reached. Against her attorney's advice,
Nancy agreed to pay for Frank's legal defense against the

(36:29):
revocation of his CPA license. She remembered their early partnership
and reasoned that he would need his professional credentials if
he were acquitted. The divorce was finalized on June twenty fourth,
twenty thirteen. Nancy began the work of selling the family home.
She sorted through decades of accumulated memories, the tangible artifacts

(36:51):
of a life that no longer existed. The process was painful,
though she occasionally found herself laughing at old photographs and
forgotten moments. After several failed attempts to find suitable housing,
she located a property that felt right. Through what she
described as divine intervention, she closed on both the sale
of her old home and the purchase of her new

(37:13):
home on the same day. For the first time in
her life, Nancy would be living completely alone. She named
the house Grace Cottage. Grace was the meaning of her
first and middle names, and it was only by Grace
that she was still alive. To supplement her income from
the divorce settlement, Nancy took a part time position with

(37:33):
a church family, picking up their children from school and
caring for them in the afternoons. As summer turned to fall,
Nancy learned she would need another surgery, a tissue graft
to repair her damaged eyelid. Around the same time, the
district attorney began preparing her to testify at Frank's trial.
This meant reviewing all the evidence again, hearing the recordings,

(37:57):
reading the transcripts of Frank's conversations with the informant. In
her prayer journal, she wrote that she now believed fully
and without doubt that Frank had planned to kill her.
She asked God for justice quick break ads keep the

(38:24):
show running, but if you want to skip them, the
ad free versions on Patreon for just three bucks a
month links in the show notes, and we're back. Thanks
for sticking through that. Let's get back to it. After
several postponements, Frank Howard's trial for attempted capital murder began

(38:47):
on August fifth, twenty fourteen, in Denton, Texas. Nancy sat
in the gallery behind the prosecution table, supported by her
mother and brother. Across the courtroom, Frank sat at the
defense table. Trial opened with a recital of exhibits cell
phone numbers, audio recordings, wire transfer receipts. The prosecutor then
outlined the conspiracy, a complex, multi year plot to kill

(39:11):
Nancy Howard, with Frank identified as the architect. Nancy took
the stand. She described herself as a domestic engineer and
detailed the family's involvement in their church. She emphasized that
Frank always knew where she was and what she was doing.
She testified that their marriage had been strong until the
fall of two thousand nine, when Frank's behavior changed. She

(39:34):
recounted a conversation that had devastated her. Frank told her,
I'm the right man to be the father of your children,
but I'm not the right man to be your husband.
The prosecution presented an email Frank had sent Nancy on
the morning of the shooting. He wrote that he would
be staying in California until Monday. The email ended with

(39:55):
the words I love you and can't wait to get
home to you. Nancy watched the church security footage. The
video showed a car stalking her as she left that evening.
Then came the nine one one recording. Her voice, desperate
and afraid, filled the court room. Several jurors wiped their eyes.
The prosecution displayed her blood stained purple shirt. During cross examination,

(40:20):
the defense asked about Nancy's younger daughter's wedding, which had
taken place in May twenty fourteen. Nancy had requested that
the judge allow Frank to attend so he could walk
their daughter down the aisle. The prosecution called a succession
of witnesses, each adding another piece to the narrative. Suzanne
Leonteff testified about meeting Frank in July two thousand and nine.

(40:42):
She detailed the lavish gifts he had given her nearly
two million dollars worth. She provided text messages she had
sent pressuring him to file for divorce. Billy Earl Johnson
took the stand. He testified that Frank, using the alias John,
had hired him in early twenty ten. The directive was simple,
kill my wife, make it look like an accident. Johnson

(41:04):
described years of receiving cash and wire transfers from Frank
for a murder he never intended to carry out. Stacy Sorenko,
Johnson's girlfriend, corroborated the plot. She testified that Frank had
wanted Nancy killed at her mother's house in San Marcos.
If Nancy's mother had to be killed as well, Frank
had said she would be collateral damage. Charlie Louderman, an

(41:27):
associate of Johnson's, testified that Frank had provided the alarm
code for the garage. Frank had also told him about
a jewelry box inside the house containing at least forty
thousand dollars worth of valuables. The murder was supposed to
look like a robbery. Louderman stated that Frank had grown
frustrated with the delays. According to Louderman, Frank had said,

(41:51):
just bring me a gun and I'll do it myself.
Stephanie and Jason Rendeen testified about learning of the plot
from another conspirator, Dustin Hiroms. They had then blackmailed Frank
for tens of thousands of dollars. Stephanie testified that Frank
had asked her if she knew any one who could
take care of it. The defense called Frank and Nancy's

(42:11):
three children. All three described Frank as a good father
who had never been violent. They stated their firm belief
in his innocence. Detective Michael Wall took the stand. He
methodically detailed the evidence financial links to the criminals through
shell companies with names like Genshu, SNeW and Sutaho phone

(42:32):
records the discovery of the affair. The most damaging evidence
came from phone records showing numerous calls between Michael Speck
and Frank on the day of the shooting. One call
had been placed just three minutes after Nancy phone nine
one one. Frank Howard did not testify. On August twentieth,
twenty fourteen, after deliberating for less than two hours, the

(42:54):
jury returned a guilty verdict. Frank Howard was convicted of
attempted capital murder. Nancy watched his face. It showed no expression,
but she could see his chest heaving. During the punishment phase,
Nancy delivered a victim impact statement. She described her permanent injuries,
chronic nerve pain, loss of her sense of smell, a

(43:15):
brain processing delay, the fractured relationships with her children. On
August twenty first, twenty fourteen, the jury sentenced Frank Howard
to life in prison, with eligibility for parole after thirty years.
He would be approximately eighty five years old at that point.
In a final statement, Nancy looked directly at Frank. She

(43:35):
told him she forgave him. Then she pleaded with him.
Tell them the truth. She said, release our children from
the chains of deceit and lies. A month before the
second trial, Michael Speck, the driver of the getaway car,
accepted a plea agreement in exchange for a full confession.
He was sentenced to twelve years in prison. In August

(43:56):
twenty fifteen, Michael Lawrence, the shooter, went to trial in
the same courtroom. When he entered, he and Nancy made
eye contact. She refused to look away. He pleaded not guilty.
Michael Speck testified against his former cellmate. He revealed that
he and Billy Earl Johnson had previously stalked Nancy at
a hobby lobby and a Wendy's, but had aborted both attempts.

(44:19):
He stated that he and Lawrence had surveiled Nancy's house
the day before the shooting. Originally, Speck was supposed to
be the shooter, but Lawrence volunteered because Speck had a
young son. Speck described following Nancy from the church, purchasing
outfits for the crime at ross, dropping Lawrence off in
the alley, hearing the gunshot, disposing of Nancy's purse, and

(44:42):
then returning to retrieve Lorenz's lost hat. Misty Ford, Lorence's
ex fiancee, repeated the testimony she had given previously. She
stated that Lawrence had confessed to her the night of
the shooting. He told her he shot her in her
garage in the forehead, added that he had later become
violent and threatened her, saying the same thing is going

(45:04):
to happen to you that happened in Texas. A jailhouse
informant named Grady Valentine testified that Lorentz, known in prison
as No Good, had admitted to him I shot that bitch.
After thirteen hours of deliberation, the jury found Michael Lawrence
guilty of aggravated assault. Due to two previous felony convictions,
his punishment was enhanced. The jury sentenced him to sixty

(45:27):
years in prison. Nancy gave an impact statement directly to Lawrence.
She told him she had prayed for him. She told
him she forgave him. In the years following the trials,
Nancy worked to rebuild her relationships with her children. The

(45:48):
trials had left these bonds in what she described as
painful shreds. In May twenty sixteen, a significant milestone occurred.
All three of Nancy's children and their spouses celebrated Mother's
Day with her. They shared a meal together and took
family photographs. The friction and strain of the previous years
seemed to dissolve. It was a crucial step toward healing.

(46:11):
Nancy's feelings toward Frank evolved. The romantic love was gone,
but she continued to love him as the father of
her children. She found herself focusing on the life they
had once shared, the years when they had been happy
as a couple and as parents. The man who had
tried to have her killed, the man she called John
remained a stranger to her. She had forgiven both Frank

(46:34):
and John, a feat she attributed to supernatural strength. Nancy
released herself from the guilt she had carried about the
marriage's failure. She no longer questioned what she had done
to make Frank hate her. She recognized that she had
been a committed wife. Her only mistake had been believing
Frank was perfect and incapable of wrongdoing. Nancy took steps

(46:56):
to establish a new identity separate from her past. One
of the most significant was legally changing her surname back
to her maiden name Shore. The process required finger printing
at the Denton County Jail, the same facility where Frank
and the others had been incarcerated. After her finger prints
cleared FBI databases and a judge signed the order, she

(47:18):
officially became Nancy Shore again. She reflected that when she
had last been Nancy Shore, she was young and immature.
Now she was rebuilding herself with growing peace and confidence.
When her part time nanny position ended, Nancy began working
part time in an office to gain experience. She later
took an internship in the legal field. In late January

(47:41):
twenty seventeen, she secured a full time position in a
legal office. She found the work compatible with her physical disabilities,
and described waking up excited for the new day for
the first time in years. Nancy received occasional income from
speaking opportunities, which she hoped to develop into a minute.
She felt called to share her experience of how God

(48:03):
could bring blessings from tragedy, and to tell broken and
lost souls that God loved them and offered forgiveness through Christ.
The physical effects of the shooting remained permanent. Nancy continued
to see her ocularist, doctor Randy Tronic, annually. While the
prosthetic eye no longer dislodged, she had to perform the

(48:23):
painful task of cleaning her eyelid several times each day.
She still experienced occasional muscle spasms in her right shoulder
and arm, numbness in her forearm and fingers, and partial
numbness in her face, nose, and lips. Her mouth and
teeth remained hypersensitive. Being touched unexpectedly on her shoulders or
neck could still trigger a strong physical and emotional reaction.

(48:46):
The brain injury sometimes slowed her concentration. Frank Howard was
incarcerated at the all Red Unit in Wichitaffalls, Texas. Both
of his appeals were denied. Nancy had no direct contact
with her Frank after the trial. Her only close contact
with his family occurred a few months after the verdict,
when she called Frank's parents on his birthday to let

(49:09):
them know she was thinking of them. They were on
their way home from visiting him at the prison. In
twenty twenty three, Nancy spoke with journalist Fiona Leischmann for
The Mirror. She stated her belief that Frank had planned
to kill her because she wouldn't agree to divorce. As
he became involved with his mistress, he wanted to prove

(49:29):
his wealth. Before long he was in over his head.
He had no option but to have her shot. Nancy
revealed that if Frank had been found not guilty, she
would have attempted to fix their relationship and remarry him.
The guilty verdict had felt like a kick in the
stomach because she still loved him at the time. She

(49:49):
clarified that she still loved him, not romantically, but because
he was the father of her children. There would always
be love there despite everything Nancy had forgiven her husband.
She expressed this forgiveness. In her victim impact statement at
the trial, she explained that the Bible says, if we
don't forgive those who have harmed us, we are unable

(50:11):
to be forgiven. She couldn't afford not to forgive him
because she couldn't live with bitterness. By twenty eighteen, Nancy
hadn't seen or heard from Frank since he was sent
to prison. She considered visiting him, but decided against it.
She had undergone many surgeries to repair her face and eye,
and now had a prosthetic eye. The bullet remained in

(50:33):
her lung. She had lost the use of her right
arm and hand, but had regained function. She could type again.
Nancy expressed gratitude for her life and for the healing
happening in her children's lives. She was able to be
thankful once again for how God had saved her life

(51:18):
by a