An Idaho woman is found dead in her bathtub. Did her husband use his law enforcement skills to stage the scene?

Kootenai County Sheriff's Deputy Miranda Thomas will never forget coming face to face with a distraught Dan Howard, a former state trooper, at his home in Northern Idaho on a cold winter's morning in February 2021. DEPUTY (bodycam): Dan, I know this is hard but, when — when is the last time that you saw your wife alive? DET. SGT. KEN LALLATIN (bodycam): Hi Dan … So what happened tonight? DAN HOWARD (bodycam): She put the gun to her f****** head …  it freaked me the f*** out... and um I thought for sure… 'here we go' and she dropped the gun and f****** shot through the floor. DAN HOWARD (bodycam): It sounded like something hit the floor or something. I don't know. DAN HOWARD (bodycam, shouting back at his phone): What? What are you talking about? … DAN HOWARD (bodycam): Kids don't want to believe their moms would do that. DET. SGT. KEN LALLATIN (bodycam): I gotta tell you, that phone call put chills down my spine. … DEPUTY (bodycam): You mind if we talk to you guys really quick? KENDY HOWARD (bodycam, stuttering): And — so, I can go? KENDY HOWARD (bodycam) I asked for a divorce and he just got home. He's not taking it good.

Deputy Miranda Thomas: He would scream and yell, but there were no tears in his eyes. At any point he would, um, act like he was gagging ... But nothing would ever actually happen. DAN HOWARD (bodycam): (crying, unintelligible) DAN HOWARD (bodycam): Marital problems … she wants a divorce one day … she doesn't the next … So she brought home divorce papers, just preliminary ones. DETECTIVE (bodycam): Same gun? DET. SGT. KEN LALLATIN (bodycam): Who was that Dan? … DET. SGT. KEN LALLATIN (bodycam): You did it, didn't you Dan? DAN HOWARD (bodycam, sitting on couch): Sounds fine to me. DEPUTY (bodycam): Yeah, do you mind if I follow you? DEPUTY (bodycam): OK.

Thomas was one of the first responders to Dan Howard's home, a place he shared with Kendy, his wife of 26 years. DAN HOWARD (bodycam): We just grew apart, I guess. DAN HOWARD (bodycam): Same gun. DAN HOWARD (bodycam): It was my daughter, Brooke … DAN HOWARD (bodycam): No, I didn't. KENDY HOWARD (bodycam) I can't say what he was going to do …