Why Was He Killed Brutally? |

Nick Howard murder was one of the most brutal murders in history.

On 5th February 1997, Nick did not return home. A few hours later, his family got worried and realized something wrong had happened to him, and they went to the police station to report his missing case. 

During the investigation, his car was found by Police at the bottom of the Sacramento River. After a few weeks, his dead body was found.

Still, several people were confused about his mysterious death and wanted to know how and why he got killed.

What Happened To Nick Howard?

Nick went to meet his friend Tony at his restaurant, but he never returned home. 

His loved ones thought something was wrong with him, and they searched him near his friend’s restaurant and his own house. 

Nick’s mom Patty called the sheriff’s department the following day, and his father had been searching for him with his friends, Jake Stanton and Ralph Marcus for an extended period. 

They found his car’s tire track marks and told the Police they found his tire marks leading from the road to the riverbank.

Later, Police officers found his car and also discovered his glasses inside his car, but they failed to find any other evidence or sign of Nick.

Ten days later, Investigators found a dead body near Clarksburg downstream through the tires’ track marks. 

But they failed to recognize the dead body and had to use dental records. The dead body was identified as Nick Howard. 

Later, Authorities revealed he died because of suffocation in water, and they classified his death as murder. 

The Investigation

The police began an investigation and found out the reason behind his death.

The later investigation found that the real reason behind his death was a life insurance policy. He had $500,000 and offered $850,000. 

The Investigator knew Nick had taken a life insurance policy for himself and lied to the agent. 

Investigators discovered Nick had taken out the policy after lying to the agent. His family members did not know about his life insurance policy, and they were surprised when they saw his name as an insurance beneficiary. 

Ralph also said he was also unaware of any insurance scheme. People who knew the truth came forward and said to the Police Ralphs had been telling lies for a long period.

He knew about the beneficiary and even offered varying reasons for the change. The unnamed association revealed Nick and Ralph had been planning fraud themes to get rich. 

Nick decided to make his fake death reports for $1 million in insurance money, and Ralph would collect all the payouts for high living standards. 

Later, the Police arrested Ralph in the case of committing the homicide for financial gain, which could bring Ralph to the penalty of death, and they also charged him with the murder case of Nick.   

Nick probably acted on Ralph’s suggestion when he took out the insurance policy.

Later, Police constructed a theory that Nick and Ralph met at the dock on the Sacramento River, where the accident happened, and nick died. 

According to the Police, ‘Ralph tried to blackout to Nick when he disagreed with him he was killed or maybe he already planned from the beginning of his murder that’s why he had called and convinced him for met him.’

Further, Investigator believed that Ralph strangled him, threw him in water, crushed his glasses, and put it in his car when he used the bottle cap in the carburetor so he could send the unoccupied Mazda into the Sacramento River, prosecutors alleged.

Testimony

On 13th January 2000, According to the Jury, Ralph was discovered as the murderer of Nick Howard and given life without the possibility of parole. 

Ralph Albert Marcus is still in the prison of Mule Creek StateI, California.

As of 2022, he is well-known as #P66056 and, according to the California police department, still has no other option except his death.

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