KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City, Missouri, police officer, James “Jim” Muhlbauer, who died Wednesday night in a two-vehicle crash, arrested one of the most-notorious murderers in the city’s recent history nine years ago.
Brandon Howell beat two people to death then shot and killed three others on Sept. 2, 2014, in the Woodbridge Community, a quiet suburban neighborhood in south KCMO.
Muhlbauer — who spent 20 years as a KCPD patrolman, including the last three with the K-9 unit — spotted Howell as he walked along southbound Interstate 29 later that day and made the arrest.
KCPD Chief of Police Stacey Graves identified Muhlbauer as the officer who was killed while on patrol Wednesday near Truman Road and Benton Boulevard. Muhlbauer’s K-9 partner, Champ, and a pedestrian also were killed in the crash.
The driver of the other vehicle involved remains in custody as KCPD investigates whether impairment was a factor in the crash, which Graves said was not Muhlbauer’s fault based on the preliminary investigation.
Muhlbauer is survived by a wife and child.
Back in September 2014, KCMO remained shaken by Howell’s senseless killing spree as the manhunt for the suspected killer continued into the early evening.
That day, Muhlbauer — who spent 20 years as a patrolman with KCPD, including the last three with the K-9 unit — was on patrol several miles away in North Kansas City when dispatch received a tip that a passer-by may have spotted the suspect, later identified as Howell, walking along southbound Interstate 29.
After Muhlbauer located Howell walking in the breakdown lane of the interstate, “cupping” his right pant leg as if holding something concealed inside, he initiated a stop.
Howell refused to straighten his right leg when asked to kneel, which led Muhlbauer to discover a 12-gauge shotgun barrel and magazine tube in his pant leg.
Muhlbauer cuffed Howell along the roadside and subsequently discovered two shell casings, which matched shell casings found in the driveway where two of the murders occurred.
The search also found shoes, a T-shirt, a jacket and a ski mask that had DNA evidence from several of the murder victims on them, tying Howell to the quintuple murders.
A vehicle Howell stole while fleeing the neighborhood where he killed five people was found roughly a mile from where Muhlbauer arrested him.
Inside was DNA evidence that further tied Howell, who was convicted of all five murders in April 2019 and sentenced to life in prison in May 2019, to the murder spree.
Howell beat George and Ann Taylor to death, while trying to steal a vintage car from the elderly couple.
After stealing a different vehicle, he stopped and shot a neighbor, Susan Choucroun, outside her house and later shot and killed Darrel Hurst and his mom, Lorene Hurst, before driving away in the stolen vehicle.
The Kansas City Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 99, the union that represents KCPD, has set up a website for those wishing to donate to Muhlbauer's family.
He was a 1999 graduate of Bryan High school in Omaha.
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