Wonder Lake Man Found Guilty In May 2017 Murder, Home Invasion

MCHENRY COUNTY, IL — Patrick D. Kenneally, McHenry County State’s Attorney, announced Wednesday that 37-year-old Byron Howard, of Wonder Lake, was found guilty on Monday of several charges including three counts of first degree murder in a May 2017 home invasion and slaying of a McHenry man. According to a release from McHenry County State’s Attorney's Office, Howard was also found guilty of three counts of home invasion, armed robbery, burglary, armed habitual criminal and unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon.

According to a release, Howard and another co-defendant, Adam Morris, burglarized the McHenry home of Donald Jouravleff on May 27, 2017, while armed with firearms. During the unlawful entry, Jouravleff was shot and killed, and his wife was robbed at gunpoint, the state's attorney's office said.

Howard will be sentenced on May 24, 2019, the release said, adding that sentencing for first degree murder ranges from 35 to 75 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. This does not include sentencing for the other charges, including serving a mandatory consecutive sentence for the home invasion offense, which has a sentencing range of 21-45 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, according to the state's attorney's office.