Otter Tail County man who murdered his mother is killed in prison

RUSH CITY, Minn. (KVRR/KFGO) – A former rural Dalton, Minn. man who was in prison for the murder of his mother nearly 10 years ago has been killed by his cellmate.

The Minn. Dept. of Corrections says 56-year-old James Howard was murdered at the state prison in Rush City. He was found with face and head injuries.

Howard was serving a murder sentence for an April, 2011 attack on his mother, Barbara, at a home the two shared. Investigators say she was struck on the head with a machete and several of her fingers were nearly severed as she fought back.

Howard claimed that he was hoping to end her suffering from cancer and diabetes.

Howard had been scheduled to be released in 2034. The inmate accused in his death was to be released in May.