MEMPHIS, TN - Shelby County District Attorney Bill Gibbons announced Friday afternoon that a jury had convicted a Memphis man for stabbing his brother to death at their home three years ago.

The jury found John Fred Howard, Jr., 65, guilty of first degree murder. Howard was automatically sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 51 years.

Memphis police were called on April 4, 2003 to a house at 1310 Crabapple where both the defendant and victim lived. There, they found Timothy Lee Howard, the defendant's brother, lying in the driveway with stab wounds to his neck. Paramedics pronounced Timothy Howard dead on the scene. The medical examiner ruled the victim's death a homicide by multiple stab wounds to the neck and blunt trauma to the back of the head.

Memphis police arrested John Howard on April 5, 2003. The state grand jury for Shelby County indicted John Howard on July 29, 2003.

First degree murder is a charge covered by the D.A.'s "No Deals" policy on violent crimes. Exceptions are made to the policy for legal and/or ethical reasons.

Assistant District Attorneys Glen Baity and Rachel Newton prosecuted this case.