An Ohio man, Joseph Howard, has been sentenced to a life sentence with parole eligibility after 49 years for the murder of his sister and the woman she was fighting with at a bar. Howard, 22, was found guilty in 2026 for the 2023 murder.

Howard opened fire at his sister’s attacker, 24-year-old Tavia Copley. He gave her a warning, “Get off my sister,” then proceeded to shoot. However, his sister also got a gunshot wound during the altercation.

Another person, Daniel Brumfield, was injured during the shooting. The incident happened at 1501 S. High St outside Double D’s bar in Columbus, Ohio, on September 13, 2023. But the tragedy didn’t end there; he turned to Copley and told her it would be her last breath. He shot her dead execution style.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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The police responded to the shooting incident around 11:30 p.m. Before fleeing the bar, Howard threatened the witnesses and stole their phone. When injured, Brumfield tried to call 911; Howard stopped him. His sister and Brumfield were taken to the Ohio Health Grant Medical Center, Downtown, for treatment.

The affidavit revealed Mollette died at the hospital due to her injuries around 12:29 a.m. Howard was trying to help his sister during the fight; however, he ended up killing her. Copley was pronounced dead at the scene around 11:46 p.m. by the Columbus Division of Fire medics.

He fled to Florida, prompting the authorities to release his photos to the public for any information. At the time of the shooting, he was 19, and the police described him as a 5-foot-8 white male weighing about 220 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. Police released an arrest warrant for him in the murder case when he fled after committing the crime.


U.S. Marshals caught him in Largo, Florida, two weeks after the incident. He was found guilty on charges of murder, aggravated murder, aggravated robbery, felonious assault, and tampering with evidence following a trial in July.

According to the court documents, he was sentenced to 30 years to life for the aggravated murder of Copley, 15 years to life for Mollette’s murder, and 8 to 12 years for assaulting Brumfield. Howard also got 5 to 7 1/2 years for aggravated robbery, and 24 months for tampering with evidence. An additional sentence related to owning a weapon added six years to his sentence.

Disclaimer: The Inquisitr could not independently confirm the facts of this incident and is reporting based on the information available within the public record.