WICHITA MAN PLEADS NO CONTEST TO SECOND-DEGREE MURDER IN DEATH OF 3-WEEK-OLD

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 21, 2026 

WICHITA, Kan. — Zachariah Howard, 19, of Wichita, pleaded no contest Thursday to second-degree murder in connection with the death of 3-week-old Mulani Howard, the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s office announced today.

Howard entered the plea before Sedgwick County District Court Judge Jeffrey Goering in case 2025CR002517. Sentencing is scheduled for July 21, 2026, at 1 p.m.

The charge stems from an incident that was reported on Sept. 18, 2025, in Wichita. The case was investigated by the Wichita Police Department.

The Sedgwick County District Attorney's Office acknowledges the work of the Wichita Police Department in investigating this case.

A no contest plea means the defendant did not admit guilt but accepted the conviction and its consequences. Under Kansas law, second-degree murder carries a sentence determined by the court under Kansas sentencing guidelines.