D’Andre Howard Sentenced 3 Life Sentences for Hoffman Estates Murders in April 2009

D’Andre Howard, convicted June 3, 2014 of fatally stabbing members of his ex-fiancee’s family — Amanda Engelhardt’s younger sister Laura Engelhardt, 18; Amanda Engelhardt’s dad, Alan, 57; and her grandmother, Marlene Gacek, 73. Howard received three life sentences Wednesday, an no possibility of parole. Cook County Judge Ellen Mandletort also sentenced Howard, 26, to an additional 60 years for the attempted murder of Shelly Engelhardt (Amanda Engelhardt’s mother), who was seriously wounded in the attacks that killed her husband, daughter and mother.

D’Andre Howard, accused in the triple murder of a Hoffman Estates family in 2009, ad been found guilty on all counts after jurors deliberated for about three hours.

During court testimony in May, Amanda Engelhardt testified during the murder trial that D’Andre Howard stabbed his fiancee’s family after the couple got into an argument.

Howard’s attorneys argued he was insane at the time of the attack, and blamed the child welfare system of Illinois for failure to help D’Andre Howard’s recovery from post-traumatic stress disorder — resulting from physical and sexual abuse at a young age.

The Cardinal — Arlingtoncardinal.com 9-1-1 Audio Released: Hoffman Estates Engelhardt Stabbings 4-17-2009

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