Woman recounts brutal attack; estranged husband on the run
BEAVERTON, Ore. – Police in Beaverton are asking for the public's help finding a man who they said assaulted his estranged wife and her male friend.
Police said 30-year-old Phillip Howell broke into his estranged wife’s home at around 1 a.m. Saturday.
April shared her story Monday in the hope that it will help catch Howell.
"He shoved me backwards. My head flew backwards. He stabbed at me and gave two good slices across my neck," she said.
Her three children witnessed the assault, and she said at one point she ran into the children's room to try to keep Howell out.
Not only does April have a gash on her forehead and 14 staples on her head, but from her shoulder to her chest, she was sliced open.
April and her boyfriend were asleep on the couch the morning of the attack. That's when she said Howell kicked in the door. The two are in the process of getting a divorce.
April said Howell started hitting her and her boyfriend – at one point in front of the three children who were in bed.
She said she believes Howell was trying to take their children but wasn't successful. She said she has custody over them now.
Still April said he was relentless, sending blood everywhere.
"I could feel blood coming (on my chest); I could feel a lot of blood coming (from the right side of my head)," she said. "On the porch when he shoved me back there was still a lot of blood-covered hair in my face so I could only see at this angle. I couldn't up see up to eye level, but I could see form (his chest down). I recognized his clothing. I recognized his shirt."
She said the night before the attack, she talked about how she was done running and didn't want to be afraid anymore. She said her counselor encouraged her to share her story, hoping that it will encourage others to talk about domestic violence. She also said she hoped by coming forward it will help get Howell caught.
Howell is described as a black man who is 6 feet tall and weighs about 165 pounds. He has short, black hair.
He was last seen driving a blue 2001 Dodge Caravan with the Washington license plate "ACF1073".
Howell has ties to Woodburn and Salem. Police believe he may be in one of those cities.
Anyone who sees Howell or his van is asked to call Beaverton Police at 503-629-0111.
Damn, some guys (and women) are just freaks. If you are having big enough problems you split up, obveously the magic has done split the scene, so get over it, let your other half get over it and move on. Before I got married to the woman I have been with for over 30 years, I had a girlfriend who split up with me, but when she found out I started seeing someone else, holy crap! Talk about a nut case. Come on, people! Why stay in a relationship with someone who doesn't want you? And beat them up when they try to move on? Hopefully someone will shoot this p.o.s. in the head and do the world a favor.
Poor April!! I can't believe he would do this to her! I remember when they got married!!
What a dbag. I hope he gets caught and is sent to prison for life. Oh, and that he gets to be someone's prison girlfriend and takes it in the exit hole.
No one deserves to be treated like this. These types of people (people who think that others are possessions) have no respect for others, they are just things, to be owned.
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Leaving and finishing the relationship with him was only the first step. Unfortunately most of the time you also need to move and forget getting any support just so you can have a normal, safe life.
There are about 3.5 billion females on the planet and roughly about 1 billion females within your age range. If you have troubles with women, move on because there are plenty more out there!
So,,,,, where was the boyfriend?
 @oodathunked The boyfriend was taking the hits while April was going outside to get help.
@oodathunked The story says that Phillip Howell was hitting both her and her boyfriend.
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Hopefully, this POS Howell will be tracked down and locked away for a long time very soon.
Good for her for speaking out. Good for her for getting out and breaking out of this bad situation. He obviously tried to kill her what with slashing across the throat, etc. I hope LEO catches the SOB who did this to her. He looks nuts. I doubt this is the first time he has beat a woman and it likely won't be the last unless he gets stopped for good. How horrific for the kids and to know that the man who is their father tried to kill their mama. I would be willing to bet that there was violence against the kids from him as well before he was booted out. And for everyone trashing her for being with this guy; stop it. She got rid of him and is in counseling; which is just the right thing to do. Victims of domestic violence are NOT the problem: perpetrators of domestic violence are the problem. Wife-beaters, ya know? Callous attitudes such as some on this thread towards the victims is exactly what gives these smug SOB wife-beaters the arrogance, fuel and audacity to act that way and terrorize weaker human beings. When people stop caring about bad stuff or being outraged by it, we can most certainly be sure we are being carried in a handbasket to hell as a civilization. And then to have the nerve to criticize the Afghanis and Saudis, etc.for the "backwards ways" way they treat women...what hypocrisy. Misogyny is alive and rampant in every country, encouraged by callousness. This POS and some people's commentary on this forum is a perfect example.
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 @kilchisriver So...um...how often has this happened to you? Have you reported it to the police?
Yeah? Better think twice about banging a dude in your husbands house when you're still married, I find women like these hilarious.
 @Drinkers Anonymous It wasn't Phillip's house at all. April herself told me she moved over 8 times to get away from this guy. This comment is rude, hurtful, and totally uncalled for.
 @Drinkers Anonymous Where does it say this was HIS house?  You made some pretty big assumptions there, didn't you, jerk.
@Drinkers Anonymous So you are saying that you think she is having an affair, even though they are going through a divorce. Even if they were happily married and she had an affar, that is no reason for him to try killing her.
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She and the boyfriend are not at fault.
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Maybe the only advice I could give her is to heal emotionally from the failed marriage before getting into a new relationship and having a new man enter her kids lives. But that is her choice to make and hopefully the boyfriend is a much better man than her soon to be ex husband.
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I agree with others - you are a real piece of excrement.
@Drinkers Anonymous consider removing yourself from the gene pool.
You are sick, this woman is my neighbor. She just moved in, probably to get away from him. He never lived there. How can you justify someone hurting another person this way IN FRONT OF HIS CHILDREN?
@Drinkers Anonymous   You are a low-life with a bad attitude toward women. Nobody has the right to do what he did. NOBODY. What a jerk you must be. Oh, wait, no, you are a nonrepentent alcoholic.
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 @Drinkers Anonymous You are offensive and sick. You must be the dude that did this horrific murderous act.
If she had a restraining order this never would have happened.
 @RalphCramden she did!
 @Cody SkaggsÂ
I know she did. The point is that restraining orders don't work.
 @RalphCramden LMAO!! Good one, Ralph! That's SO true!
Oh...but what if he can't read? Or can't locate it to serve it? Bummer!
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She needs to get herself a Trunk Monkey like in those TV ads to protect her.
It would be as effective as a restraining order.
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The hoops the lawmakes you jump through to pretend it's doing something useful.
 @RalphCramden Now that's sarcasm...... right Ralph?
 @RalphCramden Your sarcasm never ceases to amaze me!!! LOL
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@RalphCramden  You mean if she had a gun.....
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 @Caspertoo @Amazed @whirledworldÂ
Come on folks. Don't you know what sarcasm is?
 @QuicksilverQueen  @Caspertoo  @Amazed  @whirledworldÂ
Are you the sarcasm police?
 @RalphCramden  @Caspertoo  @Amazed  @whirledworld This isn't the place for sarcasm.
@RalphCramden There was a restaining order in place, it did no good
 @RalphCramden That's bull. There are a lot of dead women who were murdered right after having a restraining order served.
 @RalphCramden More likely that would have just egged him on. A restraining order really does nothing at all.
 @Freckled_Girl  @RalphCramden I think he may have been being a little sarcastic...
 @Freckled_Girl Â
I'm thinking he didn't need any egging on.
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You are correct. Retraining orders only work on those who don't need them.
Some would say that the only victims are the three children! The others ..... who cares.
 @kilchisriver What?! Just wait until someone breaks into your house and tries to kill YOU. Then let's see how you blame the victim. People like you are what's wrong with this country. You should be ashamed of yourself.
 @kilchisriverWhy hate on the victim??NOBODY deserves to be the victim of domestic violence or a crazy man. No one.
A good case for women who are under siege by ex-husbands/boyfriends to take the firearm saftey&CWP courses to avoid becoming victims of these POS'
@noneofyourbizzness I agree! This definitely is giving me inspiration to protect our home.
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 @Drinkers Anonymous  @noneofyourbizzness NOTHING makes it OK for this ESTRANGED spouse to try to kill his estranged wife. NOTHING. You are really sick. What you say is violent and abusive...and grossly offensive.
No way is that a black man LOL!
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@Caspertoo I think he's from a small village in Kenya... or Hawaii
 @The Resistance I heard a small town in Texas is looking for their village idiot.
I gave them your address.
Go hang another chair, George.
@The Resistance He is half Jamaican, half germa, just so ya'll know, it may be helpful.
 @Caspertoo or a very tanned White man
I hope they're able to track him down quickly.
What a loser. She's your EX-wife. Get over it.
 @Agent Sydney Bristow And I am sure there is good reason for him becoming "the EX".