Mark Phillip Howerton, 22 (pictured), was arrested on Wednesday and charged with murder, aggravated sexual assault and criminal mischief in the death of 19-year-old cheerleader Cayley Mandadi
A man has turned himself in for the death of a 19-year-old Texas cheerleader last year.
Cayley Mandadi, of Trinity University in San Antonio, died Halloween 2017 after falling unconscious in a car traveling to Houston.
On Wednesday, Mark Phillip Howerton, 22, was charged with murder, aggravated sexual assault and criminal mischief.
Until Wednesday, few details about her death had been made public. However, an arrest warrant affidavit for Howerton, her boyfriend of four weeks at the time of her death, has shed new light on the hours leading up to Mandadi’s death.
‘Mr Howerton is ready and eager to vindicate himself in court. He’s innocent of the charges, and he’s doing the right thing. If someone has a warrant out for his arrest, then he needs to turn himself in,’ said John Hunter, Howerton’s attorney.
Documents show that the couple, who had been dating for four weeks at the time, had spent the weekend partying, drinking alcohol and taking ecstasy at the Mala Luna music festival. On the second day of the festival, the couple then argued over Mandadi’s ex-boyfriend and left (Pictured, Mandadi)
After the festival on October 29, the couple again discussed the argument in their car, authorities said. But Howerton says they stopped at a gas station in Valero and had ‘rough makeup sex’ (Pictured, Mandadi)
Documents show that the couple had spent the weekend partying, drinking alcohol and taking ecstasy at the Mala Luna music festival. On the second day of the festival, the couple then argued over Mandadi’s ex-boyfriend and left.
After the festival on October 29, the couple again discussed the argument in their car, authorities said. Mandadi then agreed to go to Houston with Howerton.
Investigators said Mandadi told Howerton he was her soulmate and she was going to drop out of college to be with him.
When the couple started their drive to Houston, they stopped at a Valero gas station just outside San Antonio to have sex in the car, Howerton told investigators, which included hair pulling, light choking and scratching.
Afterwards, Mandadi reportedly said she wasn’t feeling well and began sleeping in the front seat without her clothes on. Howerton drove on to Houston, according to the affidavit.
As he entered Luling, Howerton said he noticed she wasn’t breathing, so he started performing CPR, then detoured to a nearby hospital.
A medical exam showed her injuries were not consistent with Howerton’s description of what happened, according to the affidavit.
He said Mandadi (pictured) then did not feel well and decided to lay down in the front seat. He soon noticed she wasn’t breathing and took her to the hospital
A medical exam showed her injuries were not consistent with Howerton’s description of what happened, according to the affidavit. The injuries allegedly lined up with ‘physical and violent sexual assault’
Mandadi was covered ‘from head to toe’ with red marks, bruises and scratches, according to the affidavit. Both of her eyelids were swollen and bruised.
‘The only areas of [Mandadi] with no evidence of injury were her back and the back of her legs,’ the affidavit says.
Such injuries did not line up with Howerton’s claim of ‘rough sex,’ notes the arrest affidavit. They line up with ‘physical and violent sexual assault.’
She was pronounced brain dead on October 30 and taken off life support the next day. The cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma to the head.
Mandadi (left) was pronounced brain dead on October 30 and taken off life support the next day. The cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma to the head
Records have also shown that Howerton had a history of violence prior to this arrest. Mandadi’s sorority sister told officials that Howerton had once destroyed the cheerleader’s dormitory room and threatened to throw her off the balcony (Pictured, Trinity Univeristy)
Records have also shown that Howerton had a history of violence prior to this arrest
Mandadi’s sorority sister told officials that Howerton had once destroyed the cheerleader’s dormitory room and threatened to throw her off the balcony.
The sorority sister said she believed Howerton used steroids because he used ‘roid rage’ as his excuse for destroying the dorm room.
Mandadi’s family released a statement on Wednesday afternoon thanking the Texas Rangers and Beth Smith, a Hays County justice of the peace.
‘We remain utterly devastated by the loss of Cayley. We ask people of faith to pray for her family, friends, and for justice in this case,’ they said.