BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – A jury found a man guilty on Monday of burning and dismembering a woman in a well-known, undeveloped part of Brevard County.

Daniel Stearns was found guilty of second-degree murder in the 2023 death of 44-year-old Nancy Howery who was shot and then burned and dismembered.

[VIDEO: Man arrested after woman’s remains found in Palm Bay]

Investigators said Howery was reported missing from Indian Harbour Beach on Feb. 18, 2023, after she did not show up to pick up her children from school. Indian Harbor police began investigating the disappearance, but ultimately contacted the sheriff’s office to takeover the investigation when Howery’s car was found abandoned in Palm Bay, according to the police chief.

Investigators said they determined Stearns and Howery were in a

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