The competency of a Wisconsin man accused of killing Milwaukee transgender woman, 31-year-old Cashay Henderson, was questioned in court Sunday, March 5.
33-year-old Cordell Howze was in court Sunday when a competency examination was ordered. He was remanded into custody pending the return of the doctor’s evaluation.
Howze faces one count of first-degree reckless homicide, use of a dangerous weapon, habitual criminality repeater and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon, habitual criminality repeater.
Firefighters found Henderson inside her apartment near 29th and Villard on Feb. 26 with a gunshot wound while they were responding to a fire.
Howze was taken into custody late Tuesday night, Feb. 28 after a short chase in Menasha.
Officials said around 11:15 p.m. Tuesday, Neenah police and the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department requested the help of the Menasha Police Department in apprehending him.
Neenah police initiated a traffic stop of the vehicle, which then fled into Menasha. Police there successfully deployed stop sticks and took over the pursuit at a very slow rate of speed.
Menasha police requested help from the Wisconsin State Patrol to perform a PIT maneuver, which happened on Appleton Road in Menasha. The man then ran from the vehicle, and a Winnebago County K-9 was used.
Officials said the man resisted, and Menasha officers used a Taser. The man was then taken into custody.
A handgun and other evidence was recovered from the man and the scene. He was turned over to the Milwaukee Police Department after being evaluated by medical personnel.
He faces a charge of vehicle operator flee/elude officer out of Winnebago County for the pursuit that led to his arrest.
In 2020, Howze pleaded no contest to a felony charge of battery/threat to a judge/prosecutor/law enforcement and was sentenced in October 2021 to serve 18 months in prison and two years’ extended supervision.
Online court records show Howze was released from prison at Redgranite Correctional Institution in December 2022.
He was arrested in January 2023 in connection with a Winnebago County pursuit.
He was released from the Winnebago County Jail on Feb. 24.
Two days later, Henderson was killed.
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