COVINGTON — The attorney for a woman accused of shooting a man in the groin after being told by her son that he was molested believes no jury will convict his client.

        “I would like to see this woman get acquitted,” said the mother's attorney, Harry Hellings, after a Thursday hearing in which an assault charge against his client was bound over to a Kenton county grand jury.

Attorney Harry Hellings (right) says no jury will convict his client (left). (Patrick Reddy photo) | ZOOM |

        The Enquirer is not identifying the woman to protect her son. She is accused of shooting Larry Eugene Howell, 40, of Erlanger in the groin and abdomen on Nov. 29 in the parking lot of a CVS Pharmacy in downtown Covington.

        Mr. Hellings, a prominent Covington defense attorney, said more than one individual has offered to pay for his client's defense. He wouldn't reveal who posted $10,000 in cash late Monday to get his client out of jail. Mr. Hellings' legal secretary signed the bail receipt.

        The mother is charged with first-degree assault, a Class B felony that carries 10 to 20 years in prison.

        The woman claims the part-time carnival worker sexually molested her son over the last 18 months.

        Mr. Howell, who is now charged with nine felony counts of sodomy, remains in an undisclosed Cincinnati hospital where he is recovering from the gunshots, according to Covington police.

        The police filed the sodomy charges Tuesday after as many as 30 boys came forward after the shooting and claimed to have had improper sexual contact with Mr. Howell. More charges could be forthcoming, police say.

        The mother appeared in court with her son, her husband and a handful of supporters, but did not testify. She also declined an interview after the hearing.

        “I am here on her father's behalf to show moral support,” said Ray Anderson, 62, of Covington. “Her father couldn't make it, but asked me to attend.”

        Mr. Hellings said he believes charges against his client could be lowered to assault under extreme emotional disturbance, a Class D felony that carries one to five years in jail.

        But he is leaning toward forcing the case to a trial, where he believes no jury would convict.

DEFENSE FUND

Donations to the legal defense fund for the Covington mother charged with assault for shooting Larry Eugene Howell can be sent to her attorney, who will place the money in escrow. Any unspent money will be donated to a children's advocacy group. The address is:    Harry Hellings    214 East Fourth Street    Covington, KY 41011

        During Thursday's hearing, which was to establish probable cause, Covington Police Detective Richard Webster outlined the chain of events that led to the shooting.

        Detective Webster's testimony painted a picture of a distraught mother who left work early from the IRS processing center in Covington on Nov. 29 after hearing that Mr. Howell, a friend of the family, had been arrested and charged with trafficking marijuana within 1,000 yards of a school and possession of matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor.

        She told Covington police her son confided in her later that day that Mr. Howell had molested him.

        She told investigators she agreed to meet Mr. Howell in the pharmacy parking lot because it was next to the police station. She hoped Mr. Howell, who was released from jail Nov. 28 on $1,000 bail, would confess to police to molesting her son.

        About 7:10 p.m. on Nov. 29, the mother, her son and Mr. Howell sat together inside the mother's conversion van, the detective testified.

        When Mr. Howell denied molesting the woman's son, Detective Webster said, the conversation grew violent. Her son became extremely upset and jumped out of the van. Mr. Howell reached toward the mother. Feeling threatened, she pulled a 9 mm Smith & Wesson out of her purse and shot him once, the detective testified she told police.

        About that time, the mother's van was rear-ended while sitting parked in the pharmacy's lot. Mr. Howell, already shot once, jumped out of the vehicle and tried to run. That's when the mother shot him a second time, the detective said the mother told police.

        She claimed to police that Mr. Howell confessed to molesting her son at this point. “He admitted he raped my son,” the detective said the mother told police.

        The mother then screamed at Mr. Howell to confess to the molestation in front of others, the detective said.

        Detective Webster said four people possibly heard this confession, but that the witnesses have not been interviewed by police.

        Mr. Howell tried to run after being shot the second time. He was found hiding behind other cars by police, who responded after an officer heard the shots and called dispatch.

        Mr. Howell, through his attorney, has declined repeated requests for an interview. His attorney, David Bender, has said his client is innocent and has quit returning phone calls.

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