On the evening of September 2, 2024, something went wrong in the quiet town of Dix, Illinois. At 8:05 p.m., a call came into the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office—someone had been run over in the parking lot of a Dollar General.
Deputies rushed to the scene and found 49-year-old Jeffrey D. Howes pinned beneath a vehicle.
He was rushed to a nearby hospital and pronounced dead shortly after arrival. At first, it looked like a tragic accident. But the truth was more sinister.
Surveillance footage from a nearby apartment complex showed the full picture—his wife, Melissa, had pushed him to the ground during a heated argument, then climbed into their vehicle, reversed, and drove straight over him. She never moved the car. It took deputies and a jack to lift it off his body.
Officers noticed signs of impaired use. She was arrested and eventually hit with murder charges.
On March 11, 2025, she pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and aggravated DUI and received 20 years.
DOB:
1970Conviction(s):
- First-degree murder
- Aggravated DUI
Date of crime:
September 2nd, 2024Location(s):
Dix, ILDate of arrest:
Same dayDetails:
Ran her husband.Method:
Run overSentence:
20 yearsCurrent whereabouts:
UnknownSources:
N/ALast Updated on 08/21/2026
