A Tompkins County man could get up to 25 years in prison after being convicted of kidnapping, burglary, and robbery charges.
Joseph Howell was found guilty of breaking into a home in Chemung County while armed with a shotgun. Howell not only stole from the homeowner but kidnapped him as well. The Newfield man faces eight to 25 years in prison when sentenced in late October.
In a separate case, Howell is one of 13 suspects arrested in the case of Thomas Rath of Ithaca. The 37-year-old faces charges of first and second-degree murder along with kidnapping. Rath’s body was located in a shallow grave almost three months after he was last seen in Ithaca in May of 2023.
Howell’s trial in Tioga County is set to begin in October.
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