A Tompkins County man has been sentenced for orchestrating the kidnapping, torture, and murder of an Ithaca resident two years ago. Joseph Howell was sentenced by a Tioga County Judge last Friday to a minimum of 31 years in state prison after facing the possibility of spending the rest of his life behind bars.
Howell was found guilty in October of kidnapping Thomas Rath, who was last seen in the homeless encampment known as “The Jungle” on May 20th, 2023. He was initially reported missing but police say their investigation led them to believe Rath was kidnapped. Rath’s body was located in a shallow grave in the Tioga County town of Candor three months later. Howell was one of 13 people arrested in the case.
Last August, in a separate case, Howell, who is from Newfield, was found guilty of breaking into a home in Chemung County while armed with a shotgun. He not only stole from the homeowner but kidnapped him as well. The Newfield man faces eight to 25 years in prison in that case when sentenced.
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