U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers have arrested a man wanted for suspected homicide and arson in Bismarck.
Authorities say 41-year-old Earl Howard was trying to cross the border at the Blue Water Ridge in Port Huron, Michigan early Thursday morning when he was apprehended.
The Blue Water Bridge spans the St. Clair River and carries international traffic between Port Huron, Michigan and Point Edward and Sarnia, Ontario.
Customs officers say they arrested Howard without incident and turned him over to the Port Huron Police Department.
Officers also seized the vehicle Howard was driving, which will be turned over to North Dakota law enforcement officials.
A warrant was out for the arrest of Howard, accused of killing and conspiring to kill a Bismarck man.
He is charged in Burleigh County court with Murder, Conspiracy to Commit Murder, Arson, Conspiracy to Commit Arson and Conspiracy to tamper with physical evidence.
Howard is accused of killing 42-year-old Chad Entzel in Bismarck on Dec. 31. KX News has been following this story since the house fire where Entzel’s body was discovered on Jan. 2.
Howard is from Belwood, Ontario in Canada.
See the links below for previous coverage:
- Warrant out for suspect in Bismarck murder case
- Woman arrested on Conspiracy to Commit Murder Charge
- Authorities say man found dead in house fire was shot to death
- Man found dead in structure fire in North Bismarck
- House fire shuts down street for hours
This is a developing story — check back for updates.
