FORT MADISON – Iowa taxpayers have one less mouth to feed after a convicted double murderer died in prison.
Howard Paul Garrison was pronounced dead due to natural causes at 9:19 p.m. on Wednesday, October 18, 2023 in medical unit at the Iowa State Penitentiary where he had been housed due to chronic illness. Garrison was 66 years old at the time of his death.
Garrison had been serving a life sentence for the crime of Murder 1st Degree (two counts) from Marion County. His sentence began on January 16, 2004.
According to case files, Howard Garrison was charged with two counts of first-degree murder for the shooting deaths of John Caswell, Jr. and Steven Emerson. Caswell and Emerson manufactured methamphetamine at a farm outside Knoxville, Iowa. Garrison frequently visited the farm, where he smoked methamphetamine with the victims. Brian Martin testified that while he and Garrison were in jail together, Garrison told him he shot Caswell and Emerson because he was “tired of being ripped off.” Garrison told Martin he and Emerson had a disagreement about the manufacture of methamphetamine and he got mad and shot Emerson. Then, realizing Caswell probably heard the shots, Garrison waited for Caswell to appear and he shot him as well. Witnesses testified Garrison was at the farm on the morning of October 24, 2002, the day of the murders. The murder weapon was a .22 caliber gun. Witnesses stated Garrison owned a .22 Ruger, but it could not be found after the murders. Garrison had ammunition consistent with that used in the killings. One spent cartridge, which matched those from the murders, was found in the vent on the hood of Garrison‟s car. Also, in Garrison‟s car officers found a plastic box with a foam insert which had the imprint of a shape that matched a .22 Ruger. Garrison told witnesses he left the farm at noon, and Caswell and Emerson were alive then. The County Medical Examiner Investigator testified, however, that the time of death for both men was about 11:00 a.m.
Garrison was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder in November 2003.