Woman, 70, is found murdered and set on fire in front of her $900,000 Cape Cod home

A 34-year-old heroin addict murdered his mother, 70, and set her remains on fire outside the $900,000 home they shared in affluent Cape Cod, Massachusetts, the local prosecutor’s office said.

Adam Howe was arrested Friday night after the Cape Cod SWAT team raided the house. Authorities were called to the house in the town of Truro by family friends who were seeking social assistance benefits for Howe’s mother, Susan.

At the same time the welfare check was called, the local fire brigade was also called to the scene after a report of a fire.

Assistant District Attorney Tara Miltimore told: the Cape Cod times: “A relative called and asked to check the house.”

A source close to the family told DailyMail.com that Adam and his wife both suffered from heroin addiction.

The source said Adam lived with his mother and she was about to kick him out for his drug use.

The joint press release from the police and prosecutors said that when officers arrived on the scene, they quickly realized the fire was the result of a burning corpse.

Adam had been standing by the fire, but ran inside when the police arrived.

He was arrested shortly afterwards. Officers were able to determine that the burning person was Howe’s mother.

Susan Howe was the president of the Truro Commission on Disabilities and the president of the Truro Historical Society. According to her Facebook page, Susan also worked at a clothing store in Wellfleet, Massachusetts.

Susan regularly posted photos of her with her son and his son’s wife, Ailey. The most recent publicly visible message came in September 2021 when she shared photos of the family laughing over brunch.

In October 2020, the trio went on vacation together to Boca Raton, Florida.

Adam said in a Facebook post that he married his wife in December 2019. On the eve of their first birthday, he wrote on Facebook: ‘365 days ago I married the greatest woman in the world!’

The couple has a daughter together. On the Intro section of his page, Adam wrote, “I’m a new husband and a new father! My life is brilliant!’

On his LinkedIn page, Adam says he has previously worked as a chef at numerous restaurants in Vermont and Massachusetts.

In 2012, he appeared on an episode of Food Network’s show: Chef Wanted with Anne Burrell. Adam was also a food writer for Southern Vermont Landscapes magazine.

According to the latest update on that profile, Adam is working on an English degree at Castleton University. He previously studied English literature at Emmanuel College in Boston.

On September 15, Adam wrote on Facebook that his latest children’s book would be released entitled: Is That My Ring?

The plot is about a little girl who searches the big city for her mother’s wedding ring.

On the same day, Adam also wrote on Facebook that he appreciated the outpouring of support for his wife, Aliey.

He wrote: ‘Aliey is safe and well and recovering and we are happy to say she is on her way back to her loving family.’

The murder suspect added: “We are all getting ready for the day when the Howes are all where they should be. And where they can all be their happiest and healthiest selves.’

Susan Howe lived in the Houser Way neighborhood of Truro. Her home is valued at just over $900,000, according to Zillow.

Susan’s death came just a few weeks before her 71st birthday.

Born in Natick, Massachusetts, she graduated from both Syracuse University, in 1974, and Boston University, in 1978.

The local Truro government has issued a statement on Howe’s death, saying: “Our hearts are heavy with the news that we have lost a beloved member of our community, Susan Howe.”

It continued: “Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family and friends at this time of tragic loss. We are following the lead of law enforcement as they investigate this tragedy and have no further comment at this time.”

Speak with the Boston Herald, DA Michael O’Keefe admitted that murders are rare in Truro, a city best associated with the realist painter Edward Hopper, who lived there in the 1930s and based some of his most famous works on the area’s visual beauty.

In 2002, writer Christa Washington was raped and murdered in her home in the city. O’Keefe would not “get into comparisons” with the two cases, according to the Herald.

Washington was at home with her daughter when the crime occurred. Her daughter was unharmed.

Trash Christopher McCowen was later convicted of the murder and sentenced to life in prison.

O’Keefe also told the paper, “I don’t think it will shock people to hear that we have a broken mental health system and it’s been broken for a long time.”

In a separate interview with the Boston Globe, O’Keefe said his office is trying to get Howe out of police custody and into a mental health facility.

He said: ‘We must provide affirmative evidence in every subsequent legal proceeding that this man was sane at the time of the crime. We want the evaluation to be closest to the actions that led to someone’s death.”

Officials had said Howe will undergo a mental health assessment as a result of talks with and information from family members.

The incident is being investigated by state police detectives assigned to the State Attorney’s Office, Truro Police and the State Fire Marshalls Office.