Inset (left): Joseph Howard (Franklin County Sheriff’s Office). Inset (center): Taya Mollette (Facebook). Inset (right): Tavia Copley (O.R. Woodyard Co. Funeral & Cremation Services). Background: Double D’s bar in Columbus, Ohio (Google Maps).
What began as a fight inside an Ohio bar turned deadly when a man who appeared to be trying to defend his sister pulled a gun and opened fire.
Joseph Howard, 22, was convicted in July of murder, aggravated murder, aggravated robbery, felonious assault and tampering with evidence. On Aug. 6, he was sentenced to a cumulative life term with the possibility of parole after 49 years. The punishment came nearly three years after Howard fired shots inside a Columbus bar moments after telling 24-year-old Tavia Copley to “get off” his sister, 24-year-old Taya Mollette.
Copley and Mollette were both fatally shot. After the shooting, Howard left Ohio and fled to Florida.
According to court records, Howard received 30 years to life for Copley’s aggravated murder, 15 years to life for Mollette’s murder, 8 to 12 years for assaulting Brumfield, 5 to 7 1/2 years for aggravated robbery and 24 months for tampering with evidence. He was also given an additional six years tied to firearm specifications.
The case closed with a life sentence for Howard, whose attempt to intervene in a confrontation between two women ended with both of them dead and another person wounded.
