A man accused of strangling a Troy man in 2018 has been indicted on a charge of murder.

Jeremyah Howell, of Mobile, was indicted in connection with the  death of Rashad Montez McClaney, 25, of Troy, on November 3, 2018.

“Investigators discovered that McClaney had been involved in an altercation at an apartment in the 100 block of Gibbs Street with Jeremyah Deunte Howell and Tharion Vincient Nye,” said Troy Police Chief Randall Barr after the incident.

TPD detective Terry Miles testified during a hearing later that month that McClaney had taken Howell’s girlfriend Destiny Smith home from a bar the night before the incident and slept on her bedroom floor because he had driven her car there and did not have his vehicle with him.

In Howell’s statement to police, he said he attempted to call Smith early the next morning and then arrived at her home to find McClaney in the bedroom, leading to a  verbal altercation before Howell left the apartment.

According to Miles, Howell and Nye returned armed with a Draco assault rifle and a Glock pistol.

Smith and her roommate said they did not see the weapons brandished threateningly, but the presence of the guns was intimidating.

Miles testified that Howell confessed to choking McClaney to unconsciousness and left again with Nye.

The roommates then said they propped McClaney’s head on a pillow, allegedly believing that he was merely unconscious.

Within another half hour, Miles said, Smith texted Howell to transport McClaney to the hospital McClaney, Nye, and another man came back to the apartment and took McClaney to the emergency room.

Dennis Knizley said Howell acted in self defense in a mutual combat and that McClaney’s death was an unfortunate circumstance.