Husband of murder victim hopes killer ‘burns in hell’

Kim Smith

Friday, Oct. 25, 2002 | 9:55 a.m.

Roland Howard met his wife, Linda, when they were 14. On Thursday he had harsh words for the sous chef who is said to have killed her in a fit of anger over being fired.

"I hope the justice system works and he dies in prison and burns in hell," Howard said. "I want him to know I hate him with every fiber in (my) being."

Howard appeared in District Judge Jeffrey Sobel's courtroom Thursday morning during Bradley Repolio's sentencing hearing. Although Howard could not change the sentence of 40 years to life in prison that had been pre-determined through a plea agreement, he attended to let Repolio know what he thought of him.

Repolio turned down a chance to address the court following Howard's comments.

Repolio, 37, told police that he killed Terry Lynn Howard, 50, on Aug. 6 while picking up his final check from the Harley-Davidson Cafe on the Strip. Repolio said he was angry at being fired, but became angrier when Howard told him other chefs were going to get bonus checks, but not him.

Linda Howard was struck in the head with a hammer and then stabbed in the neck with a 3-inch paring knife as she lay on the floor.

Ironically, Howard wasn't even the one who fired him, Chief Deputy District Attorney Ed Kane said. He was fired by someone else because he was always late or failing to show up for work.

Repolio pleaded guilty to first-degree murder with use of a deadly weapon just a few weeks after the slaying to avoid a possible no-parole life sentence.

In sentencing him, Sobel said the slaying was senseless.

"I hope you never hit the streets again," Sobel said, drawing a rare burst of applause from the audience.