One of two Mattapan men accused of murdering 49-year-old Brenda Pawlowski in Jamaica Plain was held without bail at his arraignment today, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

West Roxbury District Court Judge Mary Ann Driscoll ordered CHRISTOPHER HOWARD (D.O.B. 6/18/82) held without bail at the request of Assistant District Attorney Ursula Knight. Howard and LARRY PACK (D.O.B. 5/3/82) are accused of shooting Pawlowski to death on the morning of Feb. 8 in an area behind 21 Kenney St.

Knight told the court that residents of that quiet street were awoken by a loud noise – described as sounding like a car backfiring – at about 5:15 that morning. The victim’s remains were discovered about two hours later, and Knight said responding emergency medical technicians described her body as “warm to the touch.”

Pawlowski died of a single gunshot wound to the head, Knight told the court.

Boston Police homicide detectives made contact with members of Pawlowski’s family, who said she suffered from a serious drug problem. Family members provided investigators with several phone numbers, Knight said, with one of those numbers leading detectives to a house in Roxbury where Pawlowski had been staying.

The investigation – which included witness interviews, cell phone records, and testimony in the Suffolk County Grand Jury – has developed evidence that Howard and Pack picked up Pawlowski at the house in Roxbury, then drove her to Kenney Street, where they shot her and left her for dead.

An unrelated drug investigation later led Boston Police to execute a search warrant on Pack’s home, Knight said. Howard was present there when police arrived, Knight said, and among the items recovered was the murder weapon.

The investigation remains extremely active, prosecutors said. Pack, who is currently behind bars and under indictment for unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of a Class A substance with intent to distribute, faces a tentative arraignment date of Oct. 28.

Howard was represented today by attorney John Palmer. He will return to court on Nov. 18.