You're listening to the 2020 True Crime Vault. Looking at a crime, sometimes it's the tiny things that bring it into focus. Something small that gets left behind. Janice, you got an A1? I need an ambulance immediately. There's no pulse. Oh, my God. This crime is somewhat of a perfect crime. There was no murder. There's no DNA that helps. There's no fingerprints that helped. I could not wrap my head around a reason for her to not wake up. One detail can solve a murder. That's what happened with Christie Harris. Christie is just... She was literally the best mom. The best. A new baby and a four-year-old, she was Devoted to them. Jason Harris told the police that his wife had been unwell. She was falling asleep while she's sitting in the chair, and he's able to get her into bed where she falls asleep. Was it an accident? Had someone killed her? He really thought that he was going to be able to get away with murder because at this point, he had. But there's one thing that Christie Harris left behind. This could be the piece of the puzzle that solves this case. It was in the freezer all along.
Davis in Michigan is a suburb of to Michigan, is a suburb of Flint, Michigan. Small town. People know each other. Nobody would have expected it here. Nobody would have expected something like that to happen. Sheila Cooper is a longtime resident, and in 2014, neighbors moved next door, Jason and Christie Harris and their two daughters. And they've only been renting the house for about a few months when tragedy strikes. I never assumed anything was going on in that house. On September 29th, 2014, Sheila Coupe gets a text message from Jason Harris. I I received a text message from Jason, Hey, neighbor, are you busy? Apparently, Christie's overslept again. I can't get a response from her. And I said, Do you want me to go back on the door? And he said, Oh, yes. Would you please do that? Sheila Coupe then goes to the house. The house is unlocked. She's able to get in. The kids aren't there. Nobody's in the house except for Christie, who she eventually finds in the bedroom. She had a blanket over her, so I tapped her ankle lightly. Christina, Christina. She didn't respond. I whipped off the blanket from on top.
I still have nightmares about the way I found her. She was cold of the touch and unresponsive. So I immediately dialed 911. Janice, you dial 911. I need an ambulance immediately. I have a neighbor that I can't move. I can't turn on her back. It's just cold. There's no pulse. Oh, my God. Davidson police come and take a report, and then family members, of course, started showing up as well. We were waiting outside, and Jason came pulling in. Next thing I knew, I turned around and I seen Jim Mays there. So I walked in the house, and I could see Christie laying on the bed. He came out to the car and he said, Christie's gone. Kathy pulled up to the front of the house, and that was one of the saddest things I've ever seen in my life. I just kept saying saying, No, stop it. Stop saying that. That's not true. Stop saying that. I could not, in my head, wrap around a medical reason for her to not wake up. So a patrol officer and the ME took some photos. There was a power strip on the floor, and the alarm clock that was on the night stand was plugged into that power strip, and that power strip was flipped off, so the clock was flipped off.
One of the first questions they asked is, Did you see any medications? And we all looked around the room. She did have some pain pills that were from her C-section a couple of months prior. There were no signs of a struggle. There was no signs of drug use. On its surface, it looked like it was a female that happened to pass away in her sleep. The house looked like the normal house I knew. I saw somebody who could have very easily died in her sleep from the look of things. Medics remove Christie's body and take it to have an autopsy to figure out why and how she died. Something terrible has happened here. She just gave birth four months ago. Why would a healthy woman in her mid-30s die in her bed. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, dear Christie. Oh, my God. Christie was the life of the party. Christie was the singer, the dancer, more outgoing. I would describe Christie as a very energetic, bubbly, fun person. So like a lot of couples, Jason's very different. Jason's a little more quiet, a little more to himself. Him and Christie met in '97. It was actually a party that one of my friends was having.
They seemed to really hit it off very well. Jason just seemed I'm like your typical everyday guy that got up and went to work. He didn't get home until five, six o'clock at night. He'd been married and divorced before and has two kids from a previous relationship. I wasn't just going to get a son-in-law. He was going to come with a family. Her wedding day was one of Christie's fantasies that came true. I was the best man. I was looking forward to Christie She's becoming a sister, becoming a part of my life. She was happy because the focal point was on her. Christie did like to be the center of attention. Christie wanted the center of attention. That was August. And then she shows up with her stepchildren on Halloween in her wedding dress. That was their costume. Yeah, that's Christie. She was just as happy that Halloween as she was the day she got married. At the time of Christie's death, she and Jason have two young daughters of their own, Haley, who was born in 2009, and Calleigh Ann, who's only about four months old. Ready Christie. Christie is just... She was literally the best mom.
The best. After Callean was born in 2014, she was able to go back to work. Christie was literally doing it all. She was breastfeeding, and breastfeeding is a lifestyle in a sense, because you got to watch what you eat. You have to watch what medication you take. When the autopsy results come back, it was just a shocker. October 22nd, 2014, Davidson Police Department received the autopsy results, which showed that She died of heroin toxicity and ruled an accident. This case started and originated with me. I was an assistant prosecuting attorney here in Genesey County, and this appeared to be an overdose. There was a large amount of heroin in her system. It was inferred that it was eaten because she didn't have any needle marks. There wasn't anything to show that she was snorting it or smoking it. I have never, in all my years of doing things in law, heard of someone eating heroine. It jumps out at Christie's parents as being extremely odd. It was so unexpected. No way in the world did Christie do this. But the medical examiner's ruling greatly impacts this investigation. He not only rules that she died from heroine, but that it was an accidental death.
So at this point, the medical examiner also does not suspect a homicide. And This is in the middle of the opioid epidemic in America that's still ongoing now. We have been reporting here on the opioid crisis in America. Tonight, we take you inside the battle against a deadly narcotic. Originally, everybody thought it was an accidental overdose because that's what the forensic pathologist had ruled. But behind the facade of this normal suburban household, there were problems, and Christie's family knew that the marriage was on the rocks. Jason had been texting Not one, but multiple women. Christie had sent us her June phone bill, and there were two numbers on there. One woman on the East Coast. There were thousands and thousands of text messages. Christie was very upset, very, very upset. She realized that he was even communicating with them during Christie's C-section. As you're bringing in this new life to the world, you're finding out that your husband is cheating on you. Three months after the bill we saw, she was dead. I felt immediately there's foul play. From the parents' perspective, they're looking at the obvious that an affair could be motive to kill their daughter.
But the cell phone records are only one piece of the puzzle. It's shocking what investigators are about to learn. Abc, Wednesday, February 25th. The Emmy-winning Comedy Scrubs returns. This is a whole new chapter for me. No more sad sac. That's what I'm talking about. I want both of our sacs to be fun. You two idiots are perfect for each other. From executive producers of Ted Lasso and Shrinking. We were all a part of this victory. Now get those nachos out of the premium warmer. Nachos. It feels like there's more applause for the nachos than my speech. The new season Season of Scrubs, Wednesday, February 25th, 8: 7 Central on ABC and stream on Hulu. This show is supported by Chime. Chime is changing the way people bank. If you're accustomed to old-school traditional banks, you're probably no stranger to paying fees. Overdraft fees, minimum balance fees, even monthly maintenance fees. But Chime offers smarter fee-free banking for everyday people. As a 2020 listener, you can get up to $350 by joining and making qualifying direct deposits. That's extra money in your pocket just for banking smarter and fee fee-free through Chime. And with Chime Card, you can build your credit history with your own money and get rewarded every day.
No annual fees, no interest, no strings attached. Plus, with qualifying direct deposits, you can also get 1. 5% cashback on eligible Chime Card purchases. Chime's not just smarter banking, it's the most rewarding way to bank. Join the millions who are already banking fee-free today. Head to chime. Com/20, spelled out T-W-E-N-T-Y. It only takes a few minutes to sign up, and 2020 listeners can earn up to an extra $350. That's CHIME. Com/20. Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services and the secured CHIME credit card are provided by the Bancor Bank NA or Stride Bank NA. Optional services and products may have fees or charges. See, CHIME. Com/feesinfo. Terms apply. Limited time only. Must open the new account and complete qualifying activities to earn rewards. Advertised annual percentage yield with Chime plus status only. Otherwise, 1% APY applies. No minimum balance required. Chime card on time payment history may have a positive impact on your credit score. Results may vary. See, chime. Com for details on applicable terms. After Christina passed, things really started changing. Jason wasn't going to work. But he did not seem too worried about that because it cashes in the $100,000 life insurance policy from her employer.
That life insurance policy bought three cars. He bought himself a truck. The girlfriend got an Impala. He actually would later purchase a house with the proceeds from the life insurance. He had the house now that Christie always wanted, and he was able to do that with the money that was provided to him by Christie's death. He made a new life for himself, the life that my sister would like to have. And Jason, this reserved, somewhat shy guy, is taking a more active role in the community. After Christie died, he's moving on with his life without a pause. He was on the soccer board, and being a great dad was part of his agenda. Meanwhile, people were quick to believe that Christie was just another drug user. And it wasn't just Christie's family who were knocking on the door, the police station saying, I think Jason had something to do with this. His own brother felt that Jason might be responsible for Christie's death. A year before Christie died, Jason Harris went to his brother Jeff and asked to buy a plane ticket to go visit another woman on the East Coast. Jason asked me to buy a plane ticket on my credit card for him to fly to the East Coast because he didn't want Christie to know about the purchase.
Jason met this woman, from what I understand, through some game on his phone in the little chat group. He said, I'm going to go out there and meet her. When he first asked me that, I said, Sure. I bought it and did it for him. But then I started thinking about it, and there's something there that doesn't feel right. So then I canceled the plane ticket, and that's when he shared, I can't get a divorce because I've already been divorced. He didn't want to divorce because he didn't want to pay child support. Again, he had two older children that he had paid child support on. Ever since that point, Jason and I's relationship was fractured. So even though Jason stopped talking to his brother Jeff, he kept on talking with his sister, Rachel. According to Jeff, a few months before Christie's death, Rachel reaches out and she's in a panic. She's been having a text conversation with our brother. He has to get out of the relationship. The only solution that he sees viable is to kill Christie. He had the whole thing planned out. He actually talked about the exact scenario that happened the day of her death.
He could have an alibi by being at work. He could call one of the neighbors and ask her to check on Christie and find her deceased. A few days after, my sister tells us that Jason has decided he's just going to get a divorce. So that was relieving. In my mind, just forgot about it and moved on. But then probably six months later, we get the phone call that Christie was found dead in her bed this morning. After Christie Harris's death, it is Jason's own siblings, his sister and his brother, who divulged to police that Jason had talked about wanting to get rid of his wife. To Christie's parents, this is an accumulation of evidence that increasingly points towards foul play and increasingly points towards a motive for Jason to murder Christie. He wanted out of this relationship. He didn't want to have to pay child support. But at this point, the police do not believe that there's enough evidence to charge Jason Harris for anything having to do with Christie Harris's death. There was never enough early on to be able to get to the point where we could charge somebody. The honest of goodness truth is being a cheater and a liar and enjoying spending money that you got because your wife died.
It does not make you a murderer. It's not evidence of murder. At this point, it's going to take something else to bring Jason Harris down. But all hope is not lost. You've got a very motivated family who loved this woman, and they weren't giving up. Not every family is as strong and would be willing to go to a birthday party and rub elbows with the person you believe killed your sister. And Christie Harris's family are about to uncover a critical detail. This everyday object is going to put the focus on Jason. I'm the computer guy. I get everybody up and running. Jason made a comment that his My laptop wasn't booting, and I have some tools here that allows me to take the hard drive out and plug it in to some other devices, and he handed it to me. And in that moment, all those months of gritting their teeth and smiling their way through their suspicion paid off. It's The Paradise podcast. I am your host, Ryan Michelle Bethe, with my husband, Sterling. What's up? Join us here on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+, where we'll discuss each episode with the cast and crew of Paradise.
I'll be getting all the secrets from Dan Fogelman, James Marsden, Shaline Woodley, Julian Nicholson, and Sterling Calby Brown. Paradise, the official podcast, premieres February 16th and stream Paradise on February 23rd on Hulu and Hulu on Disney Plus for bundle subscribers. Terms apply. The NBA is happening now on ABC and the ESPN app. Right now, this season is unpredictable. We know this rookie class is special. This MVP race is tight, and this crew is the best. So for inside, primetime, showcase, finals, and everywhere in between, there's one place to call home. The NBA on ESPN, presented by State Bar. All season long on ESPN and ABC. Christie Harris's family firmly believes that Christie was poisoned with heroin and murdered by her husband, Jason. But how do you get someone to eat heroin without realizing it? Although he's avoided police questioning up until this point, Jason is about to make a crucial mistake. Jason Harris needs work done on his laptop. He gave it to Christie's father to fix it. James calls me and says, Hey, I have his laptop here. I did a search warrant for that laptop. So I came home, took the hard drive out, booted it up, and that's when I found the picture on his desktop.
One of the things that was actually found on the laptop was a photograph in the time after Christie had died. There was Jason with a straw and some other paraphernalia on the table in front of him. It means that Jason Harris has access to drugs, access to the drugs that killed his wife, mysteriously. He worked at a place called United Plastics. Jason was actually fired from United Plastics a few months after Christie's death because he'd had some positive drug screens. My friend, her brother, worked with Jason, and she let me know, Hey, my brother's saying the rumor at work is he killed her for life insurance money. Davidson Police learned that He had asked a coworker for pills that would be tasteless. Jason asked, So do you know of any pills that she wouldn't taste, wouldn't smell, would knock her out to the point where I could move her body and she wouldn't know? Then he asked, If I gave you $5,000, will you kill my wife? He solicited essentially strangers at work. This is shocking information. To Christie's family, it seemed clear that he was trying to kill his wife. To Christie's parents, the accumulation of all of that should have at least led to an interview of Jason Harris.
Detectives attempted to interview Jason, but he had counsel, and they would not let him speak to the detective. Now Jason's not talking, and he has every right not to talk. He said, I've got a lawyer. I'm not talking. Christie's parents are viewing this through very rational eyes. And to them, one of the stumbling blocks in this case is the absolute dearth of evidence collected at the scene by the police Department that should have been responsible for doing that. On the morning Christie died, Jason was questioned by the police officer who responded to the 911 call. He's not a detective. Jason Harris told the police that his wife had been unwell, that she had been suffering from a cold, and he had fed her a bowl of cereal the night before she was discovered. She was falling asleep a little bit while she's sitting in the chair, and eventually, he says that He's able to get her into bed where she falls asleep. But there's no examination of the cereal bowl. There's no DNA that helps. There's no fingerprints that help. And the house isn't declared a crime scene. The police did not return to the house.
Once they were gone, Jason ended up walking around the side of the house into the back door. And that little window they had to get that all-important evidence, it closed. When the police left the house and the EME declared Christie's death an accidental drug overdose. And the case stalls. 2014, 2015, 2016. Nothing happens. We learned that there had not been any homicides in the city of Davidson in over 55 years, which was a concern. The family is concerned how the Davison Police Department Department is going to be able to assess evidence like this. I have no idea why the police didn't arrest Jason. One of the things I remember distinctly that they said, Well, I hate to arrest a guy who just lost his wife. And that sits with me because I'm like, Yeah, but he did it. I visited many times and said, Can you please involve the state police? Can you please ask somebody to come in? And it just didn't happen. Abc News did reach out to the Davidson City Police Department, but it did not respond. Meanwhile, Jason is still caring for their two daughters, and the rest of Christie's family is living in fear.
If he killed my sister, what could he do to me? And at the time, I had moved, but I didn't want him to know where I lived because there was a fear there that if he knows where I live, I don't know what else this man can do. The thought of this happening and then the world being okay with it, It was so traumatizing. I actually started getting sick from the stress of it because I was terrified. We live in the United States. People do not get away with murder, right? The whole family hung in there. They pretended to have a relationship with Jason so they could be near their granddaughters and nieces. The silence was deafening. What can I do? What can I say to make somebody pay attention? Kathy would send me an email Every single day. I lived with that every single night. I never forgot about this. But at the same time, there's nothing we could have done more to get every shred of evidence. I just was reaching out even to people who knew people. The response was always the same. Jason Harris had denied ever using drugs except for smoking a little bit of weed.
But these were people, neighbors, who thought that that house, the Harris house was a house where people were in there doing illegal drugs. If you hang out with, live with drug addicts, it is not a far stretch to believe you do drugs yourself. I can't help you except to suggest that you seek professional help. I can't fathom how painful that would be to get emails like that. If somebody insulted my own daughter after she was dead, and said, That's what you get if you hang out and live with drug addicts? Wow. I would have been furious. It was just all out of concern, A, for our daughter and her memory, and B, for our granddaughters. We were raised by a strong, vocal mother who taught us to stand for what we believe in. Jason hadn't faced any intense questioning of any kind. He answered a few cursory questions the day they found Christie, and that was it. At that time, Jason had never been asked questions, and we can at least get him in front of somebody to answer a set of questions. Christie's parents unveil a brilliant legal tactic, and Jason Harris is about to slip up.
It's been three years since Christie Harris was found dead in her own bedroom, and her family haven't given up on their quest for justice. When we first started keeping track of things, this was our very first notebook. This book grew to be four containers. This This is more than just paperwork. This is our daughter. This is our love for her. They suspect that their son-in-law, Jason Harris, killed her. So to get the police to focus on them, they file a wrongful death suit. They decide to sue him. I needed to find an attorney, and Alex Gibbs was willing to take the case on. Alex Gibbs is one of my superhero goes. When I first heard about the case, all that I knew really was Christie died in a really odd way for somebody with no history of heroin use. And I realized that we were going to need more evidence. And so we filed the wrongful death action. So in the criminal process, they're seeking punishment regarding time in prison. In the civil process, it's monetary damages. Typically, you wait for the criminal process to play itself out, and then you do the civil. Think about the O.
J. Simpson case. In the matter of the people of the state of California versus Orenthal James Simpson. Nicole Brown Simpson's family waited for that to play out. He was acquitted and then sued him in civil court and got a judgment. We called it a backwards O. J. We wanted to do the civil case first to drive the criminal case. You never see a family having to pursue justice like this. So this is very, very rare. By the time of the wrongful death suit, Jim and Kathy Mays Christie's parents had badgered the Davison Police Department long enough into sending the case to the Michigan State Police Department to investigate. And it's handed over to Detective Sergeant Joshua Dierkzey. When I took over the case in December of 2018, there was a civil lawsuit that the victim's family had filed against Jason Harris. We worked together. I was able to work along with them. Early on, Jason said, I'm not talking to police, which is your Fifth Amendment right. In a civil case, though, for wrongful death, Jason Harris had to be deposed. This was the first time that Jason Harris had faced any scrutiny, any real questioning over his involvement in the death of his wife.
Sir, would you please raise your right-hand. You swear the testimony you're about to give him this cause would be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, self, you got. Yes. He was fairly calm Mom, unexpressive. He really thought that he was going to be able to get away with murder because at this point for about four years, almost to the day, he had. Let's go to what happened on September 29th. The story that he ended up giving, there were different nuances there that didn't match up. Do you recall texting your wife on Monday morning? Yeah. What problem did you text her? To make sure that she got up for work. Is that out of the ordinary? No. When we looked through his phone records, we found out that was unusual. What time do you usually go to bed? I don't know. I don't have a bedtime. Did you sleep beside her that night? Yes. It didn't look like he had slept on the other side of the bed. And I can't imagine that when you put your wife to bed with the expectation she's going to die in her sleep, that you want to climb into bed next to her.
And was your wife awake with you to put the kids to sleep? Yes. Okay. Did you notice anything out of the ordinary? She got hungry. She had made her up a bowl of cereal. That was our first glimpse into, how would you get somebody to eat heroine? How do you hide the taste, the smell? And it was like, oh, okay. So he just put it in milk and mixed it around. Heroine would have a very bitter taste to it, but milk would neutralize that bitter taste. So Christie likely wouldn't have tasted anything as she was eating it. We got in his personnel file from when he worked at United Plastics. We knew that he failed a series of drug tests Have you used drugs? I have. What drugs have you used? Marijuana. Any other drugs? Disposedcribed. And then when he was confronted with that photograph of Jason Apparently taking drugs. He had quite the story about what that photograph was from. How do you explain this photo? It's me telling my daughter not to. Jason says, I was trying to show my oldest daughter how not to do drugs. That's his answer. As the detailed questions go on, and he is forced under oath to commit to a version of events, he begins to become agitated, a little rattled.
I could sense that it was going in a direction that Jason Harris didn't anticipate. And arguably the most important deposition is from the Genesey County Medical Examiner. The original assessment in the autopsy was an accident, a drug overdose. But in 2019, when we deposed the Medical Examiner, he had forgotten about that case, I think, by and large, and he had never seen any of the evidence that the police had been collecting over the years. All of these suspicious statements that were made by witnesses, by Jason. He looked at this case entirely differently, and And as a result, he changed his opinion. This was no longer to be ruled as a accidental overdose. He was going to be changing Christie Harris's death certificate to homicide. Once the forensic pathologist changed his opinion, we started a much more aggressive investigation. We had already had statements from witnesses. We didn't need to go back out and interview everybody again. So in the civil case, Jason is found liable for Christie's death, and he's ordered to pay $2 million in damages. But there was a lot of pause. It was two prongs. As a prosecutor, you not only have to prove that Jason Harris had premeditation, had a plan, executed it to kill Christina, and you had to disprove that Christina Harris was a drug addict.
You've got to overcome that in front of a jury. But there's one thing that Christie Harris left behind, and it will ultimately prove that she was not a drug user. The physical evidence that they needed to get Jason Harris finally charged with murder was there all along. Authorities have overturned the cause of death for Christie Harris. It has gone from being an accidental overdose to homicide. But there was one piece of evidence that this criminal overlooked. Christina had just given birth in May of 2014 to her and Jason's second daughter. So she was just four months old at the time of her mom's death. And one of the big things that her family spoke about was not only her dedication to these kids, but her dedication to breastfeeding them. She was a breastfeeding mother when she passed away using a breast pump on schedule. During her maternity leave, she was pumping on schedule and filling a freezer. Christina would pump her breast milk and then put it in ziploc bags and put a date of which she took that sample, and she would give those to James and Kathy when they babysat Callean. The family held on to the breast milk to continue feeding Kelly-Ann even after Christie had passed.
So we've been talking since the beginning, the fact that we had the breast milk. Local police in Davison did test it in 2015, but for whatever reason, that didn't seem to raise any alarms or call into question This accidental death ruling by the ME. I was not aware of it until after I had given my case to the medical examiner that the family actually had upwards of 50 bags of frozen breast milk, still frozen. Christie's parents always believe that that breast milk would hold the key to solving the riddle. We actually sent off breast milk to the lab. It's never been done in the state of Michigan before. Everyone is nervously awaiting the results. This could be the piece of the puzzle that solves this case. It was absolutely clear of any drugs. There was no heroine within her breast milk. The breast milk vindicates her. She was a devoted mother. She was, in fact, everything that her friends and family had been saying all along. We were able to flip the script. In fact, Jason Harris was a liar, and Christina Harris was a pristine individual who, sadly He was victimized. At long last, it is finally time to arrest Jason Harris.
I am now convinced that this guy is guilty, so let's go full throttle and let's write this warrant. I was a part of the team that arrested Jason Harris. Located him at his place of employment, a search warrant was executed. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say, canon, will be used against you in a court of law. He was read as Miranda rights and said he didn't want to talk, and there was no emotion, nothing. Almost like he knew this was coming. We had a meeting at the Michigan State Police Office. We were thinking, maybe we're going to hear a little update. And they said, We have arrested Jason. I could not believe it. It just blew me away. Is this for real? The way this case was talked about wasn't, Oh, they tested her breast milk. It was, Oh, my goodness. He poisoned her cereal with heroin. This is a serial killer, just in a different sense. I want to thank Christina's mom and dad for their patience. I know this has been a long time coming. It was more of a shock. This This is real. This is really happening.
I was assigned the Jason Harris case in June of 2021. It was a big case. I knew it had gotten quite a bit of media attention, so I was a little overwhelmed, but I was excited for the challenge. Christie's family has waited seven long years for justice for Christie, and finally they're getting their day in court. But because it looked like a drug overdose, there was no murder weapon, and there was no DNA evidence. This is not a slam dunk. This crime is somewhat of a perfect crime. Most cases I've handled have involved a gunshot wound or a strangulation or something like that. This was different. This was a really different case. It was in the back of my mind that what if they said not guilty? What if seven years of work and I knew if I heard not guilty, I'd probably never see those girls again. The thing that really concerned me was that if I lost this trial, those kids would They have to go back and live with their dad. Our theory of the case is that Jason Harris wanted out of his marriage. He didn't want to have to go through a divorce.
He didn't want to have to pay child support. He had put heroine in the cereal. They had fed Christie the night before and deliberately premeditatedly killed her. So it had a lot of witnesses, and each one of those witnesses was an important piece of the puzzle. I have to come testify. A people called Jeffrey Harris. It was very difficult Not only is my brother sitting right there again still, my mom is there now, my aunt is there. I'm the outcast here going against our family. By the time I had the case, Rachel Harris, Jason's sister, indicated that she had forgotten any conversation that she may have had with the police or with her brother about things that had happened. So I did so. But I just have to keep knowing that this is the right thing to do for my sister-in-law. I was confident Jason was the one that murdered Christie. There were zero people called by the defense, including Jason could have testified, but he chose not to. A big argument that the defense was making was that Christie took the drugs herself. But because there was no heroine in her breast milk, we were able to show that Christie was not a drug user.
And on November 17th, 2021, the jury finally reaches its verdict. You just sit there, you pucker up, and you hope for the best. In the Genesey County circuit courtroom, a jury says that Jason Harris is guilty. Guilty person, grief, premeditated murder. On all three counts. Guilty of homicide, solicitation of murder. Guilty of delivery of controlled substance, causing death. When they said guilty, it was just like all the air goes out of you. It ends up being worth all of the years to get to that point. It was just like what I wanted to hear, and I just couldn't didn't even react to it. If I could say one thing to Christie's family, I think I would say thank you for trusting me with your daughter. Sorry. This one was emotional because there were these little girls involved. I just wanted to get justice for Christie. Jason Harris was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in the state of Michigan. You You are a murderer, and you are a liar. And the jury still softened all lives and I said, I'm not alive. How did Jason get away with murder for so many years?
Jason Harris's fatal flaw was Jason Harris's hubris. He was telling everybody basically what he was going to do. I want to kill my wife. How do I kill my wife? Can you help me kill my wife? My God, he never shut up about it. If he had remained silent, I think this would have been Very difficult to prove. Then there's the breast milk. Jason clearly didn't think about this piece of evidence that had been sitting in a freezer for years. The breast milk was huge. I don't think I could have gotten a guilty verdict without the breast milk. That was a very important piece of the puzzle. And finally, there's Jason's biggest mistake. It turns out he married into the wrong family because Jim and Cathy Mays, they wouldn't quit. If it wasn't for Kathy Mays' relentless pursuit of justice, I don't know that we would have ever paid enough attention to this case to get it where it is. This is what Christie would expect of me. She was tenacious, and she may have gotten some of it from me. Yeah, just a bit. P-u-e. P-u-e is right. Mommy's going to eat it. Pee-uie, look.
I'm turning into the Hulk. I think about her every day. Luckily, I get to see two little girls. Who remind me of her. Our goal is just to keep her alive so that they can be proud of their mom. You've been listening to the 2020 True Crime Vault. Friday nights at 9: 00 on ABC, you can also find all new broadcast episodes of 2020. Thanks for listening. Sag mal, Nikola, hast du auch immer dieses Gefühl, bei der Steuererklärung mit einem Bein schon im Knast zu stehen? Boah, nee, gar nicht. Wieso Steuer ist so die Steuer-App, mit der ich wirklich nichts falsch machen kann? Wow. Das heißt, damit ist alles sicher? Ja, genau. Wieso Steuer ist die Steuer-App, die dich versteht. Weil Steuer betrifft ja dein ganzes Leben. Arbeit, Kinder, Partner. Du kannst nichts falsch machen. Stimmt. Nice. Fühlt sich gar nicht wie Steuern an. Steuern erledigt? Safe. Mit Wieso Steuer? Jetzt kostenlos testen.
A mysterious drug overdose kills new mom Christina Harris. Would she leave behind a crucial clue that actually points to a killer? (OAD 11/29/22)
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices