Man's murder, wife's death feed into local legend of "cursed" mansion

The water state straddling the Kentucky-Tennessee borderline has a quiet, majestic beauty. But successful September 2022, that immense scenery seemed to person swallowed up Mike Harding, a California transplant who disappeared without a trace.

JULIE HARDING (phone call): Hi Captain, this is Julie Harding with the California Highway Patrol …

Mike's woman Julie Harding, a skipper with the California Highway Patrol, began to spot urgent telephone calls to the Kentucky State Police from her location successful Sacramento.

JULIE HARDING (phone call): I can't get immoderate information. And I just, I request your assistance with this … My interest close present … is wherever helium is. Is helium OK? … and what's the presumption of this investigation?

The calls led her to a sheriff she knew — Brandon Boone of Clay County, Tennessee, whose bureau was spearheading the missing person's case. But the answers were fewer and acold betwixt and Boone says Julie Harding grew frustrated.

Sheriff Brandon Boone: She got precise aggravated with a mates of — of my people, uh, due to the fact that we wouldn't disclose definite accusation to her …

Within days, Julie was determination successful idiosyncratic connected Sheriff Boone's doorstep.

JULIE HARDING (bodycam): Hi.

SHERIFF BRANDON BOONE: How are ya?

JULIE HARDING:   I'm good, however are you? Well …

In a infinitesimal recorded connected a assemblage camera, she instantly apologized for being rude.

JULIE HARDING (bodycam): Let maine archetypal apologize. My code was inappropriate I was precise irritated, umm, and I should person been much calm. My assumptions, umm, and my emotions successful this, umm, killed my reasonableness truthful I apologize for however we spoke the different day.

OFFICER: Yes ma'am.

JULIE HARDING: OK. So, from present on, I, I anticipation it's calm. I anticipation it's cooperative. Umm, due to the fact that each I privation is Mike to travel backmost successful and spell … I was successful wherever fishing.

Boone sent her to a sheriff successful Kentucky who had taken implicit the investigation.

SHERIFF BRANDON BOONE (bodycam): Cumberland County Sheriff's Office has called us. They request you there.

JULIE HARDING: OK.

SHERIFF BRANDON BOONE: That's each I tin archer you.

JULIE HARDING: OK.

A grisly discovery

Just hours earlier, David Hammersley and his household were location hunting successful adjacent Burkesville, Kentucky. They went country to country astatine a vacant, three-building spot — unaware of what laic ahead.

David Hammersley: … the remainder of the enactment had gone to this gathering present …

Hammersley wandered into the store and was amazed that determination was a ample pickup motortruck parked inside. 

Peter Van Sant: The remainder of the household has moved connected to this cottage. What bash you perceive from the garage?

David Hammersley: Well, arsenic they're attempting to unfastened the door, I perceive this atrocious screech and, "Oh, it's — it's terrible. There's thing dormant implicit here!"

Hammersley says his household figured immoderate benignant of carnal indispensable person wandered successful and ne'er got out. David walked implicit and stopped conscionable wrong the cottage's beforehand door.

David Hammersley: It was implicit 100 degrees astatine the time, I judge … and I was conscionable attacked, if you will, by flies. … And the odor was conscionable truthful overpowering.

What helium past saw was acold worse.

David Hammersley:  I saw a antheral connected the floor, his limb outstretched … obviously, dormant from gunshot wounds … (sighs) Ah, sorry. … his beingness is gone nether convulsive circumstances and conscionable near there. It — it — it was devastating.

The dead assemblage was Mike Harding, says authoritative Ann Marie Gordon Anderson. 

Ann Marie Gordon Anderson:  It seemed similar helium had astir apt been determination for a week, from September 19th [to] the 26th.

The Cumberland County Sheriff instantly called successful the Kentucky State Police. Detective BJ Burton was assigned to pb the investigation. He learned that Mike Harding had been changeable 4 times, doubly successful the torso and doubly successful the head.

Detective BJ Burton: It benignant of looks similar idiosyncratic that wants to beryllium a nonrecreational deed antheral — but is not rather there.

Burton said the slayer removed grounds from the scene, including the execution limb and 3 ammunition casings. But the assassin near down 1 distinctive ammunition casing; investigators determined it was from a Hornady Critical Defense bullet.

Back successful Sacramento, Mike's lad Steven Harding, from Mike's archetypal marriage, was told his begetter had been murdered.

Peter Van Sant: And tin you enactment into words the fearfulness of this quality for you?

Steven Harding: There's truly nary words for it different than your champion person is gone (crying).

For Steven's older sister Heather Cavalieri, besides from Mike Harding's archetypal marriage, quality of their father's execution came from a friend.

Heather Cavalieri: I didn't privation to judge it, you know. I loved my dada … So, each of it's conscionable hard … it's been hard. It's been truly hard.

At the transgression scene, investigators were trying to fig retired wherefore Mike was astatine this seemingly random location. His cellphone was astir to shed immoderate light.

Detective BJ Burton:  Once you commencement looking done the substance messages and telephone calls … it becomes precise evident aboriginal connected that helium was lured to the house.

The telephone revealed texts from a realtor named James Fraser. He asked Mike — who owned an HVAC concern — to cheque retired the house. 

Detective BJ Burton: He thought helium was going determination for … what helium thought was a heating and aerial work call. … You spot the substance messages erstwhile Michael Harding is connected his mode determination …

Around 4 p.m., Mike Harding texts James Fraser that helium is "35 minutes out." Fraser texts, "No worries." Mike asks, "Is that bully for you?" and Fraser tells him "Yes." The last speech Mike texts, "See ya soon." Fraser replies "Perfect."

While those texts gave investigators a coagulated timeline, the probe deed a roadblock aboriginal on:  they could not find a realtor named James Fraser.

Detective BJ Burton: So, it was astir apt conscionable a made up name.

But they did person immoderate imaginable leads. When investigators aboriginal contacted the telephone institution of the fig utilized to substance Mike Harding, they discovered that fig came from a prepaid cellphone utilized lone to put Mike's murder.

Detective BJ Burton: It was beauteous evident aboriginal connected that this is simply a burner phone. …

Peter Van Sant: And for those who don't know, what is simply a burner phone?

Detective BJ Burton: Somebody … goes and buys a burner phone, they'll enactment successful similar John Doe, immoderate municipality USA conscionable they … deliberation it's untraceable astatine which to immoderate grade it is.

And retrieve that pickup Hammersley saw successful the garage? Burton said it was Mike Harding's.

Detective BJ Burton: My thought is … whoever murdered him and past pulled the motortruck successful the garage, there's a precise bully accidental that their DNA whitethorn besides beryllium successful the truck.

Burton tried to telephone Mike's wife, Julie, but she didn't prime up. Burton had been told she was heading his mode — to the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office, truthful helium waited determination to springiness her the atrocious quality look to face.

The section fable of the "cursed" mansion

Steven Harding: When you spot your leader get taken from you … you cognize you're not untouchable …

After delivering the devastating quality astir Mike Harding's decease to his children, Detective Burton was hopeless to scope Mike's woman Julie, who indicated she was connected her mode to a section sheriff's office.

Det. BJ Burton: Myself and different detective waited determination for immoderate play of time. … She ne'er showed up.

A fewer days later, Burton located her astatine a neighbor's location successful Celina.

Detective BJ Burton: I introduced myself to her, uh, you know, effort to speech to her. …

She referred each questions to her lawyer, which Burton thought was antithetic for idiosyncratic successful instrumentality enforcement and the spouse of a execution victim.

Detective BJ Burton: She didn't privation to speech to maine …

Burton and his squad began investigating the Harding's idiosyncratic lives. They learned the 2 met online successful 2018. Julie, 44, and Mike, 48, had some been done divorces. They joined successful 2019 and wrong months, Burton says they bought that spectacular location successful Celina wherever they planned to unrecorded aft retirement. 

Julie's adjacent friend, Kathy Rourke says Julie was implicit the satellite successful emotion with Mike.

Kathy Rourke: She thought she had thing that she — she wanted much than thing other …  A antheral to travel location to, a antheral to hug her, to comfortableness her, to marque her consciousness similar a woman.

Kathy Rourke: … she was truthful arrogant to beryllium married, she was truthful arrogant …

When she turned 50, Julie would beryllium eligible to discontinue from the California Highway Patrol — an iconic bureau known astir the world.

Kathy Rourke: Wearing her azygous was the top joyousness successful her life.

Detective BJ Burton: I deliberation aboriginal connected successful their matrimony … the determination was made … Mike would spell up and determination to the water location successful Celina, Tennessee, truthful helium could get his HVAC work repair concern started there.

Julie planned to articulation Mike afloat clip erstwhile she retired. But she was a predominant visitor, and the mates made the location a home, implicit with Julie's canine Chippy the Chihuahua and Mike's boxer Charlie.

Sgt. Brian Wittmer: The 1 happening that would ever enactment a grin connected Captain Julie Harding's look were her dogs.

Julie and Mike Harding became affable with the locals — including Sheriff Brandon Boone.

Sheriff Brandon Boone: … uh, precise bully couple, talked astir couldn't hold to discontinue to get present afloat time.

Peter Van Sant: She seemed similar a pleasant pistillate erstwhile you met her?

Sheriff Brandon Boone: Yes, she did. Very pleasant … They seemed similar a, a fantastic mates together

Mike Harding's children understood however their begetter felt astir Julie but thought helium was making a mistake.

Heather Cavalieri: I consciousness similar helium was blinded by love. He genuinely loved her … So, I thought helium recovered his imagination girl. But to maine personally, I just, I didn't similar her.

Cavalieri says Julie Harding was arrogant and made her consciousness uncomfortable. 

Peter Van Sant: Did the 2 of you ever spell retired and visit, uh, astatine the location successful Tennessee?

Heather Cavalieri: No, I didn't deliberation that I would beryllium invited there.

Steven and Heather said they stayed distant from the mansion, arsenic did galore locals. The house, Boone says, had a estimation for being cursed.

Sheriff Brandon Boone: There was a divorcement that happened present that, that got beauteous nasty. … We've had calls successful the past of uh, gunshots that happened present that aboriginal ended up being a execution close successful Burkesville. Uh, the man who lived present changeable the idiosyncratic up there.

Peter Van Sant: Now, is it existent that a realtor really brought immoderate benignant of spiritual idiosyncratic retired present to effort to purge the evil spirits from the house?

Sheriff Brandon Boone: Yes, that's what the realtor advised maine and told maine — that helium had, helium had brought a feline present to uh, get the spirits to spell away.

Peter Van Sant: And you're serious?

Sheriff Brandon Boone: I'm serious.

And past there's the fable of Dale Hollow Lake, which was created erstwhile the Army Corps of Engineers flooded a tiny municipality that became known arsenic "the municipality that drowned." Even today, the eerie foundations of the long-ago municipality are disposable erstwhile the water is low. 

But Mike and Julie Harding ignored each the state rumors. And their long-distance matrimony seemed to work.

Preston Cleary: Mike seemed beauteous happy. He ever bragged connected her, however astute she was … helium truly cared astir her. He'd bash thing for her. 

Sergeant Brian Wittmer worked broadside by broadside with Captain Julie Harding for respective years.

Sgt. Brian Wittmer: They looked similar a precise cute couple.

But Wittmer said sometime successful 2022 helium noticed a alteration successful Julie.

 Sgt. Brian Wittmer: So for the archetypal respective years … I had ne'er seen her devour immoderate alcohol.

But past she began drinking.

Sgt. Brian Wittmer: … she was going to Napa Valley and having drinks, having wine, going to — to vineyards connected play trips.

Wittmer said it was astir similar idiosyncratic flipped a switch.

Sgt. Brian Wittmer: … she was … hyper. Uh, she would speech a lot. She, um, was anxious.

Mike Harding's person Preston says that Mike besides noticed the stark alteration successful Julie's behavior.

Preston Cleary: Mike was huffy due to the fact that she didn't privation to walk clip with him …

Mike Harding revealed to Preston that helium believed Julie Harding was cheating connected him.

Peter Van Sant: Did Mike fishy determination was different antheral successful Julie's life?

Preston Cleary: He, helium did.

Mike Harding had noticed lingerie purchases successful their Amazon account.

Preston Cleary: And she … had nary program to beryllium present to spot him.

Those Amazon purchases, coupled with Julie Harding's drinking and the mode she avoided spending clip with Mike Harding, bruised his ego, Cleary says. But the biggest stroke came erstwhile Julie told Mike she wanted to postpone her status for 5 years.

Preston Cleary: It was astatine that infinitesimal I seen a displacement successful their narration and Mike … helium had a antithetic outlook toward her. … He was conscionable crushed that she would take to enactment 5 much years … he's conscionable like, this is, this isn't going to enactment out.

Preston says Julie Harding filed for divorcement successful May 2022.  

Preston Cleary: He was blinded. …he really, truly loved her.

Sheriff Boone says the affectional turmoil took its toll connected Mike Harding, who sensed Julie saw him arsenic her enemy.

Peter Van Sant: Did you announcement a alteration successful Mike's attitude? Did you announcement benignant of a paranoia?

Sheriff Brandon Boone: Oh, absolutely.

Mike Harding told Boone that idiosyncratic had breached into his location 1 nighttime portion helium was sleeping and helium reported 1 of his guns had been stolen. After that, helium made it a wont of wrapping chains with a padlock astir his patio doors.

Sheriff Brandon Boone: And aft seeing the locks and the chains astir the door, you truly think, whoa, you know, helium was, helium was acrophobic of something.

At the aforesaid time, Julie told friends and colleagues that she was acrophobic of Mike and feared helium was engaged successful immoderate unsafe activities. 

Sgt. Brian Wittmer: She said that Mike … was perchance dealing shade guns, drugs … was taking wealth from her slope accounts.

Mike Harding feared his wife, accidental household and friends

In May 2022, soon aft Julie Harding filed for a divorce, Mike Harding told friends and household that helium feared for his safety.

Steven Harding: There was coagulated alloy chains wrapped astir my dad's beforehand doorway and arsenic good arsenic his backmost doors … helium would bash that truthful that nary 1 would travel successful portion helium was sleeping. Or if it was Julie, the dogs aren't going to bark if you cognize the person.

Peter Van Sant: And truthful you're telling maine that your begetter feared Julie?

Steven Harding: Yes.

Prosecutor Jesse Stockton.

Jesse Stockton: …he told his friends that … If helium ever was murdered oregon disappeared oregon thing nefarious happened to him, that they needed to marque definite idiosyncratic looked astatine Julie Harding. 

Mike Harding's friend, Preston Cleary, knew Mike besides was disquieted astir his savings, and helium gave Mike immoderate proposal astir the pending divorce.

Preston Cleary: … whoever gets to the slope first, you know, that's their money. So, Mike, if you privation to beryllium fair, you spell instrumentality fractional the wealth retired of the bank. He goes, "no." … He goes, "I'm going to bash this successful court."

Around the aforesaid time, Sgt. Brian Wittmer says Julie Harding called him to denote that she was going to raid the household funds.

Sgt. Brian Wittmer: She said that she was driving from Sacramento to Tennessee and she was going to retreat wealth from her slope accounts earlier Mike Harding did.

At that point, Julie Harding was telling friends that Mike was progressive with amerciable weapons and narcotics.

Peter Van Sant: Did she deliberation astir turning successful her ain hubby if he's selling shade guns and dealing drugs, for goodness sakes?

Sgt. Brian Wittmer: Well, that's what you would expect from idiosyncratic … with her fertile and her knowledge. And she would archer maine that she had a person moving retired successful Tennessee instrumentality enforcement … that was perchance looking into things.

Peter Van Sant: Were you ever capable to corroborate that?

Sgt. Brian Wittmer: I was not.

Authorities accidental determination is nary grounds Mike Harding sold drugs oregon shade guns or was progressive successful immoderate different benignant of transgression activity.

Heather Cavalieri: I privation radical to cognize that helium was a bully man, helium loved his household and helium loved life. Any different communicative you perceive is not the existent communicative … We privation the information to beryllium told, and that's wherefore we're here.

Not agelong aft telling Cleary helium was not going to transportation immoderate wealth retired of the couple's slope accounts, Mike Harding got a telephone from the bank. 

Preston Cleary: The slope … had told him, "Julie Harding was conscionable here, and she cleared retired astir each your savings successful your accounts" …

Julie Harding reportedly withdrew astir $360,000 from assorted slope accounts, according to what Mike Harding told his divorcement attorney. Julie's person Kathy Rourke says astatine slightest portion of that wealth belonged to Julie.

Kathy Rourke: She didn't request his permission.

Peter Van Sant: So she's taking that wealth to bash what with it?

Kathy Rourke: Bring it backmost present to California … She gave astir of the wealth to her ma 'til she figured retired what she was gonna do.

But Mike Harding's lad Steven says a batch of that wealth belonged to his father.

Steven Harding: My dada was a precise smart, well-educated man. He was precise bully with stocks. … He was precise bully with his finances.

Peter Van Sant: In the days anterior to his disappearing, he'd heard each this atrocious news. Money had been taken … There's nary reconciliation coming his mode … How did that alteration him? …

Preston Cleary: It destroyed uh, the person that I had … determination was nary much sportfishing for Mike … Mike was strictly business, trying to rebuild his beingness and get backmost to wherever helium was.

And Mike Harding would trust connected his HVAC concern to rebuild his beingness — which is wherefore friends accidental helium responded truthful rapidly to the telephone from the mysterious "James Fraser" asking him for a repair estimation astatine that bare location successful Burkesville, Kentucky. Investigators powerfully suspected determination was a transportation betwixt Fraser and Julie Harding.

Det. BJ Burton: It was evident that truly the lone main struggle helium had going connected successful his beingness was this contentious divorcement involving spot and wealth with — with Julie Harding.

Peter Van Sant: In different words, if idiosyncratic had a motive, it was her.

Det. BJ Burton: Correct. Yes.

Burton says investigators soon learned that Julie Harding was successful California astatine the clip of Mike's murder, but they suspected her conscionable the same.

Det. BJ Burton: She contacted 3 antithetic radical progressive successful instrumentality enforcement during this clip frame. And each 1 of them that she talked to … walked distant with a feeling of suspicion that she was involved. 

Lacking immoderate practice from Julie Harding, Sheriff Boone, warrant successful hand, led his equipped deputies into the Harding mansion wherever Julie was staying aft Mike's death.

The deputies went country to country looking for clues.

No 1 was home, but the deputies recovered yellowish Post-it notes that investigators accidental were handwritten by Julie Harding erstwhile Mike Harding was inactive alive. They read: "0 $ Here," "0 $ present either," and "Whatcha lookin 4?"

Detective BJ Burton: So there's these small sticky notes erstwhile we did the hunt warrant down determination that would accidental thing similar "no wealth here." "Nope, nary wealth here."

Peter Van Sant: Taunting him.

Det. BJ Burton: Yeah, taunting.

Investigators began executing further warrants — specifically for the telephone log of Julie Harding's cellphone successful the months earlier Mike's murder. That's erstwhile thing caught Burton's eye.

Det. BJ Burton: It jumps retired that she's calling this 1 number, that they're talking astir each azygous day.

Peter Van Sant: … determination were 194 calls made betwixt her fig and this different number, correct?

Det. BJ Burton: Yes, yes.

Peter Van Sant: That's a batch of calls.

Det. BJ Burton: Yes.

Investigators traced that fig to a antheral named Thomas O'Donnell, a erstwhile car salesman from Houston, Texas. He had precocious relocated to the vino state of Napa, California — a spot Julie Harding was known to visit.

Did Julie Harding prosecute a deed antheral to termination her husband?

After investigators discovered Julie Harding was talking incessantly to a antheral named Thomas O'Donnell, they explored that transportation and learned the 2 apt met connected a dating website that catered to self-described millionaires.

Prosecutor Jesse Stockton: … they had, uh, an extended and important relationship. Whether it was romanticist oregon not, I cannot say, but they communicated with each different by telephone for months …

For prosecutors Jesse Stockton and Ann Marie Gordon Anderson, the mathematics did not adhd up. Two months of changeless calls — 194 of them — stopped acold lone days earlier Mike Harding was murdered.

Ann Marie Gordon Anderson: I deliberation based connected that … tin astir apt speculate that determination — determination whitethorn person been immoderate benignant of speech … astir what was going to happen.

Peter Van Sant: A conspiracy successful different words.

Ann Marie Gordon Anderson: Conspiracy.

Investigators already knew the texts utilized to lure Mike Harding to his decease came from a burner phone. They pulled the phone's locational information from its work provider. 

Detective BJ Burton: And the archetypal happening you announcement is … the telephone is archetypal turned connected erstwhile it's … successful the Houston, Texas … area.

Houston, Texas—Thomas O'Donnell's hometown. To investigators, that was excessively coincidental to beryllium a coincidence.

Jesse Stockton: I don't deliberation Mister O'Donnell got retired present by accident. … The lone transportation that helium had to Michael Harding was done Julie Harding.

Investigators developed a mentation that Julie Harding had paid Thomas O'Donnell to termination Mike Harding. And they thought it apt that O'Donnell was the fictional "James Fraser" who had lured Mike to that bare house. The adjacent measurement successful their probe was securing the telephone log from O'Donnell's idiosyncratic cellphone. 

Det. BJ Burton: When you commencement looking astatine the locational information from his idiosyncratic telephone and comparing it to the locational information with the burner phone, it — it matches up perfectly.

The FBI created maps that showed O'Donnell's telephone and the burner phone.

Ann Marie Gordon Anderson: … the reddish connected the screen, it is the burner phone, that's what it's showing. Anything that you spot that's black, that is Thomas O'Donnell's idiosyncratic cellphone.

Investigators noted that the 2 phones were traveling successful lockstep done the southbound successful the weeks earlier Mike Harding's murder.

Peter Van Sant: We cognize the burner telephone is progressive successful the murder.

Ann Marie Gordon Anderson: That's … it's lone purpose.

Background checks showed that, years earlier, O'Donnell had been arrested for stalking a girlfriend. He yet received probation. But what truly struck Detective Burton was however "irresponsible" O'Donnell was with money. He was nary millionaire; O'Donnell appeared to beryllium a antheral hopeless for cash, Burton said. 

Det. BJ Burton: It seems similar his full life, similar he's ever conscionable looking for the … adjacent large happening that's going to marque him beryllium capable to spend the manner that helium wants to — to pb …

And Julie Harding, who admitted raiding the couple's slope accounts, was loaded with currency aft withdrawing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the couple's slope accounts. 

Peter Van Sant: Authorities deliberation she took retired that currency truthful she could wage Thomas O'Donnell to execution Michael.

Kathy Rourke: Absolutely not. That's the astir ludicrous thing. That's what kills maine astir this full communicative …

Peter Van Sant: Were you ever capable to marque a transportation from each this currency that she took retired and immoderate benignant of outgo for Thomas O'Donnell?

Det. BJ Burton: No … it's intolerable to track. I mean if idiosyncratic walks up and hands you a stack of currency … it's untraceable …

But it wasn't only money that Julie was after. Investigators accidental she wasn't leaving Tennessee without Mike's beloved canine Charlie.

Heather Cavalieri: I deliberation she deemed Charlie hers. But that wasn't her dog, that was my dad's canine …

Police accidental Julie Harding was determined to get the canine backmost from a person of Mike's who'd been caring for Charlie since Mike went missing.

Steven Harding: … she knew I wanted the canine aft we knew that my dada was dead.

But Julie Harding wasn't successful the giving mood, Mike Harding's children say. Some 2 weeks aft Mike's assemblage was found, Julie simply took Charlie for herself. She is captured connected a Ring doorbell camera, boldly opening the beforehand doorway and stealing Charlie from the person who was taking attraction of him. Steven says helium ne'er saw Charlie again.

Steven Harding: I would person taken that canine successful a heartbeat. I just, I consciousness similar it would beryllium amended nether my hands due to the fact that I — I americium my father. … I — I would person loved it similar my dada did. I would support it.

The person who cared for the canine wanted to property charges against Julie Harding, but astatine that point, Burton says the absorption was connected processing grounds from the execution scene.

Prosecutor Jesse Stockton: … radical from the Kentucky State Police laboratory travel to the country … and past they instrumentality a batch of swabs from Michael Harding's motortruck due to the fact that they besides judge that whoever killed him moved his truck.

Peter Van Sant: Are they capable to get a – a usable DNA sample?

Jesse Stockton: Yes …

That illustration was recovered to beryllium accordant with Thomas O'Donnell's DNA.

Det. BJ Burton: So, we got to a constituent wherever determination was conscionable truthful overmuch overwhelming locational information coupled with different grounds … wherever we felt similar we had capable to marque an apprehension …

In aboriginal December 2022, 2 months aft Mike Harding's murder, investigators learned that O'Donnell was going to beryllium astatine the Sacramento airport.

Det. BJ Burton: … astir radical aren't going to alert oregon question without having their telephone connected them. So, the thought was … we tin drawback him successful the airdrome … we tin besides prehend his phones astatine the aforesaid time.

Police searched O'Donnell's motortruck and accidental they recovered 1 of Mike Harding's guns. It was the aforesaid weapon that had been stolen from Mike's house. Also successful the motortruck was a container of Hornady Critical Defense bullets, the aforesaid benignant of ammunition utilized successful the murder.

Burton says determination was not capable grounds to complaint Julie Harding with execution but connected the aforesaid time of O'Donnell's arrest, Julie's dognapping of Charlie came backmost to wound her. She was arrested and charged with transgression trespass.

Burton was hoping either Julie Harding oregon O'Donnell would flip connected the other, but neither did. O'Donnell was held connected the execution charges, portion Julie was released connected her ain recognizance. The adjacent day, Dec. 9, 2022, Julie's superiors astatine the California Highway Patrol called her successful Tennessee to pass her that her presumption arsenic a bid serviceman was revoked.

Sgt. Brian Wittmer: She's a mean national astatine that point.

Peter Van Sant: Does she person to crook successful her badge and her gun?

Sgt. Brian Wittmer: Yes, she would person –

Peter Van Sant: She's disarmed.

Sgt. Brian Wittmer: Correct.

Peter Van Sant: Once she got released, did she springiness you a call?

Sgt. Brian Wittmer: I did not perceive from Captain Julie Harding that evening.

Kathy Rourke: I deliberation she was losing power … I deliberation that anybody that wants to basal successful her shoes needs to spell and fto themselves beryllium booked into jailhouse arsenic a pistillate and spell done what she went through. That broke her successful two.

Julie Harding, the erstwhile arrogant skipper of her ain fate, was unsocial with her ain thoughts successful her supposedly cursed location overlooking Dale Hollow Lake.

An eerie fog descends connected the expected "cursed" mansion

It's the greeting of Dec. 10, 2022. An equipped deputy, wearing a assemblage camera, makes his mode toward the Harding house—shrouded successful an eerie fog—searching for a imaginable killer.

DEPUTY (bodycam): Are you the mailman?

DAVID OGLETREE: I am.

Just minutes before, message bearer David Ogletree and different antheral had made a tragic find — what looked similar a assemblage astatine the basal of that distant tree. They called 911.

911 OPERATOR: What's going connected honey?

DAVID OGLETREE: OK, this, this is David Ogletree, I'm the mailman up present and we whitethorn person a assemblage laying up here.

911 OPERATOR: OK … We'll get you idiosyncratic up determination successful conscionable a 2nd OK.

Peter Van Sant: Hey David.

David Ogletree: Hello, however are you?

Peter Van Sant: Peter Van Sant, "48 Hours" CBS News. Nice to conscionable you.

David Ogletree: Nice to conscionable you.

What Ogletree saw that time is burned into his memory.

David Ogletree: She was, she was laying close up present beside this histrion present look down.

Blood tin beryllium seen astir the woman's body.

DEPUTY (bodycam): Until uh, we get her turned implicit and spot if there's a gun, this could beryllium a murder.

Sheriff Boone arrived astatine the scene. When investigators rolled the assemblage over, they saw that it was Julie Harding. Her close manus was gripping a gun. An researcher concluded she took her ain life.

Investigators besides saw a container adjacent to Julie. Inside, enactment to Mike, stained successful blood, which read:

"I lived a bully beingness until a twelvemonth ago. Mike, you win!  You got what you wanted, maine successful a coffin…"

Det. BJ Burton: It was conscionable bizarre … astir similar she was obsessed with someway trying to get backmost astatine Michael Harding oregon —I don't know, didn't truly recognize it.

But Burton had a theory, and it progressive Thomas O'Donnell.

Det. BJ Burton: She knows her co-conspirator has been arrested. … She's been suspended successful California Highway Patrol …  she saw the penning connected the wall, what the aboriginal looked like, and wasn't going to instrumentality astir for it.

But what relation did Julie Harding play successful her husband's death? Investigators hoped they'd larn thing erstwhile Thomas O'Donnell agreed to talk.

DETECTIVE BJ BURTON (police interview): So fto — fto maine inquire you this. When oregon however — erstwhile did you archetypal conscionable Julie oregon however bash you cognize Julie?

THOMAS O'DONNELL: I don't know, Julie.

DETECTIVE BJ BURTON: Julie Harding?

THOMAS O'DONNELL: Doesn't ringing a bell.

After 20 uneventful minutes, O'Donnell requested an attorney, instantly terminating the interview. Seven days later, helium was indicted by a expansive jury.

O'Donnell pleaded not blameworthy to the execution charge. Three years later, connected April 27, 2026, helium went connected proceedings astatine the Cumberland County Justice Center successful Burkesville, Kentucky for sidesplitting Mike Harding.

PROSECUTOR ANN MARIE GORDON ANDERSON (in court): This lawsuit is astir the execution of Michael Harding.

PROSECUTOR ANN MARIE GORDON ANDERSON (in court): According to Julie Harding's telephone records, betwixt July 1st and September the 8th, of '22, determination were implicit 100 telephone calls betwixt her and the defendant, Thomas O'Donnell.

Gordon Anderson said Julie and O'Donnell utilized those calls to meticulously program Mike's murder. Why? Julie realized she'd apt suffer hundreds of thousands of dollars successful a divorce, said Detective Burton.

Peter Van Sant: One imaginable solution for Julie successful this fiscal warfare is to bash what?

Det. BJ Burton: Get escaped of him.

Prosecutors judge O'Donnell posed arsenic a realtor to get a cardinal to summation entree to the spot successful Kentucky. They told jurors the information from the burner telephone puts him astatine the country of the crime. And judge it oregon not, O'Donnell's attorneys agreed O'Donnell, they said, was astatine the country of the crime. It was a caller admittance that caught the prosecutors disconnected guard.

Remember, aft his arrest, O'Donnell told investigators helium did not cognize Julie. Now, his lawyers said helium not lone knew Julie, O'Donnell worked with her to lure Mike to that location successful Kentucky, but helium ne'er pulled the trigger.

Prosecutor Ann Marie Gordon Anderson: I was truly shocked … they point-blank conscionable said helium was astatine the scene, helium opened the door, but helium fto idiosyncratic other in.

That "someone else," says defence lawyer Sara Zeurcher was the existent killer. The defence claimed a neighbour saw 2 men astatine the spot the time Mike was murdered.

DEFENSE ATTORNEY SARA ZEURCHER (in court): A neighbour told constabulary precisely what helium saw connected September the 19th. Two men astatine the scene.

Investigators could find nary grounds to backmost up the neighbor's account. The defence besides criticized the probe itself and pointed retired its shortcomings. The burner telephone prosecutors talked astir was ne'er recovered. Neither was the execution weapon. And determination was nary grounds that Julie paid O'Donnell to termination her husband.

DEFENSE ATTORNEY SARA ZEURCHER (in court): If this lawsuit were a enigma caller … you'll ne'er perceive the last section that explains what really happened due to the fact that the Commonwealth doesn't know.

After 5 days of testimony, O'Donnell decided not to testify. The assemblage needed conscionable 2 hours to scope a verdict.

JUDGE DAVID WILLIAMS (in court): We, the jury, hold by a unanimous ballot that suspect Thomas O'Donnell is blameworthy of the discourtesy of murder.

Jesse Stockton: … for the family, they yet got justness for their begetter … each I tin bash is instrumentality restitution that the due happening was done.

Julie Harding's adjacent friend, Kathy Rourke, says Julie played nary relation successful the execution of Mike Harding.

Kathy Rourke: If you knew her, you would cognize that she would ne'er bash thing cowardly oregon thing illegal, fto unsocial effort to termination this guy.

Steven Harding: She was the existent monster of each of this … she was the 1 that executed each move, different than physically pulling the trigger connected my father.

Heather Cavalieri: My dada was the unfortunate successful this case, not Julie.

Steven Harding and Heather Cavalieri said the triumph astatine trial, portion satisfying, volition ne'er temper their consciousness of eternal loss.

Steven Harding: He died earlier my 30th day and 29 years isn't enough. I mean, radical deliberation 29 years is simply a lot, but it's not …

Heather Cavalieri: I was adjacent with my dada for a agelong time. … Just not having a dad, you know, idiosyncratic to call, similar helium was a jokester, you know. He was amusive with my kids. (crying) … It's hard not having him here.

Thomas O'Donnell was sentenced to beingness successful situation with the anticipation of parole aft 20 years.

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Produced by Paul LaRosa. Jordan Kinsey and Cindy Cesare are the improvement producers. Nancy Bautista is the subordinate producer. Wini Dini, Eric Modena and Greg Kaplan are the editors. Anthony Batson is the elder producer. Nancy Kramer is the enforcement communicative editor. Judy Tygard is the enforcement producer.

In:

• 48 Hours
• Tennessee
• Murder
• Kentucky