FLINT — Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said the Michigan Court of Appeals has upheld the murder conviction of former Davison resident, Jason Harris, who killed his wife in 2014 by feeding her cereal he had laced with a lethal dose of heroin.
A jury convicted Harris on all counts in November 2021 including first degree premeditated murder, solicitation of murder and delivery of a controlled substance causing death related to the September 29, 2014 death of his wife, 36-year-old Christina Ann Thompson Harris.
Harris filed an appeal as of right following the jury trial claiming ineffective assistance of counsel. The Appeals Court rejected Harris’s argument and affirmed the jury’s verdict.
“The evidence in this case was overwhelming and, I am pleased with the decision reached by the Court of Appeals,” said Leyton. “Justice for Christina Harris and her family has once again been achieved in a court of law.”
According to trial testimony, Jason Harris told police investigators that he had served his wife a bowl of cereal the evening of September 28, 2014 and she had difficulty holding onto her spoon. He said he then had to assist her in getting into bed and the both of them went to sleep.
The next morning, September 29, 2014, Jason Harris told police his wife was still sleeping when he left for work and took the couple’s two children with him. Later that morning, he said he could not get his wife to answer her phone or respond to texts so, he called a neighbor and asked her to check on his wife. The neighbor found the door to the home unlocked and discovered Christina cold to the touch and unresponsive on the bed.
Another neighbor who is a registered nurse was then called and asked to come over and they called 9-1-1.
Emergency responders arrived and Christina Harris was declared dead shortly thereafter.
The initial investigation ruled Christina’s death as an accidental overdose, but her family adamantly refused to accept that and persistently urged the police over the years to continue their investigation and dig deeper.
Eventually, the investigation was able to put together enough probable cause evidence to present to Leyton to support a murder charge and related counts.
“Post trial appeals are very common among defendants sentenced to life or very lengthy prison terms and they require an immense amount of time and effort by my Appeals Division,” Leyton said. “I am proud of the work my team of prosecutors, victim advocates and support staff put forth in this case and very happy that we were once again able to stand up for Christina Harris, her children, her parents, her siblings and all her friends and family to see justice through,”
Jason Harris is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
