Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of murder. Reader discretion is advised.
Christina Harris, who was 36 years old, died in her home in September 2014 due to an accidental overdose, according to reports. Her neighbor who reportedly went to check on her after Christina’s husband, Jason Harris, called to request the neighbor to make sure his wife was fine found her. The neighbor found Christina unresponsive and contacted another neighbor, a nurse. The nurse quickly realized the victim was dead and contacted emergency services, NBC News reported.
A medical examination revealed that the cause of death was accidental heroin toxicity. Christina Harris was a mother of two. Jason Harris claimed she had a bad cold when he left for work that morning. He also added that she was in “restless” sleep. He reportedly told neighbors that he had given his wife a bowl of cereal, the night before she died, but she dropped the bowl and fell asleep mid-meal.
In August 2019, the death was examined and held as a homicide which was followed by a long investigation. Christina Harris’ family was adamant that she was not prone to drugs and that there was some manipulation involved. Christina’s mother described her daughter’s marriage as rather rough. She also claimed to have been around Christina the day before she died. Contrary to Jason’s statement, she claimed her daughter was not sick that day.
An investigation revealed that Jason Harris gave Christina Harris a bowl of heroin-laced cereal. She reportedly began having trouble holding the spoon, and he put her to bed after that. He was convicted of first-degree murder, solicitation of murder, and delivery of a controlled substance causing death, The Washington Post reported. Jason was sentenced to life in prison.
How was Christina Harris’ murder solved?
Soon after Christina Harris died, two of Jason’s brothers reportedly told the police that Jason might have been having an affair with another woman prior to Christina’s death. They also told them he spoke about wanting to get Christina out of the way. According to Fox 2, police also found out that nine days after Christina died, Jason flew to Rhode Island to meet a woman whom he had been in contact with for a while.
Jason Harris allegedly told his co-workers that he once put five Xanax pills into a glass of water and offered it to Christina Harris. But, she didn’t drink it because of the taste. He also reportedly told them that he had hired a hitman to kill his wife. However, the person was behind bars in a different case. He also went on to ask one of his co-workers if he would kill his wife. In 2019, authorities reclassified the death as a homicide for further investigation.
Friends and family of Christina told the police that she wasn’t someone who was prone to substance abuse. Following that, the police collected some breast milk that was left frozen in the victim’s refrigerator and tested it. The results were consistent with the family testimonies, as there were no traces of drug abuse in the past. According to CBS News, this marked the first instance in the state where breast milk was utilized as evidence in a criminal trial.
An episode of Meet, Marry, Murder on Lifetime, revolves around the murder of Christina Harris by her husband, Jason Harris, and aired in August 2023.
