Harris Murder Trial

Labeling his client “the most hated man in Peoria County,” defense attorney Daniel Fultz on Thursday told jurors that he was proud to represent Christopher Harris, accused of slaying a family of five with a tire iron. “I’m proud to represent him because he deserves his chance to tell his side and have 12 people […]

The alleged love of Christopher Harris’ life didn’t show up in court on Wednesday to testify on behalf of the man accused of murdering her family. Had she testified, Nicole Gee, Harris’ ex-wife who lived just down the street from her family beaten to death with a tire iron, would presumably have said that the […]

Tuesday morning started poorly for the defense in the murder trial of Christopher Harris. Circuit Court Judge Scott Drazewski began the day by shooting down a pair of potentially pivotal motions aimed at selling jurors on the notion that the real killer was 14-year-old Dillen Constant, who was found dead with his mother Ruth Gee, […]

It is always a risk for a defendant to take the stand in a criminal proceeding. Christopher Harris showed why on Friday. Whether he murdered anyone or not, Harris during nearly three hours on the stand revealed himself to be a narcissistic liar of the first order. While no one can force a defendant to […]

A murder trial has something in common with a fireworks show. In both cases, eye-catching flares – or witnesses – grab attention early on. Then a certain rhythm sets in: When, oh when, will we ever be through with those giant firecrackers, or forensic scientists, that make nothing more than noise, or explain the finer […]

As a murder suspect, Christopher Harris was less than astute. Informed of his constitutional right to remain silent on the day of his arrest, Harris kept talking to police, saying things that he knew were not true as a video camera in a sheriff’s department interview room captured everything. “You guys aren’t close,” Harris said […]

Photos of Tabitha Gee’s head were bad enough. But CT scans of the toddler’s shattered skull after she was beaten with a tire iron and left for dead were, if anything, worse. Without blood, hair and skin to get in the way, the images of Tabitha’s skull shown Wednesday to the jury in the murder […]

Twice now, the prosecution has stumbled. Twice the defense has acquiesced, allowing proceedings to continue without strenuous objection despite opportunities to demand a do-over in the murder trial of Christopher Harris. Has the defense screwed up by not pressing matters and demanding a mistrial? Or is the defense’s comme ci comme sa approach evidence that […]

Christopher Harris may or may not have beaten the Gee family to death with a tire iron. But the sight of blood and battered bodies didn’t interfere with his libido. Harris, who says he walked in on a massacre, hooked up with an on-again-off-again girlfriend hours after the slayings. He had no marks on his […]

An imperfect witness took the stand Wednesday in the murder trial of Christopher Harris, at once helping and harming both sides. In opening statements, Logan County state’s attorney Jonathan Wright had warned that Jason Harris, the defendant’s brother, is not likeable, and Jason certainly delivered on that score, displaying no emotion or remorse as he […]

Jason Harris is the sort of criminal who seems incapable of telling the truth, his penchant for lying certified by a perjury conviction. On matters large and small, he lied and lied and lied again to police more than three years ago as they made a murder case against his older brother Christopher Harris, who […]