Today's Video Headlines: 5/3/2026
A Napa Valley man hired by a former California Highway Patrol captain to kill her husband has been found guilty as text messages revealed details of the murder-for-hire plot.
A Cumberland County courthouse in Kentucky found Thomas O’Donnell guilty Friday of killing Michael Harding, the estranged husband of Julie Harding. Toward the end of the day, jurors heard briefly from Michael’s son from a previous marriage for the first time on Thursday.
Prosecutors say she hired O’Donnell, who she had suggested to colleagues she was dating, to carry out the slaying amid a contentious divorce,Woke bills could spring NY's worst killers, including 'Son of Sam' and John Lennon assassin “There’s no evidence someone else killed him,” Prosecutor Jesse Stockton said as he rested his case before the 12-member jury.
“All this evidence points to this amateur hitman from California. Do your duty. Find him guilty of murder. ” The quick verdict came after days of testimony from dozens of witnesses, including an FBI agent who walked jurors through 2022 text messages showing how Harding was lured to a secluded home under the guise of an HVAC repair.
Julie Harding is seen in her California Highway Patrol uniform before her shocking transformation that her colleagues said they noticed following her divorce.
“At 4:10 p.m., Michael Harding texts the prepaid phone, ‘35 minutes out,’” Special Agent Elizabeth Wheeler testified. She said someone replied, “No worries. ”FBI data showed the prepaid phone traveled alongside O’Donnell’s personal phone, including three trips to Celina, Tennessee, where Michael lived. Two days before the murder, O’Donnell’s phone was near Julie’s Sacramento home at the same time as hers.
Prosecutors argued this is when she hired him. On the day of the killing, Julie Harding’s phone was in Sacramento, while O’Donnell’s phone and the prepaid phone were near the crime scene in Kentucky, where Harding was shot at a vacant home on Sept. 19, 2022. Prosecutors also pointed to DNA and ammunition evidence, though investigators never recovered the murder weapon, the prepaid phone, or a key fob linked to the case.
The defense argued that phone data only shows device locations —not who was using them —and noted there was no direct proof of payment. The murder happened on Sept. 19, 2022, at a vacant home listed for sale on Glasgow Road in Burkesville, Kentucky. Attorneys claimed O’Donnell was involved in a plan but did not intend for Harding to be killed, suggesting a third, unknown man may have carried out the shooting.
“Julie came up with a plan involving another man and Tom,” said defense attorney Sara Zeurcher. “Tom was involved with this plan but did not intend for this result to happen. There has been no proof he had any idea that Michael Harding would be murdered. ” The defense also pointed to Julie as the only person who may have known the full truth.
She died by suicide months after the killing. The murder happened on Sept. 19, 2022, at a vacant home on Glasgow Road in Burkesville, Kentucky. O’Donnell, 64, now faces 20 years to life in prison and he will be sentenced on Monday.
Superyacht sinking that killed billionaire, 6 others wasn't caused by catastrophic storm: reportCharlize Theron says her kids won’t get a free ride in Hollywood: They need to ‘earn it’Toward the end of the day, jurors heard briefly from Michael’s son from a previous marriage for the first time on Thursday. Julie Harding is seen in her California Highway Patrol uniform before her shocking transformation that her colleagues said they noticed following her divorce.
Prosecutors also say that DNA and phone data place O’Donnell at the scene on September 19, 2022. The murder happened on Sept. 19, 2022, at a vacant home listed for sale on Glasgow Road in Burkesville, Kentucky. Stream It Or Skip It: 'Glory' On Netflix, Where Two Sons Of A Demanding Boxing Coach Seek Revenge After A Tragic Attack
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