Michael Harding, 53, was shot dead in Burkesville, Kentucky, on Sept. 22, 2022, after answering an HVAC service call. Prosecutors allege California Highway Patrol Captain Julie Harding hired Thomas O'Donnell to carry out the killing and paid him with large cash withdrawals. Julie Harding was later found dead in an apparent suicide in December 2022 following an unrelated arrest. O'Donnell is now on trial in Kentucky on capital murder charges and denies the allegations.
HVAC Service Call Turns Deadly: Prosecutors Say CHP Captain Hired Hitman to Kill Estranged Husband
Michael Harding Julie HardingCredit: Clay County Sheriff's Office; California Highway Patrol via AP
Michael Harding, 53, was fatally shot in Burkesville, Kentucky, on Sept. 22, 2022, after answering what he believed was an emergency HVAC service call. Authorities say his body was discovered four days later by a realtor showing the vacant house to prospective renters.
Allegations and Investigation
Kentucky State Police allege that California Highway Patrol Captain Julie Harding, 49, of Antelope, Calif., arranged the killing and enlisted 63-year-old Thomas O'Donnell of Napa, Calif., to carry it out. O'Donnell was later arrested in Kentucky and charged with capital murder; if convicted he faces the death penalty.
Prosecutors say phone and financial records tie the two together in the months before the slaying. Court filings assert that Julie Harding and O'Donnell exchanged roughly 194 calls in the three months preceding Michael Harding's death and that Julie withdrew large sums from joint bank accounts after filing for divorce—transactions prosecutors allege were used to pay O'Donnell.
Thomas O'Donnell mugshotCredit: Cumberland County Sheriff's Office
"The defendant was engaged in a conspiracy with the victim's estranged wife, Julie Harding. The defendant committed the offense for himself or another (Julie Harding) for the purpose of receiving money…"
Subsequent Events
According to prior reporting and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Julie Harding was found dead of a gunshot wound on Dec. 10, 2022, at the couple's home in Celina, Tennessee. Authorities described her death as an apparent suicide. Her death occurred two days after an arrest related to allegations that she stalked and burglarized the home of the woman who was dating her estranged husband; she was on administrative leave from CHP at the time.
Current Status
O'Donnell's attorneys maintain his innocence and argue that prosecutors lack evidence tying him directly to the shooting. The criminal case is ongoing in Kentucky, where prosecutors must prove the alleged conspiracy and motive beyond a reasonable doubt.
Locations: Burkesville, Ky.; Celina, Tenn.; Antelope and Napa, Calif.
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