Texas man commits suicide in sheriff's office parking lot

Lina Portman4 weeks ago

2 2 minutes read

Jerry Harris, father of Jennifer Harris, the victim of a disturbing and unsolved homicide case more than 20 years old, committed suicide in the parking lot just outside the Fannin County Sheriff's Office Tuesday morning around 9:30 a.m.

Harris left some notes detailing why he chose to kill himself and assured local authorities that it had nothing to do with his daughter's unsolved murder.

Jennifer Harris

Jennifer Harris' naked body washed up in the Red River in 2002, six days after she disappeared. Investigators discovered Jennifer's uterus had been shockingly removed. His tragic death was ruled a homicide, but no one was ever charged due to a complete lack of evidence.

Jerry Harris wrote three suicide notes, one of which was addressed to Mark Johnson, the current sheriff of Fannin County. In the note, he explained that he was tired of battling health problems and that the location of his suicide, the parking lot just outside the sheriff's office, was chosen by Harris to “make it easier for first responders.” He died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

There is currently talk of resurrecting Jennifer's homicide case to let some fresh eyes try their hand at it. Fannin County now has a newly elected sheriff, prosecutor and district judge, and major developments in modern technology have also taken place that could help find his killer.

Jerry Harris spent 22 years hoping for answers and searching for his daughter's killer with private investigators. Unfortunately, he was unable to witness any justice before his death.

KXII wrote an optimistic final statement to this devastating story in an article published on June 5 that said:

“Those close to the case are still determined to find answers.”

If you have any information regarding the murder of Jennifer Harris, contact the Fannin County Sheriff's Office.

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