N.Y. businessman Cal Harris to be tried fourth time for allegedly murdering wife - Acquitted

N.Y. businessman Cal Harris to be tried third time for allegedly murdering wife

Michele Harris disappeared in 2001 in upstate New York. Two guilty verdicts against her husband were overturned on appeal.

BY  Deborah Hastings  / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS/ Friday, June 6, 2014, 7:12 PM

The mystery of what happened to Michele Harris on the day after 9/11 has never been solved.

The upstate New York woman simply vanished on Sept. 12, 2001.

She’s not been heard from since, her body has never been found and no murder weapon has ever surfaced.

Husband Cal Harris, the businessman with whom she was engaged in a bitter divorce, has twice been convicted of her murder and twice released after appeals overturned those verdicts.

He now faces his third trial, still maintaining he’s not guilty, coming this fall.

Read more:

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/upstate-n-y-businessman-cal-harris-time-killing-wife-article-1.1820329#ixzz349pxbtXD

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/upstate-n-y-businessman-cal-harris-time-killing-wife-article-1.1820329

Cal Harris, kids plead for info about wife's disappearance ahead of third murder trial

The upstate New York man, 52, has set up a tip line in hopes of finding out what happened to Michele Harris, who disappeared on the morning after the 9/11 attacks and was never found.

BY  Lee Moran  ,  Irving Dejohn  / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS / Published: Friday, March 7, 2014, 7:51 AM / Updated: Friday, March 7, 2014, 2:31 PM


Cayla Harris and her siblings, along with their father, Cal, say it's time for the truth about what happened to their mother, Michele, 13 years ago.

They’re trying to thaw this cold case.

Cal Harris, the upstate New York man who is set to go on trial for the third time in connection to his wife’s disappearance is still trying to clear his name 13 years later.

Harris’ defense team, led by attorney Bruce Barket, launched a new tip line for clues and leads as the embattled man and his four children broke their decade-long silence at a Wednesday news conference regarding Michele Harris’ mysterious disappearance the day after 9/11, ABC News reported.

Michele Harris was last seen leaving her waitressing job in Waverly, N.Y.,  the morning after the 9/11 attacks. She was never found.

Read more:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/cal-harris-children-plead-information-murder-trial-article-1.1713816#ixzz349rsvQmg

By Erin Moriarty / CBS News / June 9, 2014, 11:56 AM

48 Hours: The trials of Cal Harris

Read more:

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/48-hours-the-trials-of-cal-harris/

Children of woman who went missing 13 years ago appeal for new clues as their father faces THIRD trial for her murder

. Michele Harris went missing in Upstate New York on September 11, 2001
. In 2005, her husband Cal was arrested for her murder and twice convicted but had both judgements overturned on appeal
. Cal Harris is currently preparing for his third murder trial set for September
. On Wednesday, Harris and his four children held a press conference, announcing a new tip-line for information on Michele's disappearance
. The Harris children were between two and 7-years-old when their mother went missing and are now all in their teens

By Ashley Collman

Published: 02:06 EST, 7 March 2014  | Updated: 06:17 EST, 7 March 2014

The husband of a woman who went missing 13 years ago has set up a new tip line in hopes of solving her disappearance as he prepares to face his third murder trial in connection to the case.

Michele Harris was last seen on September 11, 2001, leaving her waitressing job in Waverly, New York - a rural Upstate town.

Though her body was never found, husband Cal Harris, of Spencer, New York, was arrested and charged with her murder in 2005.


Looking for mom: Cal Harris and his four teenage children renewed the search for his wife Michele, who went missing 13 years ago as he prepares for his third murder trial in connection to the case

Memories of mom: Michele Harris was last seen leaving her job as a waitress on September 11, 2001. Her children were between two and 7-years-old at the time of her disappearance and are now all in their teens

Where did she go? Cal Harris was arrested for wife Michele's murder even though her body was never found

Read more:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2575368/Children-woman-went-missing-13-years-ago-set-tip-line-dad-faces-THIRD-trial-murder.html#ixzz349wEPc83

'48 Hours' to air Cal Harris interview Monday

10:05 AM, Jun 6, 2014


During his second trial, Cal Harris reacts to the sight of pictures from his children's bedrooms depicting the children with Michele Harris. / File Photo

“48 Hours” will air an interview with Calvin Harris Monday night before the Owego businessman begins his third trial on murder charges.

Harris has twice been convicted and twice freed in connection with the 2001 disappearance of his wife, Michele. The third trial is set to begin Sept. 15.

Read more:

http://www.stargazette.com/article/20140606/NEWS01/306060024/-48-Hours-air-Cal-Harris-interview-Monday

The Trials Of Cal Harris

CBS New York

Published on Jun 9, 2014
A New York businessman twice convicted in his wife's disappearance is talking for the first time as he faces yet another trial; the first two were overturned. Erin Moriarty of "48 Hours" has the only interview he has ever given.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vI_fOYpAL0Q

48 HOURS FULL EPISODE:



The Trials of Cal Harris

Twice convicted of murdering his wife -- with both cases thrown out on appeals -- a wealthy New York businessman facing a third murder trial gives his first interview to "48 Hours"

Jun 09, 2014
Correspondent Erin Moriarty

Produced by Lisa Freed and Ruth Chenetz

On the night of Sept. 11, 2001, when most of the world was focused on the terrorist attacks of that morning, in Owego, New York, Michele Harris, a 35-year-old mother of four, disappeared ... never to be heard from again. Her disappearance has been the focus of investigations and trials for the past 13 years.

"As I have stated before, from day one, I did not have any involvement in Michele's disappearance. I would never hurt the mother of my children," her estranged husband, Cal Harris, told reporters at a press conference in March 2014. "For the past 13 years, my children and I have endured under extremely difficult circumstances."

"Cal Harris calls it a press conference. I just call it desperation. He's got to try something new. What he's been doing isn't working," said Shannon Taylor, Michele's sister-in-law.

"We need to know what really happened to our mother. We know our dad had nothing to do with her disappearance. We also know there are people out there with information who can help us get answers," Michele and cal's daughter, Cayla Harris, 18, addressed reporters.

Read more:

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-trials-of-cal-harris/

Attorney: Cal Harris' 3rd Trial Pushed Back

By: Web Staff  
08/21/2014 08:54 AM



The third murder trial of former Owego businessman Cal Harris has been pushed back.

Harris' lawyer says it is now scheduled for Oct. 14 in Schoharie County.

Harris has been twice convicted of killing his wife, but each time the ruling was thrown out.Michele was last seen on Sept. 11, 2001, and her body has never been found.

Read more:

http://albany.twcnews.com/content/news/mohawk_valley/762704/attorney--cal-harris--3rd-trial-pushed-back/#sthash.e0J9I2Xv.dpuf

Third Cal Harris murder trial delayed to 2015

By Anna Norris
August 30, 2014

Schoharie, NY (WBNG Binghamton) The murder trial of Cal Harris has been postponed until January 2015 after judge George R. Bartlett III granted the defense's request for more time to prepare. This will be his third murder trial for the death of his wife, Michele.

At Harris' pretrial hearing on Aug. 20 in Schoharie County Court, the defense team said it would be "impossible to be ready" by the original trial date of Sept. 15.

The court then pushed the trial back until October.

According to Bruce Barket, one of Harris' defense attorneys from Barket, Marion, Epstein & Kearon LLC, the trial has now been postponed again until Jan. 7, 2015 to give the defense team more time to prepare.

Read more:

http://www.wbng.com/news/local/Third-Cal-Harris-murder-trial-pushed-back-273312571.html

Cal Harris murder trial pushed back again

By Jillian Marshall
December 4, 2014

WBNG Binghamton) The third murder trial for Cal Harris of Spencer has been pushed back again.

According to the Schoharie County Court, the trial has been pushed back two weeks. Jury selection will now begin on Jan. 21, 2015.

According to court clerk Chris Spies, both the prosecution and defense needed more time to work on their cases.

The trial was set to start on Jan. 7 and was moved from Tioga County Court to Schoharie County Court.

Read more:

http://www.wbng.com/news/local/Cal-Harris-murder-trial-pushed-back-again-284802271.html

Cal Harris braces for third murder trial

Anthony Borrelli, aborrelli@pressconnects.com | @PSBABorrelli   2:55 p.m. EST January 16, 2015

Cal Harris, twice convicted and twice freed, will stand trial a third time for second-degree murder in the 2001 death of his estranged wife. The trial has been moved from Tioga to Schoharie County.

The courtroom will be different, but jurors will face the same decision in the fate of Calvin Harris.

As the 53-year-old Owego businessman enters his third trial for second-degree murder on Jan. 21, the question of whether he is proven guilty of killing his estranged wife, or if he will walk out of court a free man, will once again rest in the hands of a jury.

The alleged murder of Michele Harris on Sept. 11, 2001, and the ensuing criminal case against her husband, has evolved from a drama that shook residents of rural Tioga County, into a mystery that's been cast into the national spotlight.

Neither a murder weapon nor Michele Harris' body has been found — facts the prosecution and the defense have sparred over during both of Calvin Harris' trials in Tioga County Court.

The third trial will be held more than 140 miles from where the murder allegedly took place.

In January 2014, a mid-level state appeals court moved the third trial's venue from Tioga to Schoharie County. The court agreed that the case's extensive publicity rendered it impossible to pick a fair jury in the Southern Tier.

Read more:

http://www.pressconnects.com/story/news/local/2015/01/15/cal-harris-michelle-trial-murder-tioga/21716095/

Four jurors picked in Cal Harris murder trial

Anthony Borrelli, aborrelli@pressconnects.com | @PSBABorrelli  8:21 a.m. EST January 23, 2015

Calvin Harris' third murder trial began Thursday with jury selection in Schoharie County Court.

Schoharie County residents were peppered with questions Thursday about whether they could fairly reach a verdict if selected as jurors in the Cal Harris murder trial.

After a six-hour session in county court, four jurors — two men and two women — were chosen by the defense and prosecution from among 86 people who reported to court for jury duty earlier in the day. The final selection was reached Thursday evening.

The selection process for Harris' trial is scheduled to continue at 10 a.m. Friday, and 12 jurors plus several alternates must be chosen before testimony can begin. Schoharie County Judge George Bartlett estimates the trial could last six to eight weeks.

Read more:

http://www.pressconnects.com/story/news/crime/cal-harris/2015/01/22/calvin-harris-jury-selection/22154023/

Lawyers in Cal Harris Murder Trial Work Through New Pool of Potential Jurors Friday (Video)

By Tamara Lindstrom
Friday, January 23, 2015 at 12:31 PM EST

After seating just four jurors Thursday, lawyers in the Cal Harris murder trial are working their way through a new pool of about 100 potential jurors Friday.

The Tioga County businessman is facing his third trial for the apparent death of his wife, Michelle, back in 2001 -- although her body was never found.

Harris was convicted both previous times, in 2007 and 2009, but the convictions were thrown out. This time, the case is being heard in Schoharie County Court, near Albany, as Harris' defense team hopes to find people who may not be as familiar with the case as those in the Southern Tier.

Read more:

http://www.twcnews.com/nys/hudson-valley/news/2015/01/23/cal-harris-murder-trial-friday-.html

2 more jurors seated in Cal Harris trial

Anthony Borrelli, aborrelli@pressconnects.com | @PSBABorrelli  8:19 p.m. EST January 23, 2015

Six seats have been filled so far; selection continues Monday


The Schoharie  County Courthouse where Cal Harris is on trial for the third time, charged with the murder of his wife. (Photo: KRISTOPHER RADDER / Staff Photo)

SCHOHARIE –  Attorneys on both sides of the Cal Harris murder trial agreed on two more jurors Friday during the second day of selection in Schoharie County Court.

So far, six jurors have been seated for the trial, which is expected to span six to eight weeks. Jury selection continues Monday.

Read more:

http://www.pressconnects.com/story/news/local/2015/01/23/cal-harris-jury-selection-continues-today/22220691/

Most popular tracks for #calharris

https://soundcloud.com/tags/calharris

Ten seated in Harris jury

By Jillian Marshall
January 26, 2015



Schoharie, NY (WBNG Binghamton) In the longest day of jury selection so far, four more people are seated Monday evening, in the third Cal Harris murder trial.

Harris is on trial for the murder of his wife Michelle Harris on Sept. 11, 2001.

Approximately 80 people reported to Schoharie County Court Monday morning. By the lunch recess, more than half were excused due to hardship. Schoharie County Judge George Bartlett estimated the trial will last six to eight weeks.

After the lunch recess, Tioga County District Attorney Kirk Martin addressed 16 potential jury members. He told the possible jury members that the jury must determine the case by evidence and testimony, not what attorneys say during the trial.

He told them the trial will consist of testimony of divorce, infidelity and the fact that Michelle's body was never found.

Read more:

http://www.wbng.com/news/local/Ten-seated-in-Harris-jury-289865551.html

Testimony begins in Cal Harris murder trial

Anthony Borrelli, aborrelli@pressconnects.com | @PSBABorrelli 8:52 a.m. EST February 11, 2015

Testimony begins in Cal Harris murder trial

Barbara Thayer remembers Michele Harris as a mother who enjoyed spending time with her four children, and a baker who made the world's best chocolate chip cookies.

Thayer, of Spencer, babysat Cal and Michele Harris' children for several hours a day, helped out around the family's Tioga County home, and joined them on two trips to Cape Cod.

The babysitter, who testified for four hours Tuesday in Schoharie County Court, said she remembers thinking something seemed wrong on Sept. 12, 2001, after Cal Harris called her around 7 a.m., saying Michele never came home the night before.

~Snipped~

Neither a murder weapon nor Michele Harris' body has been found.

Thayer was Tioga County District Attorney Kirk Martin's first witness in Cal Harris' third trial for second-degree murder.

Read more:

http://www.pressconnects.com/story/news/crime/cal-harris/2015/02/10/cal-harris-schoharie-trial/23161721/

Cal Harris Trial: Defense Provides Intense Cross Examination of Nanny

By Tamara Lindstrom
Wednesday, February 11, 2015 at 12:10 PM EST

SCHOHARIE, N.Y. -- An intense day of questioning in the Cal Harris trial as the prosecution's first witness remained on the stand for the second day.

Harris is accused of killing his estranged wife, Michele, in 2001.

The defense cross-examined Barbara Thayer Wednesday. She was the Harris' nanny at the time Michele disappeared.

Was she truly a caregiver concerned only for the safety of the four young Harris children? Or a neighbor hell-bent on condemning their innocent father? That was the question defense posed through a grueling four hours of cross-examination Wednesday.  

Over multiple objections from District Attorney Kirk Martin, and several stern instructions from the judge, defense attorney Bruce Barket compared Thayer's testimony this week to statements she'd made to police and in court over the last 14 years.

Read more:

http://www.twcnews.com/nys/central-ny/news/2015/02/11/cal-harris-trial-day-two-testimony-.html

Podcast: Cal Harris trial gets heated at times

Anthony Borrelli and Jennie Coughlin, jcoughlin@gannett.com | @CNYjennie 12:05 p.m. EST February 12, 2015

Listen to the Podcast:

http://www.ithacajournal.com/story/news/crime/cal-harris/2015/02/12/podcast-cal-harris-borrelli/23292893/

Emotional Testimony Wednesday in Cal Harris' Murder Trial (Video)

By Tamara Lindstrom
Wednesday, February 18, 2015 at 02:53 PM EST

Three more witnesses took the stand in the murder trial of Cal Harris Wednesday. He's accused of killing his wife Michele in 2001. Tamara Lindstrom was in court for what ended up being an emotional day.

SCHOHARIE, N.Y. -- Some emotional moments in court Wednesday as testimony continued in the Cal Harris trial. He's accused of killing his wife Michele in 2001.

Between frequent objections, Michele Harris's friend and Cal Harris's former employee, Nikki Burdick, spoke of their final summer together and how worried she became when she couldn't reach Michele the morning of September 12, never to be heard from again.

The defense peppered Burdick with questions about Michele's behavior in those final weeks, characterizing the mother of four as a partier who frequented bars and spent time with younger men, and may have been doing drugs.

That was an assertion Burdick denied, as did Shannon Taylor, Michele's sister-in-law. Taylor began to cry as she described Michelle laughing and planning parties for her children. Taylor said Michele was a great mom.

Read more:

http://www.twcnews.com/nys/binghamton/news/2015/02/18/cal-harris-trial-wednesday.html

Jury hears about search effort for Michele Harris (Video)

Anthony Borrelli, aborrelli@pressconnects.com | @PSBABorrelli 7:30 p.m. EST February 24, 2015

The Cal Harris murder trial enters its third week of testimony with prosecution witnesses

The day after Michele Harris was reported missing, state forest rangers led search teams over much of the area surrounding her estranged husband Cal's 250-acre Spencer property.

Searchers mapped out a grid to scour the ground, look from the air, as well as nearby ponds and lakes. Efforts from 139 people spanned all of Sept. 13 and 14, in 2001.

"There was no evidence of Michele Harris found," Terry Figary, a retired forest ranger, told jurors in Schoharie County Court on Tuesday. "No personal belongings — nothing conclusive."

Cal Harris, 53, is accused of killing Michele, 35, on Sept. 11, 2001. This is his third trial for second-degree murder. Neither her body nor a murder weapon has been found

Read more:

http://www.pressconnects.com/story/news/crime/cal-harris/2015/02/24/cal-harris-trial-enters-third-week-testimony/23925125/

Cal Harris Trial Continues into Third Week

2/24/2015 (Updated 10:48:09 PM)



The trial of Cal Harris enters its third week of testimony on Tuesday.

Harris is the Town of Spencer man charged with second degree murder for the disappearance of his wife Michele in 2001.

Cross examination continued of investigator Michael Myers, but only after a long delay and passionate debate from both sides.
Late this afternoon the prosecution called two forest rangers involved in the 2001 searches for Michele Harris in the area surrounding the Harris property.

There were only five minutes of questioning this morning before objections over the admission of a defense exhibit cascaded into hours of heated legal arguments.

Defense Attorney Bruce Barket began to question Myers about a google map that showed the distance between the Harris household, and a man named Stacy Stewart's house.

The prosecution objected to the admission of the maps, saying Barket had not laid an adequate foundation, It was out of the scope of direct questioning, and that Myers is not qualified to testify to the scale of the map. The maps were eventually admitted with notations and the scale scratched out, and cross examination of Investigator Michael Myers wrapped up late Tuesday afternoon.

Read more:

http://www.wicz.com/news2005/viewarticle.asp?a=37127

Alleged Blood Spattered Evidence Focus of Cal Harris Murder Trial Thursday (Video)

By Tamara Lindstrom
Thursday, February 26, 2015 at 05:00 PM EST

Another week of testimony in the Cal Harris trial ends with a focus on photos of alleged blood spattered evidence. Harris is accused of killing his wife Michele in 2001. Tamara Lindstrom has the details.

SCHOHARIE, N.Y. -- For much of the Cal Harris murder trial so far, testimony has focused on the actions leading up to his wife's disappearance in 2001.

But Thursday, that focus turned to forensic evidence, specifically drops of blood found in Harris' home.

The Tioga County man is accused of killing his wife Michele, though her body was never found.

State police forensic investigator Steven Anderson was back on the stand all day Thursday.

He spoke about dozens of photographs taken of the Harris property, including some of blood found in the garage and the door and wall in the kitchen entryway.

The defense objected to some of those pictures, arguing the flash distorted the color.

Read more:

http://www.twcnews.com/nys/central-ny/news/2015/02/26/cal-harris-murder-trial.html

Cal Harris murder trial wraps up week six

Published:02/26/2015 04:37 PM
Updated: 02/26/2015 05:13 PM



Schoharie (WIVT) - This week marks the sixth week of the third murder trial of Cal Harris, which is taking place in Schoharie County Court.

Testimony is well underway, and the prosecution called three witnesses to the stand Wednesday, including Michele Harris' boyfriend Brian Earley.

Earley had a romantic relationship with Michelle while her divorce with Cal was underway in 2001.

He claims Michelle went home following a visit with him the night of her disappearance.

This was stricken from the record by the judge, a decision the defense team says they're satisfied with.

Read more:

http://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/story/d/story/cal-harris-murder-trial-wraps-up-week-six/11672/itIsJL6VeEaEZvRXTN8AXw

Bloodstain evidence introduced in Cal Harris trial

Anthony Borrelli, aborrelli@pressconnects.com | @PSBABorrelli 6:17 p.m. EST February 26, 2015

Testimony continues to unfold in the third murder trial for Cal Harris, accused of killing his estranged wife in 2001



SCHOHARIE – Prosecutors introduced jurors to a key piece of evidence Thursday in the murder trial for Cal Harris: bloodstains that were discovered inside his home four days after his estranged wife, Michele, went missing.

State police Investigator Steve Andersen walked jurors through a series of photos that showed the location of bloodstains he discovered during a search of the Harris home on Sept. 15, 2001. He was assigned to the case as a member of the state police forensic investigation unit.

Prosecutors say Michele Harris was killed after being struck with an object when she arrived home late the evening of Sept. 11, 2001, or early the next morning. Cal Harris, a 53-year-old auto dealer from Spencer, is accused of killing her. Cal Harris' defense lawyers have said he maintains his innocence and police overlooked other possible suspects.

Neither Michele Harris' body nor a murder weapon have been found.

Read more:

http://www.pressconnects.com/story/news/crime/cal-harris/2015/02/26/cal-harris-jury-gets-look-blood-evidence/24057907/

https://soundcloud.com/cny-media-group/another-mistrial-request-and-an-exasperated-judge

Podcast: Weekly recap: Judge Bartlett has had enough

Anthony Borrelli and Jennie Coughlin, jcoughlin@gannett.com | @CNYjennie 2:37 p.m. EST February 27, 2015

Anthony Borrelli looks back on a week that included more mistrial requests, lots of legal debate and finally an ultimatum from Judge George Bartlett -- no more taking up the jury's time with endless arguments over which evidence can be presented.



http://www.pressconnects.com/story/news/crime/cal-harris/2015/02/27/podcast-cal-harris-borrelli/24129833/

Cal Harris defense targets bloodstain evidence

Anthony Borrelli, aborrelli@pressconnects.com | @PSBABorrelli 11:28 a.m. EST March 5, 2015

The Cal Harris murder trial is wrapping up its fourth week of testimony in Schoharie County Court

SCHOHARIE –  The Cal Harris murder trial is closing its fourth week in Schoharie County Court, with defense attorneys still scrutinizing blood traces police found in the Spencer man's garage.

~Snipped~

On Thursday, state police Investigator Steve Andersen returned to testify regarding photos of bloodstains he found within a roughly 5-foot space on the concrete garage floor of the Harris home.

Defense lawyer Bruce Barket argued today that close-up photos that investigators took of the stains are misleading, after Andersen had testified the stains were only millimeters in size.

Barket said the stains amounted to "tiny little dots" that are hardly visible to human eye. One bloodstain in the garage was identified as a dog's, he said.

Read more:

http://www.pressconnects.com/story/news/public-safety/2015/03/05/cal-harris-defense-targets-bloodstain-evidence/24432733/

Cal Harris defense argues lack of evidence

Anthony Borrelli, aborrelli@pressconnects.com | @PSBABorrelli 7:10 p.m. EST March 5, 2015

SCHOHARIE –  Jurors in the Cal Harris murder trial heard Thursday about ways law enforcement searched for his estranged wife Michele's body, but were unable to find her.

~Snipped~

State police Investigator Steve Andersen, in his fifth day of testimony in Schoharie County Court, was questioned Thursday by defense lawyer Bruce Barket about tactics police used to try and locate Michele's body after she disappeared Sept. 11, 2001.

Andersen testified that heat sensors were used in searches from the air, Sonar to detect for a body in water, and drop-cameras for looking down abandoned wells. He said police focused in the area surrounding the Harris' 250-acre property, but there were no traces of the 35-year-old mother of four.

~Snipped~

He said Cal Harris' truck and several ATVs stored in the garage were tested for possible evidence, but nothing was found.

~Snipped~

According to prosecutors, Michele Harris' van was found at the end of the driveway of the Harris home on the morning of Sept. 12, 2001, with the keys still in the ignition.

Andersen said Thursday that police collected items from inside the van, such as papers and clothing, but did not conduct a forensic search of the vehicle or the area near where it was parked.

Read more:

http://www.pressconnects.com/story/news/public-safety/2015/03/05/cal-harris-defense-targets-bloodstain-evidence/24432733/

Cal Harris Trial: Kitchen, Garage Couldn't Have Been Murder Scene, Defense Says

By Tamara Lindstrom
Tuesday, March 10, 2015 at 05:30 PM EDT

Tuesday, the focus was once again on blood spatter evidence in the murder trial of Cal Harris, who is facing his third trial for the presumed death of his wife Michele in 2001. Tamara Lindstrom has the details.

SCHOHARIE, N.Y. -- For the seventh day, a state police forensic investigator was on the stand in the Cal Harris trial Tuesday.

Harris is accused of killing his wife Michele in 2001.

The defense cross-examined investigator Steven Anderson, focusing on blood stain evidence found in the Harris garage and kitchen area.

About 200 spots of blood were found in a six foot by three foot area.

The defense pointed out just how small those spots were, about a millimeter each.

Read more:

http://www.twcnews.com/nys/central-ny/cal-harris/2015/03/10/cal-harris-trial-march-10.html

Bloodstains' origins debated in Cal Harris trial

Anthony Borrelli, aborrelli@pressconnects.com | @PSBABorrelli 7:05 p.m. EDT March 10, 2015

Attorneys in the Cal Harris trial sparred over bloodstain evidence in court Tuesday


Cal Harris - Photo: SIMON WHEELER / STAFF PHOTO)

SCHOHARIE –  Prosecutors and defense attorneys in the Cal Harris murder trial on Tuesday continued to debate the origin of bloodstains discovered in the Tioga County man's home.

Prosecutors say Cal Harris, 53, incapacitated and killed Michele Harris in the kitchen of his Spencer house on Sept. 11, 2001, though neither her body nor a weapon has been found. On Tuesday, defense lawyers argued that trace amounts of blood found by state police do not fit the prosecution's theory of the crime.

Defense attorney Bruce Barket said more blood would have been scattered over a wider area in the Harris home if Michele had been fatally struck by her estranged husband.

~Snipped~

Barket has said police focused their investigation only on Cal Harris, that Michele might have had relationships with other men, and that law enforcement officers overlooked other potential suspects in her murder.

At the time Michele disappeared, she was sleeping on a living room couch of the Harris home. She was in the process of buying a new house in Owego, was working as a waitress in Waverly, and had a boyfriend, according to Martin.

Michele drove from her boyfriend's home in Smithboro, Tioga County, around 11 the night she went missing. At 7 the next morning, her van was found parked at the end of the Harris driveway. The keys were still in the ignition.

Read more:

http://www.pressconnects.com/story/news/crime/cal-harris/2015/03/10/cal-harris-defense-crime-scene/24700065/

Podcast: Another day, another delay in Cal Harris trial

Anthony Borrelli and Jennie Coughlin, jcoughlin@gannett.com | @CNYjennie 8:45 a.m. EDT March 10, 2015



http://www.pressconnects.com/story/news/crime/cal-harris/2015/03/10/podcast-cal-harris-borrelli/24691915/

Harris trial: DNA testimony, 7th mistrial request

By Jillian Marshall
March 12, 2015
Updated Mar 12, 2015 at 5:12 PM EDT



Schoharie, NY (WBNG Binghamton) A retired New York State Police DNA analyst takes the stand in the murder trial of Cal Harris in Schoharie County Court.

~Snipped~

Retired NYSP Investigator John Brenner took the stand Thursday morning. He worked as a DNA analyst for the NYSP for 25 years.

Brenner testified he tested two toothbrushes found in Michele's drawer in the master bathroom, a toothbrush from Brian Earley's apartment and a buccal swab from Cal.

Earley was Michele's boyfriend. He testified he gave police the toothbrush Michele used at his house.

It is expected the prosecution will try to prove the blood found in the Harris house belongs to Michele.

Due to one of the jurors having food poisoning, Brenner's testimony was cut short early Thursday afternoon. His testimony will continue Monday morning in Schoharie County Court.

Read more:

http://www.wbng.com/news/video/Harris-trial-DNA-testimony-7th-mistrial-request-296074421.html

Cal Harris trial's sixth week opens with DNA testimony

Anthony Borrelli, aborrelli@pressconnects.com | @PSBABorrelli 7:59 a.m. EDT March 16, 2015

Cal Harris, of Spencer, is on trial a third time in the alleged September 2001 killing of his estranged wife, Michele

SCHOHARIE – The Cal Harris murder trial is opening its sixth week of testimony Monday with Schoharie County Court jurors walking through the complex science of DNA testing.

~Snipped~

On Thursday, John Brenner, a now-retired DNA analyst from the state police Forensic Investigation Center in Albany, told jurors he tested two toothbrushes from the Harris home for DNA in 2001. He also tested DNA on a toothbrush from the Tioga County home of Brian Earley, who was Michele's boyfriend when she went missing.

Tioga County District Attorney Kirk Martin is expected to link testimony on DNA analysis to small blood spatter stains that investigators found in the kitchen foyer and on the garage floor of the Harris home in September 2001.

Read more:

http://www.pressconnects.com/story/news/crime/cal-harris/2015/03/16/cal-harris-murder-trial-six-week/24836443/

Neighbors testify in Cal Harris murder trial

Anthony Borrelli, aborrelli@pressconnects.com | @PSBABorrelli 7:17 p.m. EDT March 17, 2015

The Cal Harris murder trial is on its sixth week of testimony in Schoharie County Court

SCHOHARIE –  Eleanor Cobb testified Tuesday in the murder trial of her neighbor Cal Harris, recalling a late-night disturbance more than a decade ago.

Cobb's Tibetan spaniel woke her after she'd gone to bed the night of Sept. 11, 2001, she told Schoharie County Court jurors.

"She woke me up barking, which was very unusual," she said. "It normally meant someone was around."

Over the noise, Cobb recalled that she heard a car door slam shut — but not, prosecutors noted, screams or other sounds of trouble.

Read more:

http://www.pressconnects.com/story/news/crime/cal-harris/2015/03/17/cal-harris-murder-trial-testimony-week-six/24890459/

New evidence would exonerate Cal Harris, defense says

Anthony Borrelli, aborrelli@pressconnects.com | @PSBABorrelli 8:05 p.m. EDT March 19, 2015

Testimony will continue next week, as prosecutors continue calling witneses in Schoharie County Court

SCHOHARIE –  Cal Harris' defense lawyers argued Thursday to introduce evidence they say would exonerate their client and implicate two other men in the death of his estranged wife, Michele.

Defense lawyer Bruce Barket said he intends to argue that two Texas residents — Stacy Stewart and Christopher Thomason — are linked to Michele's death, and not his client.

Judge George Bartlett agreed to hear the arguments Thursday in Schoharie County Court after a juror's family emergency caused testimony to be delayed until Monday.

Barket said the defense interviewed "a number of witnesses" in preparation for the trial, and some of the evidence comes from statements witnesses gave police when the investigation began into Michele Harris' Sept. 11, 2001, disappearance.

Tioga County District Attorney Kirk Martin and co-prosecutor Paul Clyne are expected on Monday to argue against allowing the defense's evidence.

Read more:

http://www.pressconnects.com/story/news/crime/cal-harris/2015/03/19/cal-harris-trial-finishing-sixth-week-testimony/25009077/


Read more:

Cal Harris' Murder Trial to Resume Monday (Video)

By Web Staff
Sunday, March 22, 2015 at 04:31 PM EDT

SCHOHAIRIE, N.Y. -- The Cal Harris murder trial will pick back up Monday.

Harris is accused of killing his wife Michele in 2001.

Things left off Thursday, with the defense cross-examining Michele's friend, Cindy Turner.

They mainly pointed out, what they call, inconsistencies with testimony she gave at the two previous trials for Harris.

Read more:

http://www.twcnews.com/nys/watertown/news/2015/03/22/cal-harris--murder-trial-to-resume-monday-.html

Cal Harris testimony ongoing, despite 8th mistrial pitch

Anthony Borrelli, aborrelli@pressconnects.com | @PSBABorrelli  12:49 p.m. EDT March 23, 2015

Tioga County District Attorney Kirk Martin will continue calling witnesses in the Cal Harris murder trial


SCHOHARIE – The defense for Cal Harris made its eighth mistrial request Monday morning, arguing "frivolous objections" by prosecutors during testimony today hurt the chances for a fair trial.

Schoharie County Judge George Bartlett denied the request from defense lawyer Bruce Barket. The mistrial request followed objections from Prosecutor Paul Clyne to questions attorney Donna Aldea to prosecution witnesses.

Testimony is continuing this afternoon.

In court this morning, the prosecution called Barton resident Thomas Turner to the stand. His wife, Cindy Turner, testified last week that she was a friend of Michele Harris' and she told jurors about Cal Harris' reactions to his estranged wife's disappearance.

Read more:

http://www.pressconnects.com/story/news/crime/cal-harris/2015/03/23/cal-harris-trial-enters-seventh-week-testimony/25211855/

Cal Harris' reaction to divorce, disappearance recalled

Anthony Borrelli, aborrelli@pressconnects.com | @PSBABorrelli  8:14 p.m. EDT March 23, 2015

Tioga County District Attorney Kirk Martin will continue calling witnesses in the Cal Harris murder trial

SCHOHARIE –  On Sept. 13, 2001, Cal Harris and a family friend gathered three of his children in the kitchen of their Spencer home and told them their mother was missing.

On Monday, two of Harris' children sat in Schoharie County Court and listened as that friend, Linda Hyatt, recalled the gathering. Harris was "not emotional" as he delivered the news, she told jurors, and afterward, he walked 10 feet to the living room couch to watch TV.

Hyatt, a Town of Tioga resident, was among three witnesses called by the prosecution Monday in the seventh week of Harris' murder trial. They testified about the Tioga County businessman's reaction to his estranged wife's disappearance on Sept. 11, 2001 — and their divorce proceeding that began a year earlier.

On the witness stand, Hyatt said Harris once asked her to help him talk his wife, Michele, out of a divorce and that he wanted to keep the marriage intact for the sake of their four children.

Read more:

http://www.pressconnects.com/story/news/crime/cal-harris/2015/03/23/cal-harris-trial-enters-seventh-week-testimony/25211855/

More DNA testimony in Cal Harris murder trial

By Julianne Peixoto
Updated Mar 24, 2015 at 1:13 PM EDT

Schoharie, NY (WBNG Binghamton) New York State Police Forensic Scientist Daniel Myers was back on the stand Tuesday morning in the third murder trial of Cal Harris.

The majority of the morning was taken up by legal arguments, as the attorneys compromised on how much of a DNA results report would be taken into evidence.

The defense argued since Myers did not conduct all of the testing referenced in the report, portions of the report are hearsay.

Schoharie County Judge George Bartlett overruled the defense's objection and allowed the report to be taken into evidence with minimal adjustments and redactions.

Read more:

http://www.wbng.com/news/local/More-DNA-testimony-in-Cal-Harris-murder-trial-297396901.html

Sparring attorneys delay testimony in Cal Harris trial

Anthony Borrelli, aborrelli@pressconnects.com | @PSBABorrelli  7:36 p.m. EDT March 25, 2015

Testimony is delayed, but Judge George Bartlett decided to allow testimony regarding a cut to Michele Harris' hand, mentioned in papers tied to her divorce with Cal Harris.

SCHOHARIE – Jurors missed most of the fireworks Wednesday that stalled testimony in Cal Harris' ongoing murder trial for several hours.

~Snipped~

Wednesday was no different, as the prosecution and defense continued to spar over a loose thread from previous testimony: an allegation that Cal Harris threw Michele Harris to the ground outside their Spencer home in March 2001, an act that left her with a bleeding hand.

The incident was outlined in records prosecutors said were tied to the estranged couple's divorce case, which began in January 2001.

On Wednesday, defense lawyer Bruce Barket argued Michele fell to the ground after a dispute with his client, who had just packed some of her valuable coats into his truck and promised to return them only if she gave back his guns that she removed from the house — a dispute that Barket said speaks to "the pettiness of divorce."

Read more:

http://www.pressconnects.com/story/news/crime/cal-harris/2015/03/25/cal-harris-testimony-delay/70426004/

New evidence in Harris murder trail

Published: 03/25/2015 04:26 PM
Updated: 03/25/2015 05:14 PM



Schoharie (WIVT) - New evidence has been introduced this week by the defense team in the third murder trial of Cal Harris.

Harris is accused of killing his estranged wife, Michelle, who went missing in 2001.

Harris's lawyers are arguing that blood splatters found in his home were the result of a cut on Michelle's left hand that she received months before disappearing.

The prosecution called the claims ludicrous.

Read more:

http://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/story/d/story/new-evidence-in-harris-murder-trail/16099/pul2BIN7Dka4DyAAP_IbYg

Cal Harris murder trial begins eighth week of testimony

Anthony Borrelli, aborrelli@pressconnects.com | @PSBABorrelli 7:29 a.m. EDT March 30, 2015

Prosecutors will continue calling witnesses as Week 8 of testimony begins in Schoharie County Court for Cal Harris' third murder trial.

Read more:

http://www.pressconnects.com/story/news/crime/cal-harris/2015/03/30/cal-harris-murder-trial-week-eight/70658314/

Harris said 'I didn't do it,' defense witness testifies

Anthony Borrelli, aborrelli@pressconnects.com | @PSBABorrelli  7:19 p.m. EDT April 1, 2015

Before defense witnesses could begin testifying, Cal Harris' legal team made a procedural motion to dismiss the murder charge and argued the burden of proof was not met by prosecutors.

SCHOHARIE –  The best man at Cal and Michele Harris' wedding testified Wednesday that Cal Harris was distraught the day after his wife's 2001 disappearance.

"He was very upset," Todd Mansfield told jurors in Schoharie County Court. "He said to me, 'This is not good — what am I gonna tell the kids?'"

Mansfield, a Vestal resident who was a high school friend of Cal Harris, was one of two witnesses Harris' defense lawyers called to testify Wednesday in the second-degree murder trial. Harris, 53, is accused of killing Michele Harris, his 35-year-old estranged wife, on Sept. 11, 2001.

Read more:

http://www.pressconnects.com/story/news/crime/cal-harris/2015/04/01/harris-defense-argues-prosecution-failed-prove-case/70773468/

Harris' attorney outraged after judge rejects defense's strategy
By Kerry Longobucco  April 2, 2015

Schoharie, NY (WBNG Binghamton) Two weeks ago, attorneys for Cal Harris said they had evidence compelling enough to prove two other men murdered Michele Harris. A Schoharie County Court judge ruled Thursday that the jury will never be able to hear that evidence.

The defense hoped to prove Michele was murdered by Christopher Thomason and Stacy Stewart, and not by Cal. The two men were frequent customers at Lefty's, where Michele worked as a waitress.

...The judge decided the defense's version of events was incomplete, based on hearsay, and lacked actual facts and evidence.

Read more:  http://www.wbng.com/news/local/Harris-attorneys-outraged-after-judge-rejects-their-defense-strategy-298519531.html

Cal Harris defense calls divorce law expert witness

Anthony Borrelli, aborrelli@pressconnects.com | @PSBABorrelli  12:39 p.m. EDT April 6, 2015

Cal Harris' defense lawyers will call at least 6 witnesses before resting their case.

SCHOHARIE –  The defense for Cal Harris continued laying out its case Monday for the Schoharie County jurors tasked with deciding the Spencer man's fate.

Elaine Jackson Stack, a retired state Supreme Court justice from Nassau County, outlined for jurors Monday the legal processes involved in divorce cases. She said she has presided over several hundred divorces over the years.

Stack testified the state law lays out a division of assets among the divorcing couple based on "equitable distribution."

~Snipped~

For the defense, Stack's testimony ties into a key argument related to the divorce proceeding between Cal and Michele Harris that began in 2001. Prosecutors say Cal Harris killed his estranged wife as a final act of control in their divorce proceeding.

Defense lawyer Bruce Barket has said the divorce proceeding was on mutual terms and that his client had offered Michele a $740,000 settlement that she was considering as she was about the buy a new house in Owego.

Read more:

http://www.pressconnects.com/story/news/crime/cal-harris/2015/04/06/defense-cal-harris-continue-calling-witnesses/25353769/

Cal Harris' Daughter Allowed to Testify in Murder Trial (Video)

By Tamara Lindstrom
Monday, April 6, 2015 at 05:00 PM EDT

TWC News Video: As the defense presents its case in the Cal Harris trial, there's been a big debate over whether or not one of his daughters should be allowed to testify. Tamara Lindstrom has the details.

http://www.twcnews.com/nys/binghamton/news/2015/04/6/cal-harris-murder-trial-april-6.html

Cal Harris' daughter takes the stand in his murder trial

By Julianne Peixoto
April 6, 2015



Schoharie, NY (WBNG Binghamton) Cal Harris’ daughter Jenna Harris took the stand Monday in her father’s third murder trial.

After an objection by the prosecution, Judge George Bartlett ruled to allow Jenna to testify in front of the jury in Schoharie County Court.

Jenna said for as long as she can remember, there have been photos of her mother, Michele, in the Harris’ home.

Jenna testified there have always been photos of her mother in all four of the children’s bedrooms and elsewhere in the house.

Jenna was four years old when her mother disappeared.

Read more:

http://www.wbng.com/news/video/DEfense-attempts-to-ebunk-pre-298782401.html

Cal Harris jury set to hear final defense witnesses
Anthony Borrelli, aborrelli@pressconnects.com | @PSBABorrelli 9:28 p.m. EDT April 10, 2015

SCHOHARIE – After nine weeks of testimony in Cal Harris’ murder trial, Schoharie County jurors on Monday are expected hear from the defense’s final witnesses.

...Defense lawyer Bruce Barket has called nine witnesses so far. Before the defense launched its case, Tioga County District Attorney Kirk Martin presented 50 witnesses over the course of seven weeks.

Scheduled to testify this week is a key defense witness: Candor farmer Kevin Tubbs, whose last-minute testimony in 2007 led to Cal Harris’ first conviction being overturned.

During the second trial in 2009, Tubbs told jurors that he remembered seeing a woman matching Michele Harris’ description arguing with another man in the Harris driveway the morning of Sept. 12, 2001, hours after the prosecution said she was murdered.

Read more:  http://www.pressconnects.com/story/news/crime/cal-harris/2015/04/10/cal-harris-jury-set-hear-final-defense-witnesses/25613675/