From Convicted Assassin to Podcast Host and Past, a Timeline
(‘Auto-Motive,’ Forensic Recordsdata)
The final publish mentioned the investigation into Michele Harris’s homicide and the profitable case constructed in opposition to rich husband Calvin “Cal” Harris, who had lengthy been suspected of constructing her vanish on September 11, 2001.
The physique of Michele Harris, a mom of 4 babies, was lacking when Forensic Recordsdata produced “Auto-Motive” in 2011. And as of this writing, it nonetheless is.
However what about Cal?
Nicely, he received’t be disappearing anytime quickly. As I suspected, the car-dealership tycoon from upstate New York bankrolled sufficient authorized assist to get him out of jail after serving solely a small a part of his sentence. For this week, I regarded into Cal’s journey to freedom, whether or not his youngsters imagine in his innocence, and what he’s as much as at this time.
Following is a timeline of his historical past from 2007 t0 2025, however first a fast recap of the proof in opposition to him when the murder occurred:
Though it took six years to get Cal in entrance of a jury — the authorities initially wished to attend till they’d a physique — investigators had a robust case in opposition to him early on. He had rapidly disposed of possessions {that a} dwelling lady would wish (her automotive and her clothes, on this case), all the time a nasty signal. Cal, 39, and Michele, 35, had been preventing over $5 million amid their upcoming divorce. Michele’s mates instructed police that Cal had threatened to kill her, police discovered her blood splatter in a number of areas of the Tioga County home the couple shared, and somebody had tried to wash it up.
Cal’s in-laws, the Taylor household, mentioned that Cal started avoiding eye contact with them as soon as Michele went lacking.
2007 Trial #1
In June 20o7, prosecutors lastly kicked off a trial—and received. Cal would later say that when he heard the responsible verdict, he felt as if he had been going to throw up. However Cal wouldn’t go to jail but. The next August, earlier than a decide had an opportunity to condemn Cal, native farmer Kevin Tubbs immediately remembered that, whereas he was hauling hay across the time Michele went lacking in 2001, he noticed her arguing with an unidentified man. Kevin’s mom, Gloria Tubbs, mentioned she witnessed it too.
Cal’s attorneys pushed the idea that considered one of Michele’s new acquaintances from her “yr of dwelling dangerously” (she had been ready tables at a rowdy restaurant to earn cash for a brand new life with a younger boyfriend) might have dedicated the homicide. His protection workforce would ultimately say that, primarily based on the outline from Tubbs, the killer is perhaps a Texan named Stacey Stewart.
2009 Trial #2
Free on $500,000 bail, Cal bought a brand new trial in 2009. The prosecution contended that Kevin Tubbs got here ahead and testified as a result of he was on the lookout for reward cash or consideration. (It’s not clear whether or not Gloria Tubbs took the stand.)
Tioga County District Lawyer Gerald Keene additionally identified that Cal owned an all-terrain automobile and had an excessive amount of time to cover Michele’s physique between the night of September 11, 2001, and the morning after, when her empty automotive turned up within the driveway.
Cal misplaced once more.
After the decision, Michele’s household cried and hugged Keene. When interviewed by the Press and Solar-Bulletin, one juror defined that he discovered it odd that Kevin Tubbs went to Cal’s protection attorneys together with his revelation reasonably than to the Owego police chief, who was a private buddy. The juror additionally mentioned that he believed Michele was a superb mom who would by no means have willingly left her youngsters.
The decide gave Cal 25 years to life. He was despatched to Auburn Correctional Facility. His aunt Mary and her husband, John Perticone, took custody of Cal’s youngsters.
2015 Trial #3
Cal’s attorneys persuaded the courts {that a} judicial procedural mistake from a earlier continuing warranted a 3rd trial, in 2015. It ended with a hung jury and mistrial, necessitating one more court docket date.
2016 Trial #4, ‘Courting’ a Companion
For his fourth go-round, Cal selected a nonjury trial. State Supreme Courtroom Justice Richard Mott discovered him harmless in 2016. Cal was a free man.
All in all, he had spent solely three years in jail.
There will need to have been part of Cal Harris that loved litigation, nonetheless. As an alternative of basking in his liberty, he launched into a lawsuit in opposition to his enterprise companion.
Cal and Joseph Reagan had a deal whereby Cal would get 75 % of the auto enterprise within the case of an acquittal within the authentic trial. If he misplaced, Reagan would, over 20 years, purchase Cal’s 55 % curiosity within the automotive enterprise and a few actual property for $3.6 million. Reagan started paying $15,000 a month, meant for a belief for Cal’s youngsters. (Cal failed to position at the least one of many funds within the belief.)
Cal’s facet argued that his 2016 acquittal ought to nullify the phrases of the sale to Reagan.
A panel of 4 judges voted unanimously in opposition to Cal in November 2023.
Circa 2022 Podcast Launch
In the meantime, Cal had began a podcast, “Reign of Injustice,” to advocate for his innocence and describe his life within the 15 years between his spouse’s disappearance in 2001 and his closing exit from jail in 2016. He mentioned that due to the near-daily information protection of his case, feelings among the many locals had been operating excessive and that he felt as if he had been surrounded by villagers with pitchforks and torches.
Cal additionally recalled the weekly one-hour jail visits from his youngsters, who by no means believed that their father took their mom’s life. “Seeing the ache and unhappiness of their faces was excruciating,” Cal mentioned. “I needed to keep sturdy after they had been right here after which I’d go to my cell and cry for hours.”
He opined that prosecutor Gerald Keene and investigator Sue Melvey had been so decided to seek out him responsible that they altered picture proof and used the doctored footage in the course of the trial. He additionally mentioned that he had as soon as fired Melvey’s father from considered one of his dealerships as a result of he was a nasty man who made false claims to prospects.
Moreover, Cal mentioned that, when his youngsters had been at school, a cop would go there and do issues to embarrass them.
2024 Again to Courtroom Voluntarily, Once more
As of fall 2024, Cal was within the information as he bought a court docket date for a malicious prosecution lawsuit he filed years earlier. He contended that attorneys for the county groomed witnesses to lie. Authorities legal professional Peter DeWind mentioned Tioga County would “aggressively defend itself.” It’s not clear who received or whether or not the motion is continuous.
2025 Enticement Supplied
In Cal’s newest engagement with the information media, he supplied $100,000 for assist discovering Michele Harris’s killer. He arrange a web site and telephone line for ideas. On the press convention on Might 22, 2025, Cal’s lawyer Aida Leisenring described the Harris household’s heartache. “Each Christmas, Thanksgiving, Mom’s Days, and birthdays, they’re reminded concerning the empty seat on the desk.” All 4 of the youngsters imagine somebody aside from their father murdered their mom.
And regardless of being practically orphaned at occasions, every baby has was a accountable grownup. Leisenring famous that Taylor Harris graduated from Cornell College and is getting married. Jenna, 27, “who’s the spitting picture of her mom,” would quickly be a mom herself. One other daughter works in public relations.
Cal took the microphone for a part of the convention and mentioned it was arduous to see the merciless issues that individuals mentioned about him on social media and know that his youngsters might see it too.
On the occasion, it was acknowledged that Michele was in all probability deceased as a result of, in any other case, she would have discovered a option to return to her youngsters.
That’s all for this publish. Till subsequent time, cheers. — R.R.
Watch the Forensic Recordsdata episode on YouTube. Learn the earlier weblog publish about Cal and Michele Harris.
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