CHP captain's colleagues testify she acted erratically earlier than husband died

[ad_1] Former colleagues of a once-rising California Freeway Patrol captain say they watched her spiral earlier than her estranged husband was killed by an alleged hitman.

Retired Sgt. Brian Wittmer testified Wednesday on the Kentucky trial of alleged Napa hitman Thomas O’Donnell that Capt. Julie Harding, 49, started performing in a different way towards the top of their 3 1/2 yr working relationship.

Prosecutors allege O’Donnell fatally shot Michael Harding, 53, in a murder-for-hire plot orchestrated by Harding, a former CHP commander. O’Donnell has pleaded not responsible to capital homicide expenses.

Wittmer testified, in response to KCRA , that Harding acquired thinner, acted erratically and commenced sharing extra about her private life.

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Authorities allege that Michael Harding's estranged spouse, California Freeway Patrol Captain Julie Harding, 49, employed Thomas O'Donnell to kill him. (California Freeway Patrol by way of AP)

In September 2022, Wittmer mentioned, Harding known as to inform him her husband was lifeless. He testified that the decision felt exaggerated.

"After I hung up the cellphone, I assumed she wished me to recollect this second in time," Wittmer mentioned, in response to KCRA.

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Then-Assistant Chief Doug Lyons later took the stand and described receiving the same cellphone name from Harding. Lyons mentioned he had simply taken on a brand new function at CHP and had turn into her supervisor.

"It was 35 minutes of rambling, and I didn’t even know Julie. In order that was the unusual half. I by no means met her," Lyons mentioned.

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Requested whether or not he believed Harding is likely to be a suspect in Michael Harding’s killing based mostly on that dialog, Lyons responded, "Completely."

Prosecutors allege Julie Harding conspired with Thomas O’Donnell to kill her husband and paid him to hold it out in 2022. (Cumberland County Sheriff's Workplace)

FBI Agent Wayne Johnson testified that he discovered no proof of a cost between Harding and O’Donnell and no forensic proof tying O’Donnell to a homicide weapon.

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Harding later died by a self-inflicted gunshot wound after O’Donnell was arrested at Sacramento Worldwide Airport in reference to Michael Harding’s dying, KCRA reported.

Investigators mentioned cellphone information finally led them to O’Donnell after repeated calls between the 2 surfaced in Harding’s cellphone data.

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"There was this quantity that she was calling and speaking to virtually each single day, typically greater than as soon as a day," Kentucky State Police Det. B.J. Burton mentioned.

Michael Harding, 53, was killed in 2022 in Kentucky whereas answering what he thought was an HVAC service name. (Michael Harding)

The California Freeway Patrol mentioned in an announcement that Harding was on go away on the time of her dying. She had labored on the division since 1999 and had been commander of the Yuba Sutter space workplace since 2018.

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After the couple separated, she remained in California whereas Michael Harding moved to the couple’s dwelling in Celina, Tennessee. In line with CourtTV , on September 22, 2022, Michael, who owned a HVAC enterprise, traveled from Tennessee to Burkesville, Kentucky, for what he believed was an emergency service name. Prosecutors allege that the decision was a setup, and he was killed on the vacant Kentucky home.