Latest / Shades of Murder / 39: Recipe for Murder - Thanksgiving at the Harpers

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39: Recipe for Murder - Thanksgiving at the Harpers · Shades of Murder

0:04
Around 2:15 AM on Thanksgiving morning, 1995 in Fairfax, VA,
0:09
911 operators received a call that the Harper residence was on
0:13
fire. When firefighters arrived at the
0:15
house, fire and smoke massed the horrific scene inside.
0:20
Once the flames were extinguished and the heavy smoke
0:22
cleared, emergency personnel found the burnt body of a young
0:26
woman. When investigators examined the
0:29
scene, they discovered a rolling pin smeared with blood nearby.
0:34
Who was this woman and who was the monster who sadly attacked
0:38
her on a family holiday and left her to burn in the flames?
1:14
Hello and welcome to Shades of Murder.
1:17
I am your host Alita Caldwell. In each episode, I explore a
1:21
different case of murder, attempting to unravel the layers
1:25
of darkness that hell make humans into monsters.
1:30
Please be forewarned that each episode contains specific and at
1:34
times very graphic and disturbing details of the case.
1:38
This show is not intended for all audiences and listener
1:42
discretion is strongly advised. Investigators had established
1:47
that the mother, Elizabeth Harper, had escaped the fire by
1:50
jumping out of a window from her second story bedroom During the
1:54
fall. She broke her back, yet found
1:57
the power and strength to reach a neighbour's house to call 911.
2:01
Her neighbor promptly called the police and then ran back to the
2:03
burning house. Elizabeth's mother, Delphine
2:06
Parson, who was 85 at the time of the incident, resided in a
2:10
basement room in their home. There was no way to access the
2:14
front, so he ran around to the back of the place, got her
2:17
attention somehow and rescued her from the burning residence.
2:21
Thanks to the brave neighbor who faced the rising smoke and
2:24
flames to bring this woman to safety.
2:26
Despite her frail teenage, she survived without any injuries.
2:30
Elizabeth Harper suffered first degree and 2nd degree burns in
2:34
addition to breaking her back, but she remained in stable
2:37
condition. When the fire had spread
2:40
throughout his family residence home, 18 year old Matthew Harper
2:43
had been sound asleep with his girlfriend at her house.
2:46
Upon being contacted about the fire, he immediately drove to
2:50
Fairfax Hospital where his mother Elizabeth had been
2:53
admitted. His older sister Anne, though,
2:55
wasn't there. According to her brother Matt,
2:58
he, along with Anne, some family members and friends, had dinner
3:01
together at Outback Steakhouse the night before, since they had
3:04
planned on spending all day cooking in the kitchen for
3:07
Thanksgiving. He and Anne then went to the
3:10
movie theater with friends and watched the Double O Seven film
3:13
Goldeneye. Matt claimed that he dropped
3:15
Anne off around midnight or so and went back to his
3:19
girlfriend's place where he spent the whole night.
3:21
Initially, the victim was claimed to be an unidentified
3:24
woman. Officer Anzi Allam, a
3:27
spokesperson for the Police Department, told the press that
3:29
they did not have enough information to determine whether
3:32
the death was an accident, suicide or a murder.
3:36
They did, however, find the circumstances around the woman's
3:40
death to be suspicious and were confident that someone had been
3:43
involved in the arson committed and her death.
3:46
When officers arrived at the hospital to deliver the grim
3:49
news to Anne's mother Elizabeth and her brother Matt, one
3:52
officer observed how, although he didn't express any warrants,
3:56
Matt's eyes conveyed complete devastation over her death.
4:02
The burnt body was believed to be the remains of 20 year old
4:06
College Soon Ann Harper who was visiting her family for the
4:10
holidays. When crime scene investigators
4:13
arrived at the scene of the house, they found the remains of
4:16
Ann Harper lying near the foyer by the living room.
4:21
She was lying face down with her feet pointing into the living
4:24
room and her arms and head back toward the foyer.
4:27
Near the hallway laid a blood stained rolling pin on the
4:32
ground. Blood spatter surrounded her
4:35
body and the victim had a severe wound to the back of her head.
4:40
An ignitable fluid had been poured on her back, crossed over
4:43
into her buttocks and the floor. Investigators noticed an area on
4:47
the floor that had been protected from the flames that
4:50
mirrored the imprint of a person.
4:53
It was believed that the body was placed on the floor and then
4:57
set on fire. What initially appeared to be a
5:00
tragic victim of a fire was now a victim of foul play.
5:06
Ann Harper had not just died in the fire, but she had been
5:09
brutally attacked and left in the burning house.
5:14
All evidence pointed to the fire being set to cover up the murder
5:18
of Ann Harper. Upon entry to the Harper
5:22
residence, fire investigator Terry Hall noticed a clear
5:25
pouring pattern of some type of ignitable fluid.
5:29
On the other side of the living room was a red plastic gasoline
5:33
container, which indicated intentional Larsen.
5:37
A trail of the burn pattern began at the bottom of the
5:39
stairs, ran up the stairs and to the doorway of the mother's
5:43
bedroom. It was also poured inside the
5:46
bedroom itself. Within the middle of the burn
5:50
pattern lay a single bladed knife around 3 inches wide.
5:55
Unfortunately, due to the extensive charring of the blade
5:58
and its handle from the fire, collecting any DNA was next to
6:03
impossible. Investigators believed that the
6:06
perpetrator had intended to stab Missus Harper after killing her
6:11
daughter Anne, and that Missus Harper may have been the true
6:15
target. Investigators later that day
6:20
visited Elizabeth Harper and asked her if she had heard or
6:23
seen anything unusual the night of the fire.
6:26
She told officers that while she was in bed, she overheard her
6:30
daughter say to someone, what are you doing?
6:34
Miss Harper claimed that it wasn't said in a tone that
6:38
sounded hostile or one that would indicate the person she
6:41
was speaking to was a stranger. She.
6:45
Described it more or less. In a high pitched.
6:48
Tone, what are you doing? She wasn't overly concerned.
6:52
And didn't bother checking in on the situation.
6:55
Instead, she used the restroom. When she opened the door, there
6:59
was smoke and flames everywhere. She attempted to use the phone
7:03
in the bedroom but it wasn't working as somehow it had been
7:07
disconnected. It was determined by
7:10
investigators at the house, who were communicating with
7:13
investigators at the hospital during the questioning of Missus
7:17
Harper, that in the kitchen area was a landline telephone mounted
7:22
on the wall. The phone receiver had been
7:25
pulled off so no calls could be placed outside the house.
7:29
In the kitchen, they noticed how several drawers have been pulled
7:32
open which held kitchen like utensils like spatulas and
7:37
another which contained knives. Detective Jeff Miller of the
7:42
Fairfax County Police Department observed no signs of anyone
7:46
entering the residence by force, except of course by the
7:49
firefighters. Investigators realized that this
7:52
heinous crime was not committed by some maniac or some drugged
7:56
up burglar, but likely by someone the victim knew.
8:01
All evidence pointed to a premeditated act of violence
8:05
committed by someone in the. World of the Harper family.
8:08
Ann Harper was a 20 year old junior at Hollands College in
8:11
Roanoke, VA. She was a gifted soprano, singer
8:15
and an honor student and shared her beautiful voice with her
8:19
fellow members at the Episcopalian Church and as part
8:22
of the Chapel Choir at Hollands College.
8:24
She had a passion for cathedrals and had spent an entire semester
8:28
in Europe, which inspired her to pursue her major in Medieval
8:33
Studies. Ann Harper was described as a
8:36
very bright, kind, generous, and talented young woman.
8:41
She was admired and seemed to be liked by everyone who knew her.
8:45
There were no obvious suspects as to who wanted her dead and
8:50
who could have viciously killed this young woman.
8:53
That is until Anne's father, Michael Harper, was tracked down
8:56
by detectives in New Jersey, where he had lived since
8:59
divorcing Anna Matt's mother, Elizabeth five years earlier.
9:03
While being interviewed by the police, he mentioned how Anne
9:06
had gotten together with one of her old boyfriends before she
9:09
went back home for the holidays. She had stopped at Washington
9:12
and Lee University in Lexington City, Virginia, where her
9:15
ex-boyfriend attended school before driving to Fairfax to be
9:19
with her family. He and Anne had recently parted
9:22
ways that September, and even though she was upset over the
9:26
relationship ending, it was said they had ended her amicable
9:29
terms. Her ex-boyfriend was in Houston,
9:32
TX with his family for Thanksgiving and thanks to the
9:34
help of the Houston Police Department, they were able to
9:37
track down his whereabouts. However, he was visibly upset
9:42
and shocked by the news of Anne's death.
9:45
The young man fully cooperated with investigators.
9:48
He said he was in Houston at the time of the fire, which all
9:51
checked out, and he was eliminated as a suspect rather
9:55
quickly. Investigators next contacted
9:58
Holland's College to request contact information for Ann
10:01
Harper's classmates, professors and roommates.
10:03
That same day, Matt Harper was interviewed by a homicide
10:07
detective and the fire Marshall. Investigators noticed that he
10:11
was in barefoot when he arrived at the hospital the night the
10:14
family house was on fire. This could have been explained
10:18
away easily if it had been a warm summer day, except that it
10:21
was late November and in that part of Virginia during the fall
10:25
months, the nights dipped into the low 40s and even 30s.
10:29
There was no rational explanation why Matt Harper was
10:32
not wearing shoes that night. At the time of his initial
10:35
questioning at the hospital, investigators had also observed
10:38
a stain on his genes, which eerily resembled blood.
10:42
Matt claimed it was from pasta sauce he and his girlfriend had
10:45
made a couple nights ago. When asked if they could have
10:48
his pants for analysis, he handed them over to be tested
10:52
without any resistance. Investigators also inquired
10:55
about his relationship with his sister, Anne.
10:58
Matt claimed that he and Anne had been close and that
11:00
everything was fine between them.
11:02
They then asked if they could search his girlfriend's
11:05
residence, to which he agreed. When investigators arrived at
11:09
his girlfriend's place with a search warrant, she was guarded.
11:13
And very protective of her boyfriend Matt.
11:15
However, she allowed them to look around her place, including
11:18
the bedroom. On one of the pillow cases was a
11:22
dark smudged stain. It resembled soot.
11:26
Matt explained this away by saying that it must have
11:28
transferred to his face while embracing his mother at the
11:31
hospital. Detectives found to be bizarre.
11:35
They. Requested that the pillow case
11:37
also be tested. Investigators learn from several
11:40
emergency room employees how Matthew's nose and mouth had
11:43
what appeared to be traces of embers it.
11:47
However, they claim they never saw him hug his mother or show
11:51
any affection at all toward her. They also reported that there
11:56
seemed to be an uncomfortable, strained connection between the
12:01
mother and her son. A nurse reported to detectives
12:05
that they were not emotional toward one another and their
12:08
interaction was strange and unnatural.
12:12
The investigation was ongoing and two weeks after the fire in
12:16
Anne's death, the autopsy report came in.
12:19
It revealed that Ann Harper had not died from smoke inhalation
12:23
as they initially suspected. She had died from multiple stab
12:26
wounds to her back caused by a six inch blade, in addition to
12:30
blunt force trauma to her head which was likely caused by the
12:33
rolling pin. This young woman, on the night
12:36
before she was planning to celebrate Thanksgiving with her
12:39
family and friends, had been viciously assaulted and murdered
12:43
inside her own home with tools designed to cook a holiday
12:47
dinner with. On December 14th, 1995, the
12:51
results from Matt Harper's genes arrived.
12:55
It was proven to be blood, not pasta sauce as he had claimed,
12:59
and the blood was identified as belonging to the victim, his
13:03
sister Ann Harper. All evidence indicated that Matt
13:09
Harper had murdered his sister on Thanksgiving morning.
13:14
When investigators attempted to contact Matt Harper for further
13:17
questioning, they were informed that he had a family friend now
13:21
who was representing him as his attorney.
13:25
Matt. 'S mother also no longer wanted
13:27
to communicate further with law enforcement.
13:30
Elizabeth Harper would not cooperate with the
13:33
investigation. And behaved as if.
13:35
She didn't care whether or not the police found her daughter.
13:38
'S killer homicide investigators felt as if.
13:41
They were the only. Ones fighting to gain justice
13:45
for Anne. Although it seemed clear that
13:49
Matt Harper was the perpetrator, investigators didn't believe
13:54
they had enough evidence to secure a conviction.
13:59
No additional information was gathered to help the case push
14:02
forward and the investigation stalled.
14:04
Meanwhile, Matt Harper had decided to major in psychology
14:07
at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA.
14:11
He also did not let the murder of his sister to tear him from
14:14
his strong commitment to the church.
14:17
Matt Harper was deemed a young, promising leader of the
14:20
Christian faith and a model student by many who knew him.
14:25
He was involved in the Vestry, the leadership group of the
14:28
Canterbury Episcopal campus ministry.
14:30
Then, while conducting an annual review of their open fire cases,
14:35
Investigator Hull looked closely at the case file and remembered
14:39
something strange. He.
14:40
Recalled Matt Harper being. Barefoot when he arrived at the
14:44
hospital after the fire. Then, while looking over some
14:48
notes taken by an officer who had canvassed the area around
14:51
the Harper house, something caught his eye.
14:55
This officer had written down how several neighbors had heard
14:58
dogs barking and saw a car. Then, when he looked at
15:02
photographs of the area and brought up pictures of the
15:04
general area, he noticed a park southeast of the Harper
15:08
residence and a Creek that ran. Along IT investigator.
15:12
Hall suspected that Matt Harper didn't have any shoes on at the
15:15
hospital because he had throwed them in the Creek.
15:20
It may have sounded. Like a stretch, but he trusted
15:23
his instincts. Investigator Hall and another
15:26
detective walked over to the park.
15:28
They crossed over a bridge where the Creek ran under it in an S
15:32
shape. At one side of the end of the S
15:36
lay a large pile of debris. As they shifted through it,
15:40
Investigator Hall came across one leather shoe.
15:44
He dug further and found its mate.
15:47
He knew that in his gut these were Matt Harper's shoes, but
15:52
considering they had been sitting outside in the Creek for
15:55
over a year now, any viable evidence would have been lost.
15:59
The only chance they had to prove these were Matt Harper's
16:04
shoes was for a toe alignment analysis, so they were granted a
16:11
search warrant for a plaster cast to be done off of Matt
16:14
Harper's feet in addition to the collection of three pairs of his
16:18
shoes. Investigators arrived at Matt
16:21
Harper's residence at James Madison University and issued a
16:25
search warrant. Matt Harper first behaved as if
16:28
he was confused. He didn't understand why they
16:30
were there, but then he became visibly angry with this request
16:36
and resisted complying with officers.
16:39
However, detectives there sternly reminded him that the
16:42
alternative was for him to go in front of a judge for not
16:46
complying with the search warrant.
16:48
Matt Harper, begrudgingly. Obliged once the pieces.
16:52
Of this puzzle began to fall into place.
16:54
Homicide detectives established the theory that Matt Harper had
16:58
not set his family's residence on fire to murder his sister,
17:02
but rather in an attempt to disguise how he had brutally
17:06
killed her to cover up any remaining evidence.
17:11
Investigators also believed that the act of arson was committed
17:14
with the intent to conceal the murder of his mother, since the
17:18
knife had been found in her room.
17:20
However, Elizabeth Harper had thrown her son's sinister plans
17:24
off when she dove out of the bathroom window of her second
17:28
story bedroom to escape the flames.
17:30
Matt Harper was. Always the primary suspect in
17:34
the eyes of homicide detectives, they simply didn't have the
17:36
evidence necessary, nor any clear motive to pursue criminal
17:40
charges against him. That is, they didn't until they
17:44
began peeling back the layers of who Matt Harper really was upon
17:50
his initial discussion with police.
17:52
Matt Harper had. Pointed.
17:53
Officers in the direction of the person who had stolen his
17:56
expensive bike from inside the garage.
17:59
He had filed a report for the stolen property and received.
18:02
$3600 in insurance. This.
18:05
Same bicycle was later traced to a consignment shop where Matthew
18:09
had sold the bike. A friend of Matt's told police
18:12
officers that one of his friends owned a bike shop.
18:15
He claimed that Matt would get a bike, dismantle it, and sell the
18:19
parts to his friend. Then he would make an insurance
18:22
claim and receive money for the stolen bike.
18:27
The previous summer, Matt Harper had filed a different claim for
18:30
another bike that was accidentally burned.
18:33
This pattern of fraud and deception was beginning to show
18:37
his true colors, and vestigators began to dig deeper.
18:42
They then discovered three additional claims the insurance
18:45
company had refused to pay since Matt declined to cooperate with
18:50
their investigations. Then they came across an
18:52
insurance policy for his mother, which was around $150,000.
18:59
What really raised a red flag though, was when a friend of
19:03
Matt's reported that Matt had mentioned to them one time that
19:07
if his entire family died, he would receive over $1,000,000
19:12
and life insurance benefits during the same period.
19:16
The Virginia Crime Lab returned with the results of the shoes.
19:20
The plaster cast made of Matt Harper's feet perfectly matched
19:25
the leather shoes thrown in the Creek.
19:28
Almost two years after Ann Harper was brutally and
19:32
senselessly murdered and her body set on fire, her brother
19:36
Matt was brought into custody at 8:00 AM while attending his sign
19:41
language class at James Madison University.
19:44
Homicide investigators entered the classroom, took him into
19:47
custody, and arrested Matthew Harper in the hallway.
19:52
That Matt Harper was considered to be the culprit behind this
19:54
brutal crime was shocking to the community, especially to his
19:58
family who didn't believe he was guilty.
20:02
It appeared pretty much everyone believed in his innocence.
20:05
That is, except for his victim. Ann Harper's journal contained
20:09
several. Entries that painted her
20:11
brother. Much darker than others
20:14
perceived him to be, she wrote how things became scary During
20:18
one particular fight between her brother and their mother over
20:22
his wanting to live with his father, Matt had cracked one of
20:26
the doors and punched a hole in the wall.
20:29
His violence was not limited to the walls of the Harper family's
20:32
home, though, and according to one entry shared during his
20:36
criminal trial, Anne had written And I quote mom and Matt got
20:41
into. An awful fight today.
20:44
It got physical, mom. Has an awful red mark on her
20:48
right eye and for a while. Her lower face was swollen.
20:55
In other entries, she wrote. About her brother Matt.
20:57
'S increasing hostility. And aggression.
21:00
Shown towards her asking rhetorically why I haven't done
21:06
anything even after Matt Harper had been indicted on charges of.
21:12
First degree murder, he continued.
21:15
To attend his college courses. Unlike many other offenders, his
21:20
family had complete faith in his innocence and had posted his
21:25
bond so he could continue living his best life while awaiting his
21:29
murder trial. Once the prosecution presented
21:32
him with evidence that allegedly brought to surface the truth of
21:36
what had happened that day, which he claimed to have
21:39
repressed, Matthew Harbour confessed to murdering his
21:43
sister and setting his family's home on fire in his.
21:48
Formal confession, he wrote, and I quote.
21:51
I remembered in horror that I stabbed my sister.
21:53
I remembered going upstairs to tell my mother what had happened
21:56
and that I could not find her. I remembered spreading gasoline.
22:01
I remembered fleeing the house and the house being on fire when
22:05
I fled. His confession worked in his
22:08
favor as the District Attorney now decided to strike a plea
22:11
agreement with the defense counsel Matt Harper now face the
22:16
lesser charge of second degree murder and arson, while the
22:20
attempted murder of his mother was.
22:22
Dropped. Neither a verbal or written
22:25
statement was given by Matt Harper as the reasons behind why
22:28
he murdered his sister. Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney
22:32
Raymond F Moreau was understandably cynical toward
22:35
the so-called repressed memories that led to Matt Harper's
22:39
confession as he described the crime.
22:42
The defendant's actions were brutal, savage, and rather
22:45
methodical in the killing of his sister.
22:48
He also presented to the court how, when shown photos of his
22:51
dead sister's body in an earlier hearing, Matt Harper continued
22:55
to deny being the perpetrator, and he conveyed no emotion
23:00
overseeing these morbid pictures of his sister, Anne.
23:05
It was presented to the court that Ann Harper's murder was
23:07
motivated by financial gain. Specifically, Matt Harper had
23:12
planned to collect the insurance money he would receive if his
23:15
sister and mother were both dead.
23:17
The prosecution presented the following sequence of events.
23:22
Around 2:00 AM on Thanksgiving morning, Matt Harper returned to
23:25
his mother's residence and snuck into the house from the garage.
23:30
Ann Harper was up late studying and caught her brother in the
23:33
act as he was about to set the house on fire.
23:38
He was going to get caught and he had to hush her up.
23:41
Matt ran into the kitchen, grabbed the rolling pin and
23:44
knife, and returned to the living room to confront Anne.
23:48
He bashed her in the back of the head with the rolling pin and
23:50
stabbed her in the back multiple times.
23:53
As Anne collapsed to the ground, Matt poured the gasoline all
23:58
around her body. He then walked up the stairs
24:02
with the knife in one hand as he covered the stairs with the
24:05
ignitable fluid in the other. Matt poured some into the
24:09
doorway before he opened his mother's room, wielding the
24:12
knife. His mother was in the restroom.
24:15
He poured more around the room, dropped the knife, set the fire
24:19
and laughed on. May 7th. 1999 Matthew B Harper,
24:24
now 22 years old, was given the maximum sentence permitted under
24:28
a plea agreement for second degree murder in arson, which
24:31
was 35 years before any possibility of parole.
24:35
Ironically, after he received his punishment, he made the
24:38
first public statement regarding his actions.
24:40
He addressed a full courtroom, including his family members and
24:44
friends, and stated And I quote. When I think about my sister, I
24:50
think of a beautiful young woman.
24:52
I miss her every day. I can't believe I took her life,
24:55
but I know that I did. Although no one came to testify
25:01
on behalf of Matthew Harper, the Circuit Court judge did receive
25:04
many letters from his family and friends, including two from his
25:08
mother, Elizabeth, asking him to consider a letter sentence for
25:12
her son. His mother wrote, and I quote,
25:15
the only possibility of redemption for me is the
25:18
possibility of some kind of new life with my son.
25:24
There is no additional information as to what she may
25:27
have meant by this words. However, it was speculated by
25:33
investigators and prosecution that since Elizabeth Harper had
25:37
already lost her daughter, she couldn't bear to lose her other
25:41
child. Perhaps she blamed herself for
25:44
what happened and felt responsible in some way for
25:46
turning that into the monster he became.
25:50
I don't know. I personally have a difficult
25:53
time believing that he repressed the memory of bludgeoning and
25:57
stabbing his sister to death, pouring gasoline on her body and
26:02
setting it on fire. There is strong evidence that
26:07
his actions were completely premeditated.
26:11
He. Expressed remorse and confessed,
26:12
but it sounded to me as if it were choreographed to solely
26:16
benefit himself. That prosecution had strong
26:20
evidence and when he realized that he would likely be
26:23
convicted of first degree premeditated murder in order for
26:28
him to have a chance of freedom one day, he knew he had to
26:32
strike a plea deal. I hate that this happens so
26:35
often. I do understand that it is
26:38
frequently used to ensure that at least some form of justice is
26:42
found, but in this case, I think there was ample enough evidence
26:46
to prove that Matt Harper intended to commit arson and
26:51
murder. So what is there to say about
26:54
this unusual and horrifying type of homicide?
26:59
The kind of sybilicide that is discussed here is radically
27:03
different from that of an honor killing, where a brother murders
27:06
his sister, often by the direction of one or both parents
27:10
or another relative, in response to her dishonoring the family in
27:14
some way. This type of homicide involves
27:16
very distinct motivations and cultural factors that are not
27:21
present in the other form of siblicide as described in this
27:25
case. The research on non honor
27:27
siblicide killings has been unfortunately minimal, but
27:31
certain patterns have emerged from what has been studied and
27:33
analyzed over the last 60 years. The act of when a sibling
27:38
murders another brother or sister is called siblicide.
27:42
Specifically, when a brother is killed it is called fratricide,
27:46
and if a sister is murdered it is called seroricide, taken
27:50
after the Greek terms for sister and brother.
27:54
Although murders within the family occur more frequently
27:57
than most of us like to believe, they are still uncommon amongst
28:03
family murders. The act of sybilicide is.
28:06
An. Extremely rare event.
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On average, out of all interfamilial homicide,
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sybilicide only happens in around 2% of cases, with a
28:16
national data range between 1 and 8% occurring in the United
28:20
States every year. A brother killing their brother
28:24
has the highest rate, with a brother killing their sister
28:27
being the lowest. Which sibling is more likely to
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murder their brother or sister? Research again is limited, but
28:35
it has been mixed. Studies done in Britain, Canada,
28:39
Japan, and in the specific area of Chicago in the United States
28:43
have revealed that younger siblings are more likely to kill
28:47
their older siblings. It has also been determined that
28:51
the vast majority of individuals who murder their siblings are
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adults. One empirical analysis showed
28:56
that sybilicide as a teenager is very rare, occurring in 9% of
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cases, whereas 78% of cases involved adult vendors and adult
29:07
victims. It was noted that the victims
29:10
are usually within only a few years of the offender.
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The average age of the offender and the victim is between 33 and
29:17
34 years old, with the peak ages between 20 and 30.
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This range of age coincides with the most common age group of
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violent criminals, specifically those who commit homicide.
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A multinational study that was conducted across 75 countries
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found similar results. The lowest percentage of 123
29:36
victims in this study was between 12 and 19 years old, at
29:39
only 2%. The second lowest was 60 years
29:44
and older, with only three percent. 9% of civilicide cases
29:47
were committed by children under the age of 12.
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Interestingly, the age groups of 20 to 29 and 30 to 59 committed
29:56
43% each of all the studied cases.
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Analysis of sibilicide found that similar to other homicides,
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sibling murders use firearms and knives significantly more than
30:08
other types of weapons, with firearms being the number one
30:11
method. The other relatively common way
30:14
to kill a sibling involved the use of blunt objects,
30:17
asphyxiation, personal weapons, which I'm not sure what that
30:21
entails exactly, and strangulation.
30:24
The presence of alcohol or drugs is known to be a common element
30:27
in the crime of killing one's sibling, specifically alcohol,
30:32
although it was not acknowledged in any reports I came across.
30:35
A blog that was written by an acquaintance of both Matthew and
30:38
Ann Harper's mentioned that it was believed by her mother,
30:41
amongst others in the community, that Matt had been actively
30:46
using cocaine at the time of the incident.
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Now, of course, no substance abuse is the primary trigger to
30:53
commit such a violent crime. However, combined with other
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traits like antisocial personality disorder, which
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based on the details of the case that profiled his character, it
31:05
seems in all likelihood Matt Harper was inflicted with.
31:10
Then there were issues of sibling jealousy and the
31:13
recorded aggressive behaviour toward his victim.
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Another common characteristic of sybilicide is money, or what
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equates to money tied to property or land.
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Sybilicide perpetrated by an offender's mental illness and
31:28
developmental disabilities is very rare, but.
31:31
There have been exceptions to the rule.
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Regarding sybilicide between youth versus adults, youth are
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categorized as individuals under 21 years of age.
31:41
So in the case of Man and Harper, they were considered non
31:45
adult offenders and non adult victims in such acts of
31:49
siblicide which occur between siblings 21 years or younger.
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The proximity thesis has been proposed to help explain some of
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the factors that may come into play.
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The proximity thesis suggests that younger siblings who share
32:02
the same home as they grow up compete for parental approval
32:06
and attention. As a result, they often engage
32:09
in relationship conflict behaviors.
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Jealousy, rivalry, and competition are significant
32:15
factors that could motivate 1 sibling to kill the other.
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There is also the family subsystem.
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This involves parent child and parent parent relationships that
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influence the way siblings interact and relate to one
32:30
another. How a parent treats one child
32:33
has a strong effect on the other sibling.
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Each sibling's behavior and feelings are influenced by these
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relationships, and if they are treated differently by the
32:42
parent than their sibling is, this can elicit aggression and
32:46
violence toward the preferred sibling.
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Although Matt Harper never acknowledged such feelings, I
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think it would be safe to say that he held some resentment and
32:57
envy toward his sister Anne. From all accounts, she was.
33:00
The golden child and there was a part.
33:02
Of him that. Hated her for that.
33:05
Since the research. Is limited to sibling homicide.
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The identification of potential risk factors has been difficult,
33:12
some pretty. Obvious signs though would
33:14
include unintentional or accidental sibilicide of another
33:18
sibling, abuse, domestic violence, easy access to
33:22
firearms, neglectful parents, substance abuse, and when
33:26
siblings live with each other as adults.
33:28
In terms of philosophy, the concept of sibling rivalry and
33:32
the death wish of a sibling was previously explored by the late
33:35
Sigmund Freud. The late philosopher Alfred
33:38
Adler theorized that birth order influenced the relationship
33:41
between siblings, with a focus on 1st borns being tyrants who
33:45
felt dethroned and threatened by the arrival of their younger
33:48
siblings, who have a tendency to be selfish and lazy.
33:52
He considered that firstborns are in a place of constant
33:56
struggle to hold their place as being first.
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Although there is little to no evidence to support his theory,
34:03
it is interesting to note how the placement of birth may
34:06
increase feelings of hostility between siblings.
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Time will tell if Matthew Harper has redeemed himself enough in
34:15
the eyes of the law to receive parole when he is first
34:18
qualified for release from prison in 2029.
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Since entering prison, he has completed undergraduate and
34:26
graduate degrees, worked as a chaplain's assistant, is the
34:30
leader of a religious community, is a tutor for incarcerated GED
34:35
students, has become a published author, and trains therapy dogs.
34:41
In fact, as of today, he writes scripture and words of
34:44
inspiration to fellow Christians, which is available
34:47
to read online. Matt Harper's status as a model.
34:50
Prisoner is hard to deny. And.
34:53
We all know the. Society loves a good.
34:56
Redemption story, what do you think?
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Do you think Matt Harper? Committed.
35:05
Premeditated. First degree murder or do you
35:09
think it was? More of a crime of.
35:11
Passion per SE. He got caught just trying to
35:14
burn the house down for the money, but didn't necessarily
35:19
want to commit murder. I think it's pretty obvious that
35:23
he had all intentions of killing both his mother and sister, or
35:29
at the very least his mother and Anne got in the way.
35:34
She wasn't going to let him just pour gasoline around their
35:38
family home and not cry for help.
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So he did what he felt he had to do and he brutally murdered his
35:48
sister. I would love to hear your
35:52
thoughts on this case. Until next time, stay safe and
36:01
watch over shades of murder happening on the streets next
36:06
door, especially inside your own home.
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Shades of Murderer is created, written, researched and edited
36:16
by Lita Caldwell. Original music composed by
36:21
Stereo Code.