Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Wife will go to trial for murder

Judge noticed the husband was shot from behind

A judge said the behavior of a Carlsbad housewife immediately after her husband was shot tended to show consciousness of guilt, rather than justifiable homicide. Judge Robert Kearney also noticed that the deceased was shot from behind, at the end of a hearing yesterday in San Diego’s North County Superior Courthouse.

Defendant Julie Elizabeth Harper, 39, was ordered to stand trial for murder in the death of her husband, Jason Harper, 39. The deceased man was a math teacher and occasional volleyball coach at Carlsbad High School, and was found dead from a single gunshot wound last summer, August 7, 2012.

Privately retained defense attorney Paul Pfingst suggested that Julie Harper was fearful of her husband, and he said their children confirmed to investigators that the couple had loud arguments. Julie Harper had recently filed paperwork for a divorce.

Prosecutor Keith Watanabe brought evidence showing that immediately after the shooting, Julie Harper put their three children into her minivan and went around the neighborhood trying to find someone who would take in her kids for a “playday.” At least two neighborhood women declined. Julie then went to Knuckleheads Gym and PlayWerx, places where children can play while parents supervise. After 1 p.m. Julie took her children to her sister’s home near La Jolla; this sister testified it was an unpleasant surprise when Julie quickly left for an “errand” and did not return until almost 10 p.m. At that time Julie came with her father and picked up the children and drove to downtown San Diego to meet with a criminal defense attorney.

The alleged murder weapon has not been found, according to prosecutor Watanabe.

Police found the husband’s body after attorney Paul Pfingst phoned and told them to do a “welfare check” at the home on Badger Lane in Carlsbad. That was after 11 p.m., the same day of the shooting.

Julie Harper’s father testified that Julie and her three children stayed with him at his home in Scripps Ranch the night of August 7, 2012. The father, John Cihak, said when police came to his door several times he did not answer because he “didn’t want to.” John Cihak said he was awaiting instructions from the attorney who was “handling Julie’s problem.” Julie surrendered to police about 3 p.m. the day after the shooting, on August 8, at her father’s home.

Testimony suggested that Jason Harper and his extended family believed his wife Julie was addicted to pain medication, and that she made unauthorized purchases which her husband was trying to prevent.

Julie Harper pleads not guilty to murder, and personal use of a handgun, for which she could get 50-years-to-life in prison. Julie Harper is held in lieu of $2 million bail, and is next due in court in February.

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/dec/13/36923/

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all

Previous article

Everything You’ve Ever Wanted To Know About doTERRA

A judge said the behavior of a Carlsbad housewife immediately after her husband was shot tended to show consciousness of guilt, rather than justifiable homicide. Judge Robert Kearney also noticed that the deceased was shot from behind, at the end of a hearing yesterday in San Diego’s North County Superior Courthouse.

Defendant Julie Elizabeth Harper, 39, was ordered to stand trial for murder in the death of her husband, Jason Harper, 39. The deceased man was a math teacher and occasional volleyball coach at Carlsbad High School, and was found dead from a single gunshot wound last summer, August 7, 2012.

Privately retained defense attorney Paul Pfingst suggested that Julie Harper was fearful of her husband, and he said their children confirmed to investigators that the couple had loud arguments. Julie Harper had recently filed paperwork for a divorce.

Prosecutor Keith Watanabe brought evidence showing that immediately after the shooting, Julie Harper put their three children into her minivan and went around the neighborhood trying to find someone who would take in her kids for a “playday.” At least two neighborhood women declined. Julie then went to Knuckleheads Gym and PlayWerx, places where children can play while parents supervise. After 1 p.m. Julie took her children to her sister’s home near La Jolla; this sister testified it was an unpleasant surprise when Julie quickly left for an “errand” and did not return until almost 10 p.m. At that time Julie came with her father and picked up the children and drove to downtown San Diego to meet with a criminal defense attorney.

The alleged murder weapon has not been found, according to prosecutor Watanabe.

Police found the husband’s body after attorney Paul Pfingst phoned and told them to do a “welfare check” at the home on Badger Lane in Carlsbad. That was after 11 p.m., the same day of the shooting.

Julie Harper’s father testified that Julie and her three children stayed with him at his home in Scripps Ranch the night of August 7, 2012. The father, John Cihak, said when police came to his door several times he did not answer because he “didn’t want to.” John Cihak said he was awaiting instructions from the attorney who was “handling Julie’s problem.” Julie surrendered to police about 3 p.m. the day after the shooting, on August 8, at her father’s home.

Testimony suggested that Jason Harper and his extended family believed his wife Julie was addicted to pain medication, and that she made unauthorized purchases which her husband was trying to prevent.

Julie Harper pleads not guilty to murder, and personal use of a handgun, for which she could get 50-years-to-life in prison. Julie Harper is held in lieu of $2 million bail, and is next due in court in February.

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/dec/13/36923/

Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Julie Harper on trial — take 2

Accused murderer heads back to court after acquittal last year
Next Article

Shot dead in bedroom

Defendant Julie Harper has a couple guns
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader