Jasmine Wright was 27.
The maintenance man standing trial for the rape and murder of a woman who lived in the building where he worked was found guilty on Wednesday of first degree murder and other charges and sentenced to life without parole.
James Harris, 56, was found guilty in the July 2015 rape and murder of 27-year-old Jasmine Wright, a Drexel graduate student, at her apartment near 50th and Locust Streets.
Harris had worked in the building where Wright lived, but had been fired a week earlier, according to reports. He still had keys to the building when Wright was murdered. Police said his DNA and fingerprints were found at the scene.
Harris, also known as “Jimmy Camp,” had dozens of prior arrests, according to court records.
Harris was convicted after a non-jury trail tried in a non-jury trial with Common Pleas Court Judge Sandy L.V. Byrd. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Harris waived a jury trial in exchange for the District Attorney’s office promise not to pursue the death penalty. He was convicted of first degree murder, which carries a mandatory life sentence without parole in Pennsylvania.
Wright’s family told the court during sentencing that Wright, who had a graduate degree in public health, was preparing for a career in health care advocacy when she was killed. Wright’s family has also filed a civil suit against the building’s property manager, Realty World, for not doing a background check of Harris before hiring him, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
March 30th, 2017 at 6:32 pm
Why would the DA’s office promise not to pursue he death penalty? So Harris gets three hots and a cot and free medical for life. He had “dozens” of prior arrests and shouldn’t have been out on the street. Justice was not done.
March 31st, 2017 at 9:50 am
Only 3 people have been executed in Pennsylvania in the last 40 years, and the last one was in the late 90s. And picking a death penalty jury in Philadelphia is extraordinarily time consuming – so if it’s 1) significant time and expense pursuing a sentence that puts him on death row for life, or 2) he waives right to jury trial and still goes to prison for life, just not on death row – #2 seems entirely reasonable.
Anyway, I hope the guy has a supremely miserable existence for the rest of his life.
March 31st, 2017 at 7:12 pm
Ms. Wright’s family should sue the property owner for negligence. Why on earth would they allow a fired employee to still have keys a week later? Who does that?
March 31st, 2017 at 7:13 pm
Oops, never mind. I just read in the article that her family has already filed suite. My bad.