Shooting ruled as murder/suicide
By JULIE GHRIST, Staff writerDILLONVALE - The Jefferson County Sheriff's Department is continuing its investigation of a late Friday double shooting which has been ruled as a murder/suicide.
Upon arriving at the scene at around 10 p.m., two bodies were discovered lying in the driveway of a home on county Road 7, according to Jefferson County Sheriff Fred Abdalla.
Abdalla stated witnesses saw and heard the gunshots fired by Donald Christopher Harris, 44, of Adena, at his girlfriend, 45-year-old Denise Kennedy of Dillonvale.
According to Abdalla and witnesses, the two were involved in a dispute after going to dinner earlier Friday. Later Friday, Harris went to Kennedy's home and began "beating" on the door, according to Abdalla. When Kennedy would not let him into the home, Harris apparently began slashing the tires on her car, the sheriff and witnesses reported.
Abdalla said Kennedy apparently then told her 12-year-old daughter, who was at home at the time of the incident, to call 911. But Harris had cut the phone lines, Abdalla said.
Somehow, Harris had gained entry into the home and Kennedy told her daughter to "run to a neighbor's house," saying she would come with her, Abdalla said.
The sheriff said Harris apparently then grabbed Kennedy and told her "she wasn't going anywhere."
As Kennedy broke free and was running barefoot down her driveway, she was shot, Abdalla reported, adding Harris then turned the gun on himself.
He added the 12-year-old stated she heard the two shots that were fired from the neighbors' home.
"We had several witnesses say they heard and saw Harris fire the gun," Abdalla commented. "The witnesses say they also heard the woman fall to ground."
The sheriff concluded by saying the incident is "just a tragedy."
He stated his heart breaks for the little girl, whose mother was only trying to protect her. "It's such a terrible thing."
Kennedy's daughter is currently staying with her father, the sheriff said.
(Ghrist can be contacted at jstenger@heraldstaronline.com.)
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AJ44240
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10-04-09 11:23 PM
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Denise is my little sister's Mom.. Katie is 11, not 12..They misunderstood when they posted the news and articles. Anyway, she is with my Dad in Adena.. I was there yesterday and she's actually doing a little better already.. the only problem is when she wakes up in the middle of the night, she cries and cries and my Dad spends hours trying to get her back to sleep. Chris Harris is from Adena, not sure if he ever went to Buckeye South though, I think he went to West because he is the same age as my sister and I'm positive they went to school together. All I know is that he stalked Denise every single day and night for the last 2 weeks and wouldn't leave her or my sister alone. Just 6 days ago my Dad told me that he and Denise had plans yesterday, Saturday, to go and pick out Katie's mini laptop together.. A tragedy like this takes place and literally makes me ask, "Why? Why to such an innocent little girl?" She keeps asking God to bring her mommy back..
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SRM1520
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10-04-09 2:08 PM
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I'm wondering if this shooter is the Donald Harris that was the Valedictorian of the 1982 graduating class of Buckeye South. If so, what a tragedy that with all his potential, this is what became of him.
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CarrollCounty
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10-04-09 11:01 AM
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This is sad chain of events that the 12 year old child will have to live with the rest of her life. What in the world is happening to people these days that would spark such a horrific chain of events.
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