Stephanie Harker (née Stevens) was a Canadian national who resided in New York City. She masterminded the murders of her wealthy husband and his stepdaughter.
History[]
Stephanie's father owned a souvenir stand on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. She spent her childhood envying the rich tourists she saw every day, and vowed to leave her small town and get rich any way she could. She ran over her husband's first wife with a car in Canada before she married.
She was arrested for ordering her friend Doris Nichols to shoot her husband and stepdaughter. She later killed Nichols. She fled to Canada and was later arrested, but the Canadian authorities initially refused to extradite her, citing the capital charge and Canada's opposition to the death penalty. They relented when promised by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office that they would not seek the death penalty.
Upon discovering new evidence strongly depicting the nature of the crime, District Attorney Adam Schiff went back on his word and sought the death penalty.
Stephanie was tried and convicted of two counts of murder for hire in the deaths of her husband and her stepdaughter, and one count of felony murder in Nichols' death, and was sentenced to death. (L&O: "True North")
Known Victims[]
- Rhonda Harker (Ronald's first wife; run over with her car)
- The apartment shootings (committed by Doris Nichols):
- Ronald Harker (her husband; shot twice in the chest)
- Caitlin Harker (her stepdaughter; shot once in the chest)
- Doris Nichols (accomplice; shot once in the chest and back)