Jury throws book at Napa hitman who killed CHP captain lover’s husband — despite his kids’ pleas
A Kentucky jury recommended a life sentence for Thomas O'Donnell, a Napa Valley man convicted of murdering Michael Harding in a murder-for-hire plot orchestrated by Harding's estranged wife, former CHP captain Julie Harding. Despite emotional pleas from O'Donnell's children asking for leniency, the jury decided on the harshest possible penalty. Julie Harding died by suicide during the investigation, and O'Donnell now awaits final sentencing by the judge, with eligibility for parole after 20 years.
- ▪Thomas O'Donnell was convicted of murdering Michael Harding in a murder-for-hire scheme orchestrated by Harding's estranged wife, Julie Harding.
- ▪The jury unanimously recommended a life sentence, the most severe penalty available, after only 30 minutes of deliberation.
- ▪Julie Harding, a former California Highway Patrol captain, died by suicide two days after being arrested on suspicion of criminal trespassing.
- ▪Prosecutors presented digital evidence, including text messages and phone location data, linking O'Donnell to the murder on September 19, 2022, in Burkesville, Kentucky.
- ▪O'Donnell will receive about 3.5 years of credit for time served and will be eligible for parole after 20 years, though the jury's recommendation is nonbinding.
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Metro Jury throws book at Napa hitman who killed CHP captain lover’s husband — despite his kids’ pleas By Ben Chapman Published May 4, 2026, 8:44 p.m. ET A Kentucky jury came down hard on a Napa Valley man hired by a former California Highway Patrol captain to kill her husband in a twisted murder-for-hire plot – even after the killer’s distraught children begged for mercy. Cumberland County jurors on Monday recommended the most severe penalty they could, life in prison, for Thomas O’Donnell, in the killing of Michael Harding, the estranged husband of CHP captain Julie Harding. 8 O’Donnell faces life in prison. Cumberland County Sheriff's Office O’Donnell was convicted of murder by that same jury last Friday.
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