In New Haven, Connecticut, Willie McFarland was sentenced to 120 years behind bars for murdering a father and son in 1987. On August 27, 1987, 59-year-old Fred Harris and his son, 23-year-old Greg Harris were found in their home with their throats slashed and their limbs bound.
Connecticut Man Sentenced to 120 Years in Prison for Killing a Father and Son in 1987
According to a report of the crime scene and the deceased, the two were killed between August 21 and August 22, 1987. McFarland went into the Hamden residence expecting to burgle it but found the Harris family.
He tied the two up with a phone cord, but Greg got away while McFarland was looting elsewhere. Greg Harris was reportedly raped by McFarland before being stabbed in the chest. McFarland then slashed the son’s throat and went on to kill and assault his father. In discussing the murders years later, McFarland claimed he only walked out of the Harris house with about $31 in change.
The following day, McFarland was arrested in a separate but similar incident where he raped his victim at knifepoint one mile from the Harris slayings. He was interviewed after the murders and denied any involvement in killing Harrises.
Again: very similar incident in the same general area.
After contracting HIV and apparently having a new lease on life, an incarcerated Willie McFarland is said to have confessed in a letter to authorities in 1996. He reiterated his claims in an interview but authorities couldn’t move on their suspect with the evidence they had at the time.
Willie McFarland was charged in January 2019 when investigators handling cold cases found a glove from the crime scene. After scoring a DNA match for McFarland, he was eventually arrested by the Hamden PD that November. His arrest happened just a mile from the crime scene.
McFarland was given 60 years for each murder to be served consecutively.
CHECK IT OUT: Get The Overtimer’s Hottest Stories, Breaking News and Special Features in your email, CLICK HERE!
