November 27, 2025 • 36 mins
Original air date 11/27/2024. Re-published for Thanksgiving-themed episodes.
Around 2:15 am on Thanksgiving morning, 1995, in Fairfax, Virginia, 911 operators received a call that the Harper residence was on fire. When firefighters arrived at the house, fire and smoke masked the horrific scene inside. Once the flames were extinguished and the heavy smoke cleared, emergency personnel found the burnt body of a young woman. When investigators examined the scene, they discovered a rolling pin smeared with blood nearby. Who was this woman, and who was the monster who savagely attacked her on a family holiday and left her to burn in the flames?
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Research Materials for Episode 39:
https://annajourney.com/essays/the-goliath-jazz/
https://clok.uclan.ac.uk/32829/1/Psychology%20of%20Siblicide%20%20Chapter_Accepted%20%28March%202020%29.pdf
https://www.crimetraveller.org/2017/02/siblicide-homicidal-violence-between-siblings/
https://prisonlectionary.net/2015/11/11/matthew-b-harper/
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Age-of-Sibling-and-Other-Hoinicides-by-Status-of-OffenderAictim_tbl1_11338130
https://scholar.lib.vt.edu/VA-news/ROA-Times/issues/1995/rt9511/951125/11260015.htm
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1999/05/08/fairfax-man-gets-35-years-for-killing-sister-setting-fire/95d69ed4-4b4b-4436-90dc-7617350af3c0/
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:04):
Around 2:15 AM on Thanksgiving morning, 1995 in Fairfax, VA,
911 operators received a call that the Harper residence was on
fire. When firefighters arrived at the
house, fire and smoke massed thehorrific scene inside.
Once the flames were extinguished and the heavy smoke
cleared, emergency personnel found the burnt body of a young
(00:26):
woman. When investigators examined the
scene, they discovered a rollingpin smeared with blood nearby.
Who was this woman and who was the monster who sadly attacked
her on a family holiday and lefther to burn in the flames?
(01:14):
Hello and welcome to Shades of Murder.
I am your host Alita Caldwell. In each episode, I explore a
different case of murder, attempting to unravel the layers
of darkness that hell make humans into monsters.
Please be forewarned that each episode contains specific and at
times very graphic and disturbing details of the case.
(01:38):
This show is not intended for all audiences and listener
discretion is strongly advised. Investigators had established
that the mother, Elizabeth Harper, had escaped the fire by
jumping out of a window from hersecond story bedroom During the
fall. She broke her back, yet found
the power and strength to reach a neighbour's house to call 911.
(02:01):
Her neighbor promptly called thepolice and then ran back to the
burning house. Elizabeth's mother, Delphine
Parson, who was 85 at the time of the incident, resided in a
basement room in their home. There was no way to access the
front, so he ran around to the back of the place, got her
attention somehow and rescued her from the burning residence.
(02:21):
Thanks to the brave neighbor whofaced the rising smoke and
flames to bring this woman to safety.
Despite her frail teenage, she survived without any injuries.
Elizabeth Harper suffered first degree and 2nd degree burns in
addition to breaking her back, but she remained in stable
condition. When the fire had spread
throughout his family residence home, 18 year old Matthew Harper
(02:43):
had been sound asleep with his girlfriend at her house.
Upon being contacted about the fire, he immediately drove to
Fairfax Hospital where his mother Elizabeth had been
admitted. His older sister Anne, though,
wasn't there. According to her brother Matt,
he, along with Anne, some familymembers and friends, had dinner
together at Outback Steakhouse the night before, since they had
(03:04):
planned on spending all day cooking in the kitchen for
Thanksgiving. He and Anne then went to the
movie theater with friends and watched the Double O Seven film
Goldeneye. Matt claimed that he dropped
Anne off around midnight or so and went back to his
girlfriend's place where he spent the whole night.
Initially, the victim was claimed to be an unidentified
woman. Officer Anzi Allam, a
(03:27):
spokesperson for the Police Department, told the press that
they did not have enough information to determine whether
the death was an accident, suicide or a murder.
They did, however, find the circumstances around the woman's
death to be suspicious and were confident that someone had been
involved in the arson committed and her death.
When officers arrived at the hospital to deliver the grim
(03:49):
news to Anne's mother Elizabeth and her brother Matt, one
officer observed how, although he didn't express any warrants,
Matt's eyes conveyed complete devastation over her death.
The burnt body was believed to be the remains of 20 year old
College Soon Ann Harper who was visiting her family for the
(04:10):
holidays. When crime scene investigators
arrived at the scene of the house, they found the remains of
Ann Harper lying near the foyer by the living room.
She was lying face down with herfeet pointing into the living
room and her arms and head back toward the foyer.
Near the hallway laid a blood stained rolling pin on the
(04:32):
ground. Blood spatter surrounded her
body and the victim had a severewound to the back of her head.
An ignitable fluid had been poured on her back, crossed over
into her buttocks and the floor.Investigators noticed an area on
the floor that had been protected from the flames that
mirrored the imprint of a person.
(04:53):
It was believed that the body was placed on the floor and then
set on fire. What initially appeared to be a
tragic victim of a fire was now a victim of foul play.
Ann Harper had not just died in the fire, but she had been
brutally attacked and left in the burning house.
(05:14):
All evidence pointed to the firebeing set to cover up the murder
of Ann Harper. Upon entry to the Harper
residence, fire investigator Terry Hall noticed a clear
pouring pattern of some type of ignitable fluid.
On the other side of the living room was a red plastic gasoline
container, which indicated intentional Larsen.
(05:37):
A trail of the burn pattern began at the bottom of the
stairs, ran up the stairs and tothe doorway of the mother's
bedroom. It was also poured inside the
bedroom itself. Within the middle of the burn
pattern lay a single bladed knife around 3 inches wide.
Unfortunately, due to the extensive charring of the blade
(05:58):
and its handle from the fire, collecting any DNA was next to
impossible. Investigators believed that the
perpetrator had intended to stabMissus Harper after killing her
daughter Anne, and that Missus Harper may have been the true
target. Investigators later that day
(06:20):
visited Elizabeth Harper and asked her if she had heard or
seen anything unusual the night of the fire.
She told officers that while shewas in bed, she overheard her
daughter say to someone, what are you doing?
Miss Harper claimed that it wasn't said in a tone that
sounded hostile or one that would indicate the person she
(06:41):
was speaking to was a stranger. She.
Described it more or less. In a high pitched.
Tone, what are you doing? She wasn't overly concerned.
And didn't bother checking in onthe situation.
Instead, she used the restroom. When she opened the door, there
was smoke and flames everywhere.She attempted to use the phone
(07:03):
in the bedroom but it wasn't working as somehow it had been
disconnected. It was determined by
investigators at the house, who were communicating with
investigators at the hospital during the questioning of Missus
Harper, that in the kitchen areawas a landline telephone mounted
on the wall. The phone receiver had been
(07:25):
pulled off so no calls could be placed outside the house.
In the kitchen, they noticed howseveral drawers have been pulled
open which held kitchen like utensils like spatulas and
another which contained knives. Detective Jeff Miller of the
Fairfax County Police Departmentobserved no signs of anyone
(07:46):
entering the residence by force,except of course by the
firefighters. Investigators realized that this
heinous crime was not committed by some maniac or some drugged
up burglar, but likely by someone the victim knew.
All evidence pointed to a premeditated act of violence
committed by someone in the. World of the Harper family.
(08:08):
Ann Harper was a 20 year old junior at Hollands College in
Roanoke, VA. She was a gifted soprano, singer
and an honor student and shared her beautiful voice with her
fellow members at the Episcopalian Church and as part
of the Chapel Choir at Hollands College.
She had a passion for cathedralsand had spent an entire semester
in Europe, which inspired her topursue her major in Medieval
(08:33):
Studies. Ann Harper was described as a
very bright, kind, generous, andtalented young woman.
She was admired and seemed to beliked by everyone who knew her.
There were no obvious suspects as to who wanted her dead and
who could have viciously killed this young woman.
That is until Anne's father, Michael Harper, was tracked down
(08:56):
by detectives in New Jersey, where he had lived since
divorcing Anna Matt's mother, Elizabeth five years earlier.
While being interviewed by the police, he mentioned how Anne
had gotten together with one of her old boyfriends before she
went back home for the holidays.She had stopped at Washington
and Lee University in Lexington City, Virginia, where her
ex-boyfriend attended school before driving to Fairfax to be
(09:19):
with her family. He and Anne had recently parted
ways that September, and even though she was upset over the
relationship ending, it was saidthey had ended her amicable
terms. Her ex-boyfriend was in Houston,
TX with his family for Thanksgiving and thanks to the
help of the Houston Police Department, they were able to
track down his whereabouts. However, he was visibly upset
(09:42):
and shocked by the news of Anne's death.
The young man fully cooperated with investigators.
He said he was in Houston at thetime of the fire, which all
checked out, and he was eliminated as a suspect rather
quickly. Investigators next contacted
Holland's College to request contact information for Ann
Harper's classmates, professors and roommates.
(10:03):
That same day, Matt Harper was interviewed by a homicide
detective and the fire Marshall.Investigators noticed that he
was in barefoot when he arrived at the hospital the night the
family house was on fire. This could have been explained
away easily if it had been a warm summer day, except that it
was late November and in that part of Virginia during the fall
(10:25):
months, the nights dipped into the low 40s and even 30s.
There was no rational explanation why Matt Harper was
not wearing shoes that night. At the time of his initial
questioning at the hospital, investigators had also observed
a stain on his genes, which eerily resembled blood.
Matt claimed it was from pasta sauce he and his girlfriend had
(10:45):
made a couple nights ago. When asked if they could have
his pants for analysis, he handed them over to be tested
without any resistance. Investigators also inquired
about his relationship with his sister, Anne.
Matt claimed that he and Anne had been close and that
everything was fine between them.
They then asked if they could search his girlfriend's
(11:05):
residence, to which he agreed. When investigators arrived at
his girlfriend's place with a search warrant, she was guarded.
And very protective of her boyfriend Matt.
However, she allowed them to look around her place, including
the bedroom. On one of the pillow cases was a
dark smudged stain. It resembled soot.
(11:26):
Matt explained this away by saying that it must have
transferred to his face while embracing his mother at the
hospital. Detectives found to be bizarre.
They. Requested that the pillow case
also be tested. Investigators learn from several
emergency room employees how Matthew's nose and mouth had
what appeared to be traces of embers it.
(11:47):
However, they claim they never saw him hug his mother or show
any affection at all toward her.They also reported that there
seemed to be an uncomfortable, strained connection between the
mother and her son. A nurse reported to detectives
that they were not emotional toward one another and their
(12:08):
interaction was strange and unnatural.
The investigation was ongoing and two weeks after the fire in
Anne's death, the autopsy reportcame in.
It revealed that Ann Harper had not died from smoke inhalation
as they initially suspected. She had died from multiple stab
wounds to her back caused by a six inch blade, in addition to
(12:30):
blunt force trauma to her head which was likely caused by the
rolling pin. This young woman, on the night
before she was planning to celebrate Thanksgiving with her
family and friends, had been viciously assaulted and murdered
inside her own home with tools designed to cook a holiday
dinner with. On December 14th, 1995, the
(12:51):
results from Matt Harper's genesarrived.
It was proven to be blood, not pasta sauce as he had claimed,
and the blood was identified as belonging to the victim, his
sister Ann Harper. All evidence indicated that Matt
Harper had murdered his sister on Thanksgiving morning.
(13:14):
When investigators attempted to contact Matt Harper for further
questioning, they were informed that he had a family friend now
who was representing him as his attorney.
Matt. 'S mother also no longer wanted
to communicate further with law enforcement.
Elizabeth Harper would not cooperate with the
investigation. And behaved as if.
(13:35):
She didn't care whether or not the police found her daughter.
'S killer homicide investigatorsfelt as if.
They were the only. Ones fighting to gain justice
for Anne. Although it seemed clear that
Matt Harper was the perpetrator,investigators didn't believe
they had enough evidence to secure a conviction.
(13:59):
No additional information was gathered to help the case push
forward and the investigation stalled.
Meanwhile, Matt Harper had decided to major in psychology
at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA.
He also did not let the murder of his sister to tear him from
his strong commitment to the church.
Matt Harper was deemed a young, promising leader of the
(14:20):
Christian faith and a model student by many who knew him.
He was involved in the Vestry, the leadership group of the
Canterbury Episcopal campus ministry.
Then, while conducting an annualreview of their open fire cases,
Investigator Hull looked closelyat the case file and remembered
something strange. He.
(14:40):
Recalled Matt Harper being. Barefoot when he arrived at the
hospital after the fire. Then, while looking over some
notes taken by an officer who had canvassed the area around
the Harper house, something caught his eye.
This officer had written down how several neighbors had heard
dogs barking and saw a car. Then, when he looked at
(15:02):
photographs of the area and brought up pictures of the
general area, he noticed a park southeast of the Harper
residence and a Creek that ran. Along IT investigator.
Hall suspected that Matt Harper didn't have any shoes on at the
hospital because he had throwed them in the Creek.
It may have sounded. Like a stretch, but he trusted
(15:23):
his instincts. Investigator Hall and another
detective walked over to the park.
They crossed over a bridge wherethe Creek ran under it in an S
shape. At one side of the end of the S
lay a large pile of debris. As they shifted through it,
Investigator Hall came across one leather shoe.
(15:44):
He dug further and found its mate.
He knew that in his gut these were Matt Harper's shoes, but
considering they had been sitting outside in the Creek for
over a year now, any viable evidence would have been lost.
The only chance they had to prove these were Matt Harper's
shoes was for a toe alignment analysis, so they were granted a
(16:11):
search warrant for a plaster cast to be done off of Matt
Harper's feet in addition to thecollection of three pairs of his
shoes. Investigators arrived at Matt
Harper's residence at James Madison University and issued a
search warrant. Matt Harper first behaved as if
he was confused. He didn't understand why they
were there, but then he became visibly angry with this request
(16:36):
and resisted complying with officers.
However, detectives there sternly reminded him that the
alternative was for him to go infront of a judge for not
complying with the search warrant.
Matt Harper, begrudgingly. Obliged once the pieces.
Of this puzzle began to fall into place.
Homicide detectives established the theory that Matt Harper had
(16:58):
not set his family's residence on fire to murder his sister,
but rather in an attempt to disguise how he had brutally
killed her to cover up any remaining evidence.
Investigators also believed thatthe act of arson was committed
with the intent to conceal the murder of his mother, since the
knife had been found in her room.
(17:20):
However, Elizabeth Harper had thrown her son's sinister plans
off when she dove out of the bathroom window of her second
story bedroom to escape the flames.
Matt Harper was. Always the primary suspect in
the eyes of homicide detectives,they simply didn't have the
evidence necessary, nor any clear motive to pursue criminal
(17:40):
charges against him. That is, they didn't until they
began peeling back the layers ofwho Matt Harper really was upon
his initial discussion with police.
Matt Harper had. Pointed.
Officers in the direction of theperson who had stolen his
expensive bike from inside the garage.
He had filed a report for the stolen property and received.
(18:02):
$3600 in insurance. This.
Same bicycle was later traced toa consignment shop where Matthew
had sold the bike. A friend of Matt's told police
officers that one of his friendsowned a bike shop.
He claimed that Matt would get abike, dismantle it, and sell the
parts to his friend. Then he would make an insurance
(18:22):
claim and receive money for the stolen bike.
The previous summer, Matt Harperhad filed a different claim for
another bike that was accidentally burned.
This pattern of fraud and deception was beginning to show
his true colors, and vestigatorsbegan to dig deeper.
They then discovered three additional claims the insurance
(18:45):
company had refused to pay sinceMatt declined to cooperate with
their investigations. Then they came across an
insurance policy for his mother,which was around $150,000.
What really raised a red flag though, was when a friend of
Matt's reported that Matt had mentioned to them one time that
(19:07):
if his entire family died, he would receive over $1,000,000
and life insurance benefits during the same period.
The Virginia Crime Lab returned with the results of the shoes.
The plaster cast made of Matt Harper's feet perfectly matched
the leather shoes thrown in the Creek.
(19:28):
Almost two years after Ann Harper was brutally and
senselessly murdered and her body set on fire, her brother
Matt was brought into custody at8:00 AM while attending his sign
language class at James Madison University.
Homicide investigators entered the classroom, took him into
custody, and arrested Matthew Harper in the hallway.
(19:52):
That Matt Harper was considered to be the culprit behind this
brutal crime was shocking to thecommunity, especially to his
family who didn't believe he wasguilty.
It appeared pretty much everyonebelieved in his innocence.
That is, except for his victim. Ann Harper's journal contained
several. Entries that painted her
brother. Much darker than others
(20:14):
perceived him to be, she wrote how things became scary During
one particular fight between herbrother and their mother over
his wanting to live with his father, Matt had cracked one of
the doors and punched a hole in the wall.
His violence was not limited to the walls of the Harper family's
home, though, and according to one entry shared during his
(20:36):
criminal trial, Anne had writtenAnd I quote mom and Matt got
into. An awful fight today.
It got physical, mom. Has an awful red mark on her
right eye and for a while. Her lower face was swollen.
In other entries, she wrote. About her brother Matt.
(20:57):
'S increasing hostility. And aggression.
Shown towards her asking rhetorically why I haven't done
anything even after Matt Harper had been indicted on charges of.
First degree murder, he continued.
To attend his college courses. Unlike many other offenders, his
(21:20):
family had complete faith in hisinnocence and had posted his
bond so he could continue livinghis best life while awaiting his
murder trial. Once the prosecution presented
him with evidence that allegedlybrought to surface the truth of
what had happened that day, which he claimed to have
repressed, Matthew Harbour confessed to murdering his
(21:43):
sister and setting his family's home on fire in his.
Formal confession, he wrote, andI quote.
I remembered in horror that I stabbed my sister.
I remembered going upstairs to tell my mother what had happened
and that I could not find her. I remembered spreading gasoline.
I remembered fleeing the house and the house being on fire when
(22:05):
I fled. His confession worked in his
favor as the District Attorney now decided to strike a plea
agreement with the defense counsel Matt Harper now face the
lesser charge of second degree murder and arson, while the
attempted murder of his mother was.
Dropped. Neither a verbal or written
(22:25):
statement was given by Matt Harper as the reasons behind why
he murdered his sister. Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney
Raymond F Moreau was understandably cynical toward
the so-called repressed memoriesthat led to Matt Harper's
confession as he described the crime.
The defendant's actions were brutal, savage, and rather
methodical in the killing of hissister.
(22:48):
He also presented to the court how, when shown photos of his
dead sister's body in an earlierhearing, Matt Harper continued
to deny being the perpetrator, and he conveyed no emotion
overseeing these morbid picturesof his sister, Anne.
It was presented to the court that Ann Harper's murder was
motivated by financial gain. Specifically, Matt Harper had
(23:12):
planned to collect the insurancemoney he would receive if his
sister and mother were both dead.
The prosecution presented the following sequence of events.
Around 2:00 AM on Thanksgiving morning, Matt Harper returned to
his mother's residence and snuckinto the house from the garage.
Ann Harper was up late studying and caught her brother in the
(23:33):
act as he was about to set the house on fire.
He was going to get caught and he had to hush her up.
Matt ran into the kitchen, grabbed the rolling pin and
knife, and returned to the living room to confront Anne.
He bashed her in the back of thehead with the rolling pin and
stabbed her in the back multipletimes.
As Anne collapsed to the ground,Matt poured the gasoline all
(23:58):
around her body. He then walked up the stairs
with the knife in one hand as hecovered the stairs with the
ignitable fluid in the other. Matt poured some into the
doorway before he opened his mother's room, wielding the
knife. His mother was in the restroom.
He poured more around the room, dropped the knife, set the fire
(24:19):
and laughed on. May 7th. 1999 Matthew B Harper,
now 22 years old, was given the maximum sentence permitted under
a plea agreement for second degree murder in arson, which
was 35 years before any possibility of parole.
Ironically, after he received his punishment, he made the
first public statement regardinghis actions.
(24:40):
He addressed a full courtroom, including his family members and
friends, and stated And I quote.When I think about my sister, I
think of a beautiful young woman.
I miss her every day. I can't believe I took her life,
but I know that I did. Although no one came to testify
(25:01):
on behalf of Matthew Harper, theCircuit Court judge did receive
many letters from his family andfriends, including two from his
mother, Elizabeth, asking him toconsider a letter sentence for
her son. His mother wrote, and I quote,
the only possibility of redemption for me is the
possibility of some kind of new life with my son.
(25:24):
There is no additional information as to what she may
have meant by this words. However, it was speculated by
investigators and prosecution that since Elizabeth Harper had
already lost her daughter, she couldn't bear to lose her other
child. Perhaps she blamed herself for
(25:44):
what happened and felt responsible in some way for
turning that into the monster hebecame.
I don't know. I personally have a difficult
time believing that he repressedthe memory of bludgeoning and
stabbing his sister to death, pouring gasoline on her body and
setting it on fire. There is strong evidence that
(26:07):
his actions were completely premeditated.
He. Expressed remorse and confessed,
but it sounded to me as if it were choreographed to solely
benefit himself. That prosecution had strong
evidence and when he realized that he would likely be
convicted of first degree premeditated murder in order for
(26:28):
him to have a chance of freedom one day, he knew he had to
strike a plea deal. I hate that this happens so
often. I do understand that it is
frequently used to ensure that at least some form of justice is
found, but in this case, I thinkthere was ample enough evidence
to prove that Matt Harper intended to commit arson and
(26:51):
murder. So what is there to say about
this unusual and horrifying typeof homicide?
The kind of sybilicide that is discussed here is radically
different from that of an honor killing, where a brother murders
his sister, often by the direction of one or both parents
or another relative, in responseto her dishonoring the family in
(27:14):
some way. This type of homicide involves
very distinct motivations and cultural factors that are not
present in the other form of siblicide as described in this
case. The research on non honor
siblicide killings has been unfortunately minimal, but
certain patterns have emerged from what has been studied and
analyzed over the last 60 years.The act of when a sibling
(27:38):
murders another brother or sister is called siblicide.
Specifically, when a brother is killed it is called fratricide,
and if a sister is murdered it is called seroricide, taken
after the Greek terms for sisterand brother.
Although murders within the family occur more frequently
than most of us like to believe,they are still uncommon amongst
(28:03):
family murders. The act of sybilicide is.
An. Extremely rare event.
On average, out of all interfamilial homicide,
sybilicide only happens in around 2% of cases, with a
national data range between 1 and 8% occurring in the United
States every year. A brother killing their brother
(28:24):
has the highest rate, with a brother killing their sister
being the lowest. Which sibling is more likely to
murder their brother or sister? Research again is limited, but
it has been mixed. Studies done in Britain, Canada,
Japan, and in the specific area of Chicago in the United States
have revealed that younger siblings are more likely to kill
(28:47):
their older siblings. It has also been determined that
the vast majority of individualswho murder their siblings are
adults. One empirical analysis showed
that sybilicide as a teenager isvery rare, occurring in 9% of
cases, whereas 78% of cases involved adult vendors and adult
victims. It was noted that the victims
(29:10):
are usually within only a few years of the offender.
The average age of the offender and the victim is between 33 and
34 years old, with the peak agesbetween 20 and 30.
This range of age coincides withthe most common age group of
violent criminals, specifically those who commit homicide.
A multinational study that was conducted across 75 countries
(29:33):
found similar results. The lowest percentage of 123
victims in this study was between 12 and 19 years old, at
only 2%. The second lowest was 60 years
and older, with only three percent. 9% of civilicide cases
were committed by children underthe age of 12.
Interestingly, the age groups of20 to 29 and 30 to 59 committed
(29:56):
43% each of all the studied cases.
Analysis of sibilicide found that similar to other homicides,
sibling murders use firearms andknives significantly more than
other types of weapons, with firearms being the number one
method. The other relatively common way
to kill a sibling involved the use of blunt objects,
(30:17):
asphyxiation, personal weapons, which I'm not sure what that
entails exactly, and strangulation.
The presence of alcohol or drugsis known to be a common element
in the crime of killing one's sibling, specifically alcohol,
although it was not acknowledgedin any reports I came across.
A blog that was written by an acquaintance of both Matthew and
(30:38):
Ann Harper's mentioned that it was believed by her mother,
amongst others in the community,that Matt had been actively
using cocaine at the time of theincident.
Now, of course, no substance abuse is the primary trigger to
commit such a violent crime. However, combined with other
traits like antisocial personality disorder, which
(31:01):
based on the details of the casethat profiled his character, it
seems in all likelihood Matt Harper was inflicted with.
Then there were issues of sibling jealousy and the
recorded aggressive behaviour toward his victim.
Another common characteristic ofsybilicide is money, or what
(31:21):
equates to money tied to property or land.
Sybilicide perpetrated by an offender's mental illness and
developmental disabilities is very rare, but.
There have been exceptions to the rule.
Regarding sybilicide between youth versus adults, youth are
categorized as individuals under21 years of age.
So in the case of Man and Harper, they were considered non
(31:45):
adult offenders and non adult victims in such acts of
siblicide which occur between siblings 21 years or younger.
The proximity thesis has been proposed to help explain some of
the factors that may come into play.
The proximity thesis suggests that younger siblings who share
the same home as they grow up compete for parental approval
(32:06):
and attention. As a result, they often engage
in relationship conflict behaviors.
Jealousy, rivalry, and competition are significant
factors that could motivate 1 sibling to kill the other.
There is also the family subsystem.
This involves parent child and parent parent relationships that
influence the way siblings interact and relate to one
(32:30):
another. How a parent treats one child
has a strong effect on the othersibling.
Each sibling's behavior and feelings are influenced by these
relationships, and if they are treated differently by the
parent than their sibling is, this can elicit aggression and
violence toward the preferred sibling.
Although Matt Harper never acknowledged such feelings, I
(32:53):
think it would be safe to say that he held some resentment and
envy toward his sister Anne. From all accounts, she was.
The golden child and there was apart.
Of him that. Hated her for that.
Since the research. Is limited to sibling homicide.
The identification of potential risk factors has been difficult,
some pretty. Obvious signs though would
(33:14):
include unintentional or accidental sibilicide of another
sibling, abuse, domestic violence, easy access to
firearms, neglectful parents, substance abuse, and when
siblings live with each other asadults.
In terms of philosophy, the concept of sibling rivalry and
the death wish of a sibling was previously explored by the late
(33:35):
Sigmund Freud. The late philosopher Alfred
Adler theorized that birth orderinfluenced the relationship
between siblings, with a focus on 1st borns being tyrants who
felt dethroned and threatened bythe arrival of their younger
siblings, who have a tendency tobe selfish and lazy.
He considered that firstborns are in a place of constant
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struggle to hold their place as being first.
Although there is little to no evidence to support his theory,
it is interesting to note how the placement of birth may
increase feelings of hostility between siblings.
Time will tell if Matthew Harperhas redeemed himself enough in
the eyes of the law to receive parole when he is first
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qualified for release from prison in 2029.
Since entering prison, he has completed undergraduate and
graduate degrees, worked as a chaplain's assistant, is the
leader of a religious community,is a tutor for incarcerated GED
students, has become a publishedauthor, and trains therapy dogs.
(34:41):
In fact, as of today, he writes scripture and words of
inspiration to fellow Christians, which is available
to read online. Matt Harper's status as a model.
Prisoner is hard to deny. And.
We all know the. Society loves a good.
Redemption story, what do you think?
(35:02):
Do you think Matt Harper? Committed.
Premeditated. First degree murder or do you
think it was? More of a crime of.
Passion per SE. He got caught just trying to
burn the house down for the money, but didn't necessarily
want to commit murder. I think it's pretty obvious that
(35:23):
he had all intentions of killingboth his mother and sister, or
at the very least his mother andAnne got in the way.
She wasn't going to let him justpour gasoline around their
family home and not cry for help.
So he did what he felt he had todo and he brutally murdered his
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sister. I would love to hear your
thoughts on this case. Until next time, stay safe and
watch over shades of murder happening on the streets next
door, especially inside your ownhome.
(36:12):
Shades of Murderer is created, written, researched and edited
by Lita Caldwell. Original music composed by
Stereo Code.
Around 2:15 AM on Thanksgiving morning, 1995 in Fairfax, VA,
911 operators received a call that the Harper residence was on
fire. When firefighters arrived at the
house, fire and smoke massed thehorrific scene inside.
Once the flames were extinguished and the heavy smoke
cleared, emergency personnel found the burnt body of a young
(00:26):
woman. When investigators examined the
scene, they discovered a rollingpin smeared with blood nearby.
Who was this woman and who was the monster who sadly attacked
her on a family holiday and lefther to burn in the flames?
(01:14):
Hello and welcome to Shades of Murder.
I am your host Alita Caldwell. In each episode, I explore a
different case of murder, attempting to unravel the layers
of darkness that hell make humans into monsters.
Please be forewarned that each episode contains specific and at
times very graphic and disturbing details of the case.
(01:38):
This show is not intended for all audiences and listener
discretion is strongly advised. Investigators had established
that the mother, Elizabeth Harper, had escaped the fire by
jumping out of a window from hersecond story bedroom During the
fall. She broke her back, yet found
the power and strength to reach a neighbour's house to call 911.
(02:01):
Her neighbor promptly called thepolice and then ran back to the
burning house. Elizabeth's mother, Delphine
Parson, who was 85 at the time of the incident, resided in a
basement room in their home. There was no way to access the
front, so he ran around to the back of the place, got her
attention somehow and rescued her from the burning residence.
(02:21):
Thanks to the brave neighbor whofaced the rising smoke and
flames to bring this woman to safety.
Despite her frail teenage, she survived without any injuries.
Elizabeth Harper suffered first degree and 2nd degree burns in
addition to breaking her back, but she remained in stable
condition. When the fire had spread
throughout his family residence home, 18 year old Matthew Harper
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had been sound asleep with his girlfriend at her house.
Upon being contacted about the fire, he immediately drove to
Fairfax Hospital where his mother Elizabeth had been
admitted. His older sister Anne, though,
wasn't there. According to her brother Matt,
he, along with Anne, some familymembers and friends, had dinner
together at Outback Steakhouse the night before, since they had
(03:04):
planned on spending all day cooking in the kitchen for
Thanksgiving. He and Anne then went to the
movie theater with friends and watched the Double O Seven film
Goldeneye. Matt claimed that he dropped
Anne off around midnight or so and went back to his
girlfriend's place where he spent the whole night.
Initially, the victim was claimed to be an unidentified
woman. Officer Anzi Allam, a
(03:27):
spokesperson for the Police Department, told the press that
they did not have enough information to determine whether
the death was an accident, suicide or a murder.
They did, however, find the circumstances around the woman's
death to be suspicious and were confident that someone had been
involved in the arson committed and her death.
When officers arrived at the hospital to deliver the grim
(03:49):
news to Anne's mother Elizabeth and her brother Matt, one
officer observed how, although he didn't express any warrants,
Matt's eyes conveyed complete devastation over her death.
The burnt body was believed to be the remains of 20 year old
College Soon Ann Harper who was visiting her family for the
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holidays. When crime scene investigators
arrived at the scene of the house, they found the remains of
Ann Harper lying near the foyer by the living room.
She was lying face down with herfeet pointing into the living
room and her arms and head back toward the foyer.
Near the hallway laid a blood stained rolling pin on the
(04:32):
ground. Blood spatter surrounded her
body and the victim had a severewound to the back of her head.
An ignitable fluid had been poured on her back, crossed over
into her buttocks and the floor.Investigators noticed an area on
the floor that had been protected from the flames that
mirrored the imprint of a person.
(04:53):
It was believed that the body was placed on the floor and then
set on fire. What initially appeared to be a
tragic victim of a fire was now a victim of foul play.
Ann Harper had not just died in the fire, but she had been
brutally attacked and left in the burning house.
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All evidence pointed to the firebeing set to cover up the murder
of Ann Harper. Upon entry to the Harper
residence, fire investigator Terry Hall noticed a clear
pouring pattern of some type of ignitable fluid.
On the other side of the living room was a red plastic gasoline
container, which indicated intentional Larsen.
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A trail of the burn pattern began at the bottom of the
stairs, ran up the stairs and tothe doorway of the mother's
bedroom. It was also poured inside the
bedroom itself. Within the middle of the burn
pattern lay a single bladed knife around 3 inches wide.
Unfortunately, due to the extensive charring of the blade
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and its handle from the fire, collecting any DNA was next to
impossible. Investigators believed that the
perpetrator had intended to stabMissus Harper after killing her
daughter Anne, and that Missus Harper may have been the true
target. Investigators later that day
(06:20):
visited Elizabeth Harper and asked her if she had heard or
seen anything unusual the night of the fire.
She told officers that while shewas in bed, she overheard her
daughter say to someone, what are you doing?
Miss Harper claimed that it wasn't said in a tone that
sounded hostile or one that would indicate the person she
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was speaking to was a stranger. She.
Described it more or less. In a high pitched.
Tone, what are you doing? She wasn't overly concerned.
And didn't bother checking in onthe situation.
Instead, she used the restroom. When she opened the door, there
was smoke and flames everywhere.She attempted to use the phone
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in the bedroom but it wasn't working as somehow it had been
disconnected. It was determined by
investigators at the house, who were communicating with
investigators at the hospital during the questioning of Missus
Harper, that in the kitchen areawas a landline telephone mounted
on the wall. The phone receiver had been
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pulled off so no calls could be placed outside the house.
In the kitchen, they noticed howseveral drawers have been pulled
open which held kitchen like utensils like spatulas and
another which contained knives. Detective Jeff Miller of the
Fairfax County Police Departmentobserved no signs of anyone
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entering the residence by force,except of course by the
firefighters. Investigators realized that this
heinous crime was not committed by some maniac or some drugged
up burglar, but likely by someone the victim knew.
All evidence pointed to a premeditated act of violence
committed by someone in the. World of the Harper family.
(08:08):
Ann Harper was a 20 year old junior at Hollands College in
Roanoke, VA. She was a gifted soprano, singer
and an honor student and shared her beautiful voice with her
fellow members at the Episcopalian Church and as part
of the Chapel Choir at Hollands College.
She had a passion for cathedralsand had spent an entire semester
in Europe, which inspired her topursue her major in Medieval
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Studies. Ann Harper was described as a
very bright, kind, generous, andtalented young woman.
She was admired and seemed to beliked by everyone who knew her.
There were no obvious suspects as to who wanted her dead and
who could have viciously killed this young woman.
That is until Anne's father, Michael Harper, was tracked down
(08:56):
by detectives in New Jersey, where he had lived since
divorcing Anna Matt's mother, Elizabeth five years earlier.
While being interviewed by the police, he mentioned how Anne
had gotten together with one of her old boyfriends before she
went back home for the holidays.She had stopped at Washington
and Lee University in Lexington City, Virginia, where her
ex-boyfriend attended school before driving to Fairfax to be
(09:19):
with her family. He and Anne had recently parted
ways that September, and even though she was upset over the
relationship ending, it was saidthey had ended her amicable
terms. Her ex-boyfriend was in Houston,
TX with his family for Thanksgiving and thanks to the
help of the Houston Police Department, they were able to
track down his whereabouts. However, he was visibly upset
(09:42):
and shocked by the news of Anne's death.
The young man fully cooperated with investigators.
He said he was in Houston at thetime of the fire, which all
checked out, and he was eliminated as a suspect rather
quickly. Investigators next contacted
Holland's College to request contact information for Ann
Harper's classmates, professors and roommates.
(10:03):
That same day, Matt Harper was interviewed by a homicide
detective and the fire Marshall.Investigators noticed that he
was in barefoot when he arrived at the hospital the night the
family house was on fire. This could have been explained
away easily if it had been a warm summer day, except that it
was late November and in that part of Virginia during the fall
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months, the nights dipped into the low 40s and even 30s.
There was no rational explanation why Matt Harper was
not wearing shoes that night. At the time of his initial
questioning at the hospital, investigators had also observed
a stain on his genes, which eerily resembled blood.
Matt claimed it was from pasta sauce he and his girlfriend had
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made a couple nights ago. When asked if they could have
his pants for analysis, he handed them over to be tested
without any resistance. Investigators also inquired
about his relationship with his sister, Anne.
Matt claimed that he and Anne had been close and that
everything was fine between them.
They then asked if they could search his girlfriend's
(11:05):
residence, to which he agreed. When investigators arrived at
his girlfriend's place with a search warrant, she was guarded.
And very protective of her boyfriend Matt.
However, she allowed them to look around her place, including
the bedroom. On one of the pillow cases was a
dark smudged stain. It resembled soot.
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Matt explained this away by saying that it must have
transferred to his face while embracing his mother at the
hospital. Detectives found to be bizarre.
They. Requested that the pillow case
also be tested. Investigators learn from several
emergency room employees how Matthew's nose and mouth had
what appeared to be traces of embers it.
(11:47):
However, they claim they never saw him hug his mother or show
any affection at all toward her.They also reported that there
seemed to be an uncomfortable, strained connection between the
mother and her son. A nurse reported to detectives
that they were not emotional toward one another and their
(12:08):
interaction was strange and unnatural.
The investigation was ongoing and two weeks after the fire in
Anne's death, the autopsy reportcame in.
It revealed that Ann Harper had not died from smoke inhalation
as they initially suspected. She had died from multiple stab
wounds to her back caused by a six inch blade, in addition to
(12:30):
blunt force trauma to her head which was likely caused by the
rolling pin. This young woman, on the night
before she was planning to celebrate Thanksgiving with her
family and friends, had been viciously assaulted and murdered
inside her own home with tools designed to cook a holiday
dinner with. On December 14th, 1995, the
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results from Matt Harper's genesarrived.
It was proven to be blood, not pasta sauce as he had claimed,
and the blood was identified as belonging to the victim, his
sister Ann Harper. All evidence indicated that Matt
Harper had murdered his sister on Thanksgiving morning.
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When investigators attempted to contact Matt Harper for further
questioning, they were informed that he had a family friend now
who was representing him as his attorney.
Matt. 'S mother also no longer wanted
to communicate further with law enforcement.
Elizabeth Harper would not cooperate with the
investigation. And behaved as if.
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She didn't care whether or not the police found her daughter.
'S killer homicide investigatorsfelt as if.
They were the only. Ones fighting to gain justice
for Anne. Although it seemed clear that
Matt Harper was the perpetrator,investigators didn't believe
they had enough evidence to secure a conviction.
(13:59):
No additional information was gathered to help the case push
forward and the investigation stalled.
Meanwhile, Matt Harper had decided to major in psychology
at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA.
He also did not let the murder of his sister to tear him from
his strong commitment to the church.
Matt Harper was deemed a young, promising leader of the
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Christian faith and a model student by many who knew him.
He was involved in the Vestry, the leadership group of the
Canterbury Episcopal campus ministry.
Then, while conducting an annualreview of their open fire cases,
Investigator Hull looked closelyat the case file and remembered
something strange. He.
(14:40):
Recalled Matt Harper being. Barefoot when he arrived at the
hospital after the fire. Then, while looking over some
notes taken by an officer who had canvassed the area around
the Harper house, something caught his eye.
This officer had written down how several neighbors had heard
dogs barking and saw a car. Then, when he looked at
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photographs of the area and brought up pictures of the
general area, he noticed a park southeast of the Harper
residence and a Creek that ran. Along IT investigator.
Hall suspected that Matt Harper didn't have any shoes on at the
hospital because he had throwed them in the Creek.
It may have sounded. Like a stretch, but he trusted
(15:23):
his instincts. Investigator Hall and another
detective walked over to the park.
They crossed over a bridge wherethe Creek ran under it in an S
shape. At one side of the end of the S
lay a large pile of debris. As they shifted through it,
Investigator Hall came across one leather shoe.
(15:44):
He dug further and found its mate.
He knew that in his gut these were Matt Harper's shoes, but
considering they had been sitting outside in the Creek for
over a year now, any viable evidence would have been lost.
The only chance they had to prove these were Matt Harper's
shoes was for a toe alignment analysis, so they were granted a
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search warrant for a plaster cast to be done off of Matt
Harper's feet in addition to thecollection of three pairs of his
shoes. Investigators arrived at Matt
Harper's residence at James Madison University and issued a
search warrant. Matt Harper first behaved as if
he was confused. He didn't understand why they
were there, but then he became visibly angry with this request
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and resisted complying with officers.
However, detectives there sternly reminded him that the
alternative was for him to go infront of a judge for not
complying with the search warrant.
Matt Harper, begrudgingly. Obliged once the pieces.
Of this puzzle began to fall into place.
Homicide detectives established the theory that Matt Harper had
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not set his family's residence on fire to murder his sister,
but rather in an attempt to disguise how he had brutally
killed her to cover up any remaining evidence.
Investigators also believed thatthe act of arson was committed
with the intent to conceal the murder of his mother, since the
knife had been found in her room.
(17:20):
However, Elizabeth Harper had thrown her son's sinister plans
off when she dove out of the bathroom window of her second
story bedroom to escape the flames.
Matt Harper was. Always the primary suspect in
the eyes of homicide detectives,they simply didn't have the
evidence necessary, nor any clear motive to pursue criminal
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charges against him. That is, they didn't until they
began peeling back the layers ofwho Matt Harper really was upon
his initial discussion with police.
Matt Harper had. Pointed.
Officers in the direction of theperson who had stolen his
expensive bike from inside the garage.
He had filed a report for the stolen property and received.
(18:02):
$3600 in insurance. This.
Same bicycle was later traced toa consignment shop where Matthew
had sold the bike. A friend of Matt's told police
officers that one of his friendsowned a bike shop.
He claimed that Matt would get abike, dismantle it, and sell the
parts to his friend. Then he would make an insurance
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claim and receive money for the stolen bike.
The previous summer, Matt Harperhad filed a different claim for
another bike that was accidentally burned.
This pattern of fraud and deception was beginning to show
his true colors, and vestigatorsbegan to dig deeper.
They then discovered three additional claims the insurance
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company had refused to pay sinceMatt declined to cooperate with
their investigations. Then they came across an
insurance policy for his mother,which was around $150,000.
What really raised a red flag though, was when a friend of
Matt's reported that Matt had mentioned to them one time that
(19:07):
if his entire family died, he would receive over $1,000,000
and life insurance benefits during the same period.
The Virginia Crime Lab returned with the results of the shoes.
The plaster cast made of Matt Harper's feet perfectly matched
the leather shoes thrown in the Creek.
(19:28):
Almost two years after Ann Harper was brutally and
senselessly murdered and her body set on fire, her brother
Matt was brought into custody at8:00 AM while attending his sign
language class at James Madison University.
Homicide investigators entered the classroom, took him into
custody, and arrested Matthew Harper in the hallway.
(19:52):
That Matt Harper was considered to be the culprit behind this
brutal crime was shocking to thecommunity, especially to his
family who didn't believe he wasguilty.
It appeared pretty much everyonebelieved in his innocence.
That is, except for his victim. Ann Harper's journal contained
several. Entries that painted her
brother. Much darker than others
(20:14):
perceived him to be, she wrote how things became scary During
one particular fight between herbrother and their mother over
his wanting to live with his father, Matt had cracked one of
the doors and punched a hole in the wall.
His violence was not limited to the walls of the Harper family's
home, though, and according to one entry shared during his
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criminal trial, Anne had writtenAnd I quote mom and Matt got
into. An awful fight today.
It got physical, mom. Has an awful red mark on her
right eye and for a while. Her lower face was swollen.
In other entries, she wrote. About her brother Matt.
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'S increasing hostility. And aggression.
Shown towards her asking rhetorically why I haven't done
anything even after Matt Harper had been indicted on charges of.
First degree murder, he continued.
To attend his college courses. Unlike many other offenders, his
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family had complete faith in hisinnocence and had posted his
bond so he could continue livinghis best life while awaiting his
murder trial. Once the prosecution presented
him with evidence that allegedlybrought to surface the truth of
what had happened that day, which he claimed to have
repressed, Matthew Harbour confessed to murdering his
(21:43):
sister and setting his family's home on fire in his.
Formal confession, he wrote, andI quote.
I remembered in horror that I stabbed my sister.
I remembered going upstairs to tell my mother what had happened
and that I could not find her. I remembered spreading gasoline.
I remembered fleeing the house and the house being on fire when
(22:05):
I fled. His confession worked in his
favor as the District Attorney now decided to strike a plea
agreement with the defense counsel Matt Harper now face the
lesser charge of second degree murder and arson, while the
attempted murder of his mother was.
Dropped. Neither a verbal or written
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statement was given by Matt Harper as the reasons behind why
he murdered his sister. Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney
Raymond F Moreau was understandably cynical toward
the so-called repressed memoriesthat led to Matt Harper's
confession as he described the crime.
The defendant's actions were brutal, savage, and rather
methodical in the killing of hissister.
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He also presented to the court how, when shown photos of his
dead sister's body in an earlierhearing, Matt Harper continued
to deny being the perpetrator, and he conveyed no emotion
overseeing these morbid picturesof his sister, Anne.
It was presented to the court that Ann Harper's murder was
motivated by financial gain. Specifically, Matt Harper had
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planned to collect the insurancemoney he would receive if his
sister and mother were both dead.
The prosecution presented the following sequence of events.
Around 2:00 AM on Thanksgiving morning, Matt Harper returned to
his mother's residence and snuckinto the house from the garage.
Ann Harper was up late studying and caught her brother in the
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act as he was about to set the house on fire.
He was going to get caught and he had to hush her up.
Matt ran into the kitchen, grabbed the rolling pin and
knife, and returned to the living room to confront Anne.
He bashed her in the back of thehead with the rolling pin and
stabbed her in the back multipletimes.
As Anne collapsed to the ground,Matt poured the gasoline all
(23:58):
around her body. He then walked up the stairs
with the knife in one hand as hecovered the stairs with the
ignitable fluid in the other. Matt poured some into the
doorway before he opened his mother's room, wielding the
knife. His mother was in the restroom.
He poured more around the room, dropped the knife, set the fire
(24:19):
and laughed on. May 7th. 1999 Matthew B Harper,
now 22 years old, was given the maximum sentence permitted under
a plea agreement for second degree murder in arson, which
was 35 years before any possibility of parole.
Ironically, after he received his punishment, he made the
first public statement regardinghis actions.
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He addressed a full courtroom, including his family members and
friends, and stated And I quote.When I think about my sister, I
think of a beautiful young woman.
I miss her every day. I can't believe I took her life,
but I know that I did. Although no one came to testify
(25:01):
on behalf of Matthew Harper, theCircuit Court judge did receive
many letters from his family andfriends, including two from his
mother, Elizabeth, asking him toconsider a letter sentence for
her son. His mother wrote, and I quote,
the only possibility of redemption for me is the
possibility of some kind of new life with my son.
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There is no additional information as to what she may
have meant by this words. However, it was speculated by
investigators and prosecution that since Elizabeth Harper had
already lost her daughter, she couldn't bear to lose her other
child. Perhaps she blamed herself for
(25:44):
what happened and felt responsible in some way for
turning that into the monster hebecame.
I don't know. I personally have a difficult
time believing that he repressedthe memory of bludgeoning and
stabbing his sister to death, pouring gasoline on her body and
setting it on fire. There is strong evidence that
(26:07):
his actions were completely premeditated.
He. Expressed remorse and confessed,
but it sounded to me as if it were choreographed to solely
benefit himself. That prosecution had strong
evidence and when he realized that he would likely be
convicted of first degree premeditated murder in order for
(26:28):
him to have a chance of freedom one day, he knew he had to
strike a plea deal. I hate that this happens so
often. I do understand that it is
frequently used to ensure that at least some form of justice is
found, but in this case, I thinkthere was ample enough evidence
to prove that Matt Harper intended to commit arson and
(26:51):
murder. So what is there to say about
this unusual and horrifying typeof homicide?
The kind of sybilicide that is discussed here is radically
different from that of an honor killing, where a brother murders
his sister, often by the direction of one or both parents
or another relative, in responseto her dishonoring the family in
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some way. This type of homicide involves
very distinct motivations and cultural factors that are not
present in the other form of siblicide as described in this
case. The research on non honor
siblicide killings has been unfortunately minimal, but
certain patterns have emerged from what has been studied and
analyzed over the last 60 years.The act of when a sibling
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murders another brother or sister is called siblicide.
Specifically, when a brother is killed it is called fratricide,
and if a sister is murdered it is called seroricide, taken
after the Greek terms for sisterand brother.
Although murders within the family occur more frequently
than most of us like to believe,they are still uncommon amongst
(28:03):
family murders. The act of sybilicide is.
An. Extremely rare event.
On average, out of all interfamilial homicide,
sybilicide only happens in around 2% of cases, with a
national data range between 1 and 8% occurring in the United
States every year. A brother killing their brother
(28:24):
has the highest rate, with a brother killing their sister
being the lowest. Which sibling is more likely to
murder their brother or sister? Research again is limited, but
it has been mixed. Studies done in Britain, Canada,
Japan, and in the specific area of Chicago in the United States
have revealed that younger siblings are more likely to kill
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their older siblings. It has also been determined that
the vast majority of individualswho murder their siblings are
adults. One empirical analysis showed
that sybilicide as a teenager isvery rare, occurring in 9% of
cases, whereas 78% of cases involved adult vendors and adult
victims. It was noted that the victims
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are usually within only a few years of the offender.
The average age of the offender and the victim is between 33 and
34 years old, with the peak agesbetween 20 and 30.
This range of age coincides withthe most common age group of
violent criminals, specifically those who commit homicide.
A multinational study that was conducted across 75 countries
(29:33):
found similar results. The lowest percentage of 123
victims in this study was between 12 and 19 years old, at
only 2%. The second lowest was 60 years
and older, with only three percent. 9% of civilicide cases
were committed by children underthe age of 12.
Interestingly, the age groups of20 to 29 and 30 to 59 committed
(29:56):
43% each of all the studied cases.
Analysis of sibilicide found that similar to other homicides,
sibling murders use firearms andknives significantly more than
other types of weapons, with firearms being the number one
method. The other relatively common way
to kill a sibling involved the use of blunt objects,
(30:17):
asphyxiation, personal weapons, which I'm not sure what that
entails exactly, and strangulation.
The presence of alcohol or drugsis known to be a common element
in the crime of killing one's sibling, specifically alcohol,
although it was not acknowledgedin any reports I came across.
A blog that was written by an acquaintance of both Matthew and
(30:38):
Ann Harper's mentioned that it was believed by her mother,
amongst others in the community,that Matt had been actively
using cocaine at the time of theincident.
Now, of course, no substance abuse is the primary trigger to
commit such a violent crime. However, combined with other
traits like antisocial personality disorder, which
(31:01):
based on the details of the casethat profiled his character, it
seems in all likelihood Matt Harper was inflicted with.
Then there were issues of sibling jealousy and the
recorded aggressive behaviour toward his victim.
Another common characteristic ofsybilicide is money, or what
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equates to money tied to property or land.
Sybilicide perpetrated by an offender's mental illness and
developmental disabilities is very rare, but.
There have been exceptions to the rule.
Regarding sybilicide between youth versus adults, youth are
categorized as individuals under21 years of age.
So in the case of Man and Harper, they were considered non
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adult offenders and non adult victims in such acts of
siblicide which occur between siblings 21 years or younger.
The proximity thesis has been proposed to help explain some of
the factors that may come into play.
The proximity thesis suggests that younger siblings who share
the same home as they grow up compete for parental approval
(32:06):
and attention. As a result, they often engage
in relationship conflict behaviors.
Jealousy, rivalry, and competition are significant
factors that could motivate 1 sibling to kill the other.
There is also the family subsystem.
This involves parent child and parent parent relationships that
influence the way siblings interact and relate to one
(32:30):
another. How a parent treats one child
has a strong effect on the othersibling.
Each sibling's behavior and feelings are influenced by these
relationships, and if they are treated differently by the
parent than their sibling is, this can elicit aggression and
violence toward the preferred sibling.
Although Matt Harper never acknowledged such feelings, I
(32:53):
think it would be safe to say that he held some resentment and
envy toward his sister Anne. From all accounts, she was.
The golden child and there was apart.
Of him that. Hated her for that.
Since the research. Is limited to sibling homicide.
The identification of potential risk factors has been difficult,
some pretty. Obvious signs though would
(33:14):
include unintentional or accidental sibilicide of another
sibling, abuse, domestic violence, easy access to
firearms, neglectful parents, substance abuse, and when
siblings live with each other asadults.
In terms of philosophy, the concept of sibling rivalry and
the death wish of a sibling was previously explored by the late
(33:35):
Sigmund Freud. The late philosopher Alfred
Adler theorized that birth orderinfluenced the relationship
between siblings, with a focus on 1st borns being tyrants who
felt dethroned and threatened bythe arrival of their younger
siblings, who have a tendency tobe selfish and lazy.
He considered that firstborns are in a place of constant
(33:56):
struggle to hold their place as being first.
Although there is little to no evidence to support his theory,
it is interesting to note how the placement of birth may
increase feelings of hostility between siblings.
Time will tell if Matthew Harperhas redeemed himself enough in
the eyes of the law to receive parole when he is first
(34:18):
qualified for release from prison in 2029.
Since entering prison, he has completed undergraduate and
graduate degrees, worked as a chaplain's assistant, is the
leader of a religious community,is a tutor for incarcerated GED
students, has become a publishedauthor, and trains therapy dogs.
(34:41):
In fact, as of today, he writes scripture and words of
inspiration to fellow Christians, which is available
to read online. Matt Harper's status as a model.
Prisoner is hard to deny. And.
We all know the. Society loves a good.
Redemption story, what do you think?
(35:02):
Do you think Matt Harper? Committed.
Premeditated. First degree murder or do you
think it was? More of a crime of.
Passion per SE. He got caught just trying to
burn the house down for the money, but didn't necessarily
want to commit murder. I think it's pretty obvious that
(35:23):
he had all intentions of killingboth his mother and sister, or
at the very least his mother andAnne got in the way.
She wasn't going to let him justpour gasoline around their
family home and not cry for help.
So he did what he felt he had todo and he brutally murdered his
(35:48):
sister. I would love to hear your
thoughts on this case. Until next time, stay safe and
watch over shades of murder happening on the streets next
door, especially inside your ownhome.
(36:12):
Shades of Murderer is created, written, researched and edited
by Lita Caldwell. Original music composed by
Stereo Code.
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