200:
in her pocket before confronting
Tarnower. Harris shot Tarnower four times at close range. She later reported that she tried phoning for help from the upstairs bedroom, but that phone was not working. She left in her car to get help not knowing Tarnower's housekeeper had already phoned the police after hearing the gunshots. Harris saw police cars driving past her, headed in the direction of Tarnower's home. She turned her car around and followed the police cars back to his home. She was ultimately arrested and booked for
227:, on November 21, 1980, and was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney George Bolen. The trial lasted 14 weeks, becoming one of the longest in state history. The New York press sensationalized the trial and made Harris a household name from coast-to-coast. Harris took the stand and testified at length in her own defense, but the jury rejected her story that the shooting had been accidental and convicted her of second-degree murder after eight days of deliberations. Consequently, Harris was
40:
171:(later known as the "Scarsdale Diet Doctor" due to a popular diet book he published), in December 1966, the year after her divorce. They then began a 14-year relationship. Though Tarnower showered Harris with gifts and exotic vacations, he had relationships with multiple other women during these years.
199:
in the bedroom. An argument ensued, and
Tarnower allegedly said to her, "Jesus, Jean, you're crazy! Get out of here!" According to Harris a struggle over the gun ensued when Harris told Tarnower she was going to kill herself. Prosecutors disputed her claim, noting that she had placed extra ammunition
234:
Harris consistently maintained that she did not intentionally kill
Tarnower. Joel Aurnou later stated that he encouraged his client to plead guilty to a lesser charge, but she refused. Because the defense had gone for broke in their quest for a complete acquittal, the jury was not offered the option
178:
for girls in McLean, Virginia, while continuing her long-distance relationship with
Tarnower. Harris was aware of Tarnower's other relationships; he did not hide them from her. Tarnower prescribed Harris multiple medications over the course of several years, including methamphetamines. In the 1970s,
269:
In the book's chapter "For Love of Hy" both men come to the conclusion that Harris was innocent of second-degree murder, and that Harris had engaged in a struggle for the murder weapon, a pistol, with
Tarnower, who was attempting to take the pistol away from Harris. Their evidence was based upon
251:. Numerous appeals followed the conviction, but the higher courts determined that she had received a fair trial. While serving her sentence, Harris made it her mission to improve the education of fellow inmates in her facility. She began programs in which women could work toward obtaining their
187:
In late winter 1980, Madeira students were preparing to leave for their break when some staged a "sit-in" protest that denounced the educators and headmistress of
Madeira. Harris was troubled by the actions of the students. On the evening of March 9, Madeira faculty members noted she seemed
925:
635:
490:
195:, with a .32 caliber revolver in her possession. She later stated that she had planned to commit suicide after talking in person with Tarnower one last time. When she arrived at the house, she noticed Tryforos'
179:
Tarnower hired Lynne
Tryforos, a divorcée more than thirty years his junior, to work as a secretary-receptionist at the Scarsdale Medical Center. Tarnower then began an affair with Tryforos.
905:
703:
838:
164:
from Smith with a degree in economics. After college, she married Jim Harris and they had two sons by 1952. In 1965, Harris divorced her husband, who died in 1977.
240:
900:
468:
910:
208:, insisting that the shooting was an accident in that the gun had gone off accidentally and repeatedly while Tarnower tried to wrestle it away from her.
542:
239:, and the mental health professionals who tested and treated Harris were not called to testify. Judge Russell R. Leggett ordered her confined to the
255:
or college degrees while imprisoned. She also taught a parenting class to inmates and developed the in-prison nursery for babies born to inmates.
686:
604:
573:
392:, why she killed her husband. The daughter then excuses herself by saying, "Don't feel too bad, Ma. I asked Jean Harris the same thing once."
854:
220:
for psychiatric evaluation and therapy. She then contracted the services of attorneys Joel Aurnou and Bonnie
Steingart to plan her defense.
895:
729:
890:
802:
788:
672:
188:
despondent and distant. It was later learned that she was physically addicted to one of her prescriptions, unknowingly at the time.
930:
278:
191:
On March 10, 1980, Harris made a five-hour, 264-mile drive from the
Madeira School in Virginia to Herman Tarnower's home in
142:
on April 27, 1923, in
Chicago, Illinois, to Albert and Mildred Struven, Harris was the second of four children. She went to
915:
353:
for the performance. Burstyn was later nominated for another Emmy for a cameo role as one of Tarnower's former lovers in
920:
244:
22:
849:
441:
337:
155:
333:
380:
270:
unused police photographs, and a 1984 inspection of the murder scene which had been preserved for four years.
216:
Harris was released on $ 80,000 bail raised by her brother and sisters and signed into the United Hospital of
864:
550:
112:, who made national news in the early 1980s when she was tried and convicted of the murder of her ex-lover,
433:
tells Harris' story from when she met Tarnower to when she killed him. The episode is called "Vengeance".
302:
262:, along with ballistic and bloodstain expert Herbert MacDonnell, analyzed the case in Noguchi's 1985 book
224:
217:
122:
83:
885:
880:
683:
450:
did several interviews with Harris over the years. On November 16, 2015, Walters aired an episode on
402:
385:
201:
147:
612:
581:
286:
350:
192:
105:
281:. She was released from prison by the parole board and initially planned to live in a cabin in
798:
784:
668:
643:
205:
860:
109:
704:"JAN. 17–23: Former Headmistress Freed; Jean Harris, 69 and Frail, Paroled for 1980 Murder"
690:
447:
421:
322:
298:
277:
commuted the remainder of her sentence on December 29, 1992, as she was being prepped for
160:
113:
751:
367:, depicts Harris' relationship with Tarnower from beginning to end, including the trial.
360:
314:
259:
248:
228:
175:
874:
437:
342:
282:
151:
143:
516:
429:
406:
372:
368:
236:
168:
117:
389:
355:
274:
843:
410:
346:
647:
636:"Jean S. Harris, who gained fame for killing her celebrity lover, dies at 89"
491:"Jean S. Harris, who gained fame for killing her celebrity lover, dies at 89"
364:
371:
starred opposite Bening as Tarnower. Bening and Kingsley received Emmy and
795:
Very Much a Lady: The Untold Story of Jean Harris and Dr. Herman Tarnower
397:
327:
Very Much a Lady: The Untold Story of Jean Harris and Dr. Herman Tarnower
196:
39:
828:
A&E "American Justice" episode: "The Scarsdale Diet Docter Murder"
667:"Coroner At Large" By Thomas T. Noguchi, MD with Joseph Dimona 1985,
223:
The case went to trial at the Westchester County Courthouse in
285:, but later moved to the Whitney Center, a retirement home in
252:
258:
Chief Medical Examiner-Coroner for the County of Los Angeles
104:(April 27, 1923 – December 23, 2012) was the headmistress of
926:
Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by New York (state)
825:
Published by Kensington Publishing Corp. New York, NY (1993)
752:"Personal & Family Papers, H – Smith College Libraries"
305:
at age 89. She was survived by her sons, David and Jimmie.
818:
Published by Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, NY, (1988)
297:
Harris died of natural causes on December 23, 2012, at an
693:, TruTV Crime Library website, accessed November 24, 2008
231:$ 220,000 Tarnower had bequeathed to her in his will.
18:
Headmistress; convicted celebrity murderer (1923–2012)
730:"The Bellevue Years : Cold Pizza For Breakfast"
91:
72:
49:
30:
454:called "Jean Harris: The Headmistress Murderer".
409:plays herself portraying Harris in a fictional
906:People convicted of murder by New York (state)
332:Harris' murder trial was depicted in the 1981
811:New York: MacMillan Publishing Company, 1986.
241:Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women
8:
413:-winning musical about the murders called
38:
27:
855:"Jean Harris: Murder with Intent to Love"
797:. New York: Little Brown & Co, 1983.
605:"Jean Harris: Murder with Intent to Love"
574:"Jean Harris: Murder with Intent to Love"
427:The October 4, 2013, episode of the show
174:Harris worked as the headmistress of the
845:Video of Jean Harris Jailhouse Interview
543:"The Jean Harris Case: From Behind Bars"
273:Eleven years after Harris's conviction,
21:For other people named Jean Harris, see
515:Haden-Guest, Anthony (March 31, 1980).
481:
444:, has a collection of Harris' records.
517:"The Headmistress and the Diet Doctor"
420:Harris and Tarnower are referenced in
363:played Jean Harris. The 2005 film, by
126:. The case is featured on the TV show
7:
424:'s song "Cold Pizza for Breakfast".
120:and author of the best-selling book
901:American people convicted of murder
867:, Smith College Special Collections
839:N.Y. Times Obituary for Jean Harris
783:. New York: Viking, December 1982.
634:Schudel, Matt (December 28, 2012).
489:Schudel, Matt (December 28, 2012).
123:The Complete Scarsdale Medical Diet
911:Heads of American boarding schools
603:Isaacson, Walter (March 9, 1981).
572:Isaacson, Walter (March 9, 1981).
14:
541:Noe, Denise (December 29, 1992).
436:The Sophia Smith Collection at
229:not legally eligible to inherit
279:quadruple bypass heart surgery
1:
245:Westchester County, New York
235:of finding Harris guilty of
23:Jean Harris (disambiguation)
857:"Time" article (04/09/1981)
549:. Trutv.com. Archived from
345:, who was nominated for an
947:
861:Jean Struven Harris papers
816:They Always Call Us Ladies
442:Northampton, Massachusetts
384:, the journalist daughter
375:nominations for the film.
338:The People vs. Jean Harris
313:Harris' story was told by
156:Northampton, Massachusetts
20:
896:American female murderers
334:made-for-television movie
158:. In 1945, she graduated
37:
891:Educators from Cleveland
471:at The Biography Channel
359:, a 2005 movie in which
321:, and by the journalist
931:American headmistresses
865:Sophia Smith Collection
809:Stranger in Two Worlds.
341:. She was portrayed by
212:Legal defense and trial
167:Harris met Tarnower, a
67:Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
689:April 3, 2014, at the
469:Jean Harris' biography
303:New Haven, Connecticut
299:assisted-living center
225:White Plains, New York
84:New Haven, Connecticut
247:, for the minimum of
128:Murder Made Me Famous
916:Smith College alumni
684:The Jean Harris Case
584:on February 22, 2011
403:The Summer of George
386:Jennifer Jason Leigh
275:Governor Mario Cuomo
202:second-degree murder
148:Shaker Heights, Ohio
921:Criminals from Ohio
615:on December 6, 2008
309:Cultural references
287:Hamden, Connecticut
150:, before attending
102:Jean Struven Harris
793:Alexander, Shana.
779:Trilling, Diana .
710:. January 24, 1993
553:on August 10, 2011
415:Scarsdale Surprise
378:In the 1995 movie
351:Golden Globe Award
193:Purchase, New York
106:The Madeira School
732:. Christine Lavin
452:American Scandals
388:asks her mother,
381:Dolores Claiborne
325:in the 1983 book
317:in the 1982 book
99:
98:
76:December 23, 2012
938:
846:
767:
766:
764:
762:
748:
742:
741:
739:
737:
726:
720:
719:
717:
715:
700:
694:
681:
675:
665:
659:
658:
656:
654:
631:
625:
624:
622:
620:
611:. Archived from
600:
594:
593:
591:
589:
580:. Archived from
569:
563:
562:
560:
558:
538:
532:
531:
529:
527:
512:
506:
505:
503:
501:
486:
264:Coroner at Large
249:15 years to life
110:McLean, Virginia
79:
63:
61:
42:
28:
946:
945:
941:
940:
939:
937:
936:
935:
871:
870:
844:
835:
776:
774:Further reading
771:
770:
760:
758:
750:
749:
745:
735:
733:
728:
727:
723:
713:
711:
702:
701:
697:
691:Wayback Machine
682:
678:
666:
662:
652:
650:
640:Washington Post
633:
632:
628:
618:
616:
602:
601:
597:
587:
585:
571:
570:
566:
556:
554:
540:
539:
535:
525:
523:
514:
513:
509:
499:
497:
495:Washington Post
488:
487:
483:
478:
465:
460:
448:Barbara Walters
422:Christine Lavin
323:Shana Alexander
311:
295:
214:
185:
161:magna cum laude
136:
116:, a well-known
114:Herman Tarnower
87:
81:
77:
68:
65:
59:
57:
56:
55:
45:
33:
26:
19:
12:
11:
5:
944:
942:
934:
933:
928:
923:
918:
913:
908:
903:
898:
893:
888:
883:
873:
872:
869:
868:
858:
852:
841:
834:
833:External links
831:
830:
829:
826:
821:Harris, Jean,
819:
814:Harris, Jean,
812:
807:Harris, Jean.
805:
791:
775:
772:
769:
768:
743:
721:
708:New York Times
695:
676:
660:
626:
595:
564:
533:
507:
480:
479:
477:
474:
473:
472:
464:
461:
459:
456:
361:Annette Bening
315:Diana Trilling
310:
307:
294:
291:
260:Thomas Noguchi
213:
210:
184:
181:
176:Madeira School
135:
132:
97:
96:
93:
89:
88:
82:
80:(aged 89)
74:
70:
69:
66:
64:April 27, 1923
53:
51:
47:
46:
44:Harris in 1988
43:
35:
34:
31:
17:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
943:
932:
929:
927:
924:
922:
919:
917:
914:
912:
909:
907:
904:
902:
899:
897:
894:
892:
889:
887:
884:
882:
879:
878:
876:
866:
862:
859:
856:
853:
851:
847:
842:
840:
837:
836:
832:
827:
824:
820:
817:
813:
810:
806:
804:
803:0-316-03125-9
800:
796:
792:
790:
789:0-14-006363-3
786:
782:
778:
777:
773:
757:
756:www.Smith.edu
753:
747:
744:
731:
725:
722:
709:
705:
699:
696:
692:
688:
685:
680:
677:
674:
673:9780671625719
670:
664:
661:
649:
645:
641:
637:
630:
627:
614:
610:
606:
599:
596:
583:
579:
575:
568:
565:
552:
548:
547:Crime Library
544:
537:
534:
522:
518:
511:
508:
496:
492:
485:
482:
475:
470:
467:
466:
462:
457:
455:
453:
449:
445:
443:
439:
438:Smith College
434:
432:
431:
425:
423:
418:
416:
412:
408:
404:
400:
399:
393:
391:
387:
383:
382:
376:
374:
370:
366:
362:
358:
357:
352:
348:
344:
343:Ellen Burstyn
340:
339:
335:
330:
328:
324:
320:
316:
308:
306:
304:
300:
292:
290:
288:
284:
283:New Hampshire
280:
276:
271:
267:
265:
261:
256:
254:
250:
246:
242:
238:
232:
230:
226:
221:
219:
211:
209:
207:
203:
198:
194:
189:
182:
180:
177:
172:
170:
165:
163:
162:
157:
153:
152:Smith College
149:
145:
144:Laurel School
141:
133:
131:
129:
125:
124:
119:
115:
111:
108:for girls in
107:
103:
94:
90:
85:
75:
71:
52:
48:
41:
36:
29:
24:
16:
823:Marking Time
822:
815:
808:
794:
780:
761:December 18,
759:. Retrieved
755:
746:
734:. Retrieved
724:
712:. Retrieved
707:
698:
679:
663:
651:. Retrieved
639:
629:
617:. Retrieved
613:the original
608:
598:
586:. Retrieved
582:the original
577:
567:
557:December 19,
555:. Retrieved
551:the original
546:
536:
526:September 5,
524:. Retrieved
520:
510:
500:December 18,
498:. Retrieved
494:
484:
451:
446:
435:
430:Deadly Women
428:
426:
419:
414:
407:Raquel Welch
396:
395:In the 1997
394:
379:
377:
373:Golden Globe
369:Ben Kingsley
354:
336:
331:
326:
318:
312:
296:
272:
268:
263:
257:
237:manslaughter
233:
222:
218:Port Chester
215:
190:
186:
173:
169:cardiologist
166:
159:
140:Jean Struven
139:
137:
127:
121:
118:cardiologist
101:
100:
78:(2012-12-23)
54:Jean Struven
15:
886:2012 deaths
881:1923 births
736:October 19,
714:October 19,
619:October 19,
588:October 19,
390:Kathy Bates
356:Mrs. Harris
319:Mrs. Harris
204:. She pled
32:Jean Harris
875:Categories
781:Mrs Harris
653:August 29,
458:References
411:Tony Award
347:Emmy Award
206:not guilty
92:Occupation
60:1923-04-27
648:0190-8286
401:episode "
365:HBO Films
134:Biography
687:Archived
521:New York
398:Seinfeld
197:lingerie
95:Educator
863:at the
850:YouTube
463:General
183:Killing
801:
787:
671:
646:
349:and a
86:, U.S.
476:Notes
293:Death
138:Born
799:ISBN
785:ISBN
763:2017
738:2013
716:2013
669:ISBN
655:2022
644:ISSN
621:2013
609:TIME
590:2013
578:TIME
559:2016
528:2018
502:2017
253:GEDs
73:Died
50:Born
848:on
440:in
405:",
301:in
266:.
243:in
154:in
146:in
877::
754:.
706:.
642:.
638:.
607:.
576:.
545:.
519:.
493:.
417:.
329:.
289:.
130:.
765:.
740:.
718:.
657:.
623:.
592:.
561:.
530:.
504:.
62:)
58:(
25:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
