Neighbor Testifies Teacher Killed by Wife Was Good Dad

A neighbor testified Thursday that a Carlsbad woman did not seem distressed the morning she shot her husband, a high school math teacher.

Julie Harper is on trial for second-degree murder in the shooting death of her husband Jason inside their home on Aug. 27, 2012, while their children were downstairs.

During her testimony, neighbor Michelle Cullen told the court she saw Harper that morning. With their line of questioning, prosecutors were trying to establish that at no time did Harper seem distressed.

Cullen instead called Jason a good neighbor and father.

“He was an ever-present figure; he was often with his kids,” she said. “He was very friendly. He was very kind.”

On cross-examination, the defense played a recording of an argument the Harpers had, which was secretly recorded by Julie. The attorney then asked Cullen if knowing Jason used profanity in front of his children and berated his wife would change her opinion of him.

Cullen said not necessarily.

“I’m not saying it’s not ideal, but conflict exists in my marriage and most marriages I know of,” she said.

Harper’s defense says she shot her husband out of fear that he would kill or rape her. Prosecutors argue Harper was spiteful over the marriage and had just filed for divorce in the days before the killing. They questioned why, if she were innocent, she would bury the gun and not immediately report the shooting to police.

As testimony continued Thursday, a field evidence technician who responded to Jason’s death said they had trouble finding his body. It was covered in blankets and other items in a room cluttered with boxes, clothing, pens, water bottles and more.

Among the items was a book titled “The Unofficial Guide to Getting a Divorce.” The jury was also shown pictures of weapons, ammunition and cash found in the closet.

Jason’s mother, sitting in the courtroom, buried her face in her hands as graphic images of his wounds were exhibited.

This is the second trial for Julie Harper. Last October, a jury acquitted her on first-degree murder charges but was deadlocked on the second-degree murder and manslaughter counts. Prosecutors decided to retry her on the lesser charges.