didn t have to. i m asking the court to find mr. harris not guilty, because there s not proof beyond a reasonable doubt that he committed this offense. keith morrison (voiceover): four trials. and now, it was all on the line. and so da kirk martin came on strong. that whole defense theory, he told the judge, was a fantasy. there s no evidence stacey stewart had any sort of relationship with michele, let alone any reason or motive to harm one hair on her head. keith morrison (voiceover): finally, said the da, after so many years, so many trials, it was time to convict cal harris, once and for all. michele died at the hands of her husband, the defendant, calvin harris. keith morrison (voiceover): so what would the judge do? we presented the evidence about what we think happened. keith morrison (voiceover): the judge was terse, his verdict brief, with no explanation just two words. words cal harris and his children had waited 15 years to hear, not guilty.
he made the same arguments as the previous da, saying the evidence pointed to cal harris killing his wife. the trial took three months. and finally, late april, the jury got it. and the waiting began. michele s family, still convinced that cal was guilty. is there a corner of your brain that thinks god, maybe it was somebody else? not at all. not at all. keith morrison (voiceover): while cal and his family hoped the jury had been persuaded otherwise. you know, you have been confident before when you ve gone on trial. because you have said, i didn t do it. i should be acquitted. and yet, you weren t. so how does that impact your thinking now? just by what bruce and his team have done in the investigation. it s got to create some doubt. and we didn t have that before. keith morrison (voiceover): so uncertainty, by this time, it was a way of life for the children.
was almost unbelievable. cal harris, convicted of killing his wife, michele, was about to be sent away for 25 to life. and suddenly, it all blew up right in da jerry keene s face. i came into the courtroom thinking that the defendant was going to be sentenced. and it ended up being more of my being on trial. keith morrison (voiceover): who on earth had the power to make this happen? he did, kevin tubbs. i know that she was there, ok? i know she was. keith morrison (voiceover): kevin tubbs, a plainspoken, rough farm worker back then was hauling hay. and why was he so important? because after six years during which tubbs swore he barely registered the fuss over the harris case, he picked up a paper and saw the story of cal s conviction. and i seen that and you know, i started like, recalling, you
that he became the focus. keith morrison (voiceover): the district attorney even tried to speak to the two eldest children. didn t accomplish much beyond frightening them, apparently. i know i just sat there and cried the whole time. i didn t talk. i wasn t allowed to be in there with taylor, but how old were you at the time? i was in fourth grade and he was in fifth grade. so 9 and 10. keith morrison (voiceover): but da jerry keene said he interviewed plenty of other witnesses who convinced him that the police had the right man. in september, 2005, four years after michele harris disappeared, the da charged her husband, cal, with second-degree murder. three state police personnel literally busted into my office and kicked the door open. and the three of them jumped me and handcuffed me and shackled me and walked me out the front door of my office. you got a taste of law and order up close and personal. yeah.