verdict. breaking news out of the schoharie county courthouse. the third cal hearse trial has been ruled a mistrial. a mistrial. it s an outcome nobody wanted. we got closer to justice, but we re not there yet. michelle s family convinced they knew the truth that cal harris committed the murder. and kyle martin vowed to do it again. there have been two guilty verdicts in this case and i eagerly await the next trial date. a fourth trial? really? yes, indeed. in march 2016, deja vu all over again. same courthouse, same cast of characters, with one notable newcomer. judge richard mont. when cal waived his right to a new jury trial, the judge had a
in september 2005, four years after his wife, michele, vanished, cal harris was charged with murder. oh, it hurts. absolutely. you know, i had a good standing in the community. yeah. had a successful business. donated my time, money and resources to a lot of good causes in the community. raised my kids in that community. and, you know, all of it was just taken away. but the cayuga county d.a. had become convinced that cal killed his wife late in the night of 9/11 and, as the children slept, disposed of her body. the more i met with the people that were close to michele and that knew something about the case, the more convinced i became that, you know, he really did this. the trial began in may 2007,
he became the focus. 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. how old were you at the time? i was in fourth grade. he was in fifth grade. so, 9 and 10. the d.a. jerry keen said he interviewed plenty of other witnesses who convinced him the police had the right man. in september 2005, four years after michele harris disappeared, the d.a. 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. the d.a. was going to take the case to trial, even though
number three. cal once again went home to the house on empire lake and his four growing children. tanner, the youngest, was in eighth grade then. the rest were in high school. that was great. what a change, huh? back to normal. it was easy. yeah? yeah. didn t take long to adjust? he had to adjust to what our plans were. well, you d been coping on your own for so long. yeah. this time, this third chance, the kids were determined this would be different. we want you to know our dad will not be taken away from us again for a crime we know he did not commit. it was a very public coming out. cayla addressed the cameras. the rest of the kids and their teary-eyed dad stood by. we cannot sit here in silence and watch another travesty of justice take place. the family was helping launch a tip line, asking the public to help find out what really happened to michele.
truly shocked. shocked. overjoyed and saddened by what he d lost. the best years of my life as a paurnt, and i ll never get those years back. he will also never stand trial for his wife s murder again, exonerated now and free finally to speaks he mind about his tear 15aerrible 15-year ord in my mind, it s the criminal justice system. he did more than speak out. in august 2017 his legal team filed a sweeping 26-page federal complaint claiming malicious prosecution and violations of civil rights. the lawyer representing tioga county plans to file a motion to