INFORMATION STATE OF CONNECTICUT

JO.CR-71 REV. 1-17

Police Case number SUPERIOR COURT
Agency name
0600047429 Ji.ge,,cy-
Hamden Police
CT0006200
Title, Allegation and Co~nts
State of Connecticut vs .rNsme or accus9d)
McFarland, Willie I Residence {Town} of acculJed

. 03t/-»-dJ/·
/tlN
Address New Haven
54 Brownell ST Date of birth
.
I
I
To be held at {Town) 08/02/1967 The undersi gned Prosecuting
Meriden Geographical Court date Authority of the State of
i
~.
Count One ~~~ber GA-07 Connecti cut charges that :
Did commit the offense of:
MURDER !
At (Town)
Hamden
I '
On or about (Df1e}

08/21/1987 '
In violation of General Statute number
Continueow P..eac..on

Count Two 53a-54a

Did commit the offense of:
I

I
MURDER
At {Town)
On or about (Date)
Hamden In violation of General Statute number
08/21/1987
Count Three 53a-54a
Did commit the offense of:
'
At {Town)
I On or ebout (Da(e)
In violation of General Statute number

O See other sheet for additional counts

-
Court Action
I1,a'1/1//1
I
'
~ ffng = tn

Defendant advised of rights before plea

(Judge)
(Date)
Bond
/Surely D 10% Bectioo
O Attorney O
{Da:.e)
Public defender Guardian
Bond change
D Cash 'n CT n JY
Seized prope,ty inven:ay -
Count
j Plea date ·Plea Plea withdrawn
Date JNewplea
Verdict
finding Fine Remit
Additional disposition

1
I I$ I$

2
J I$ I$

3
J I $ I$

Date
Other Court Action
Judge

Receipt number I
Cost
O1MP NCI
I0
Bond Information
Bond forfeited 0
Forfeitu,e vacated
: Circle one Frogram fee • receipt number 0 Fo<teiture Vacated and bond reinstated
rr:Obation
rg-
Application fee • receipt number
if paid
: W I Q f paid : Circie one
: W I Q f paid fee • receipt nc.mber : Circleone
W IQ
1
Prosecutor on original disposition eporterlmonitor on original disposition
(Clerlq
SSgned (.Jvdge)

This is page 1 of a 2 page information

 INF'ORMATION
JD-CR-71 Rev. 1.17
STATE OF CONNECTICUT Disposition da"t"•- - -
Police Case number
SUPERIQR COURT
0600047429 gency name
Agency "lmiber
Hamden Police
Arrest Warrant CT0006200

Geographical

~:be, GA-01 State of Con~ecticut vs. McFarland, Willie

To·A p '
· ny roper Officer of the State of Connecticut
th
By Au ority of the State of c bnnecticut you are hereby commanded to arrest the body of the
within-named accused. ("X" all that apply) ,

A. Accused is ordered to be brought before a clerk or assistant clerk of the Superior Court.
I
B. Accused is not entitled!to ball.
If A, B or both are chetjked above, you shall without undue delay bring the arrested person before the clerk
or assistant clerk of the Superior Court for the geographical area where the offense is alleged to have been
committed, or if the cl~rk's office is not open, to a community correctional center within said geographical
area, or the nearest coAtmunity
I correctional center if no such center exists in the geographical area, or to
the Co$ctional Institution, as the case may be.

C.Bailsetatl
Jl>rJ_ OW,
I
Q(tJ. '
Extradition boundaries
established by prosecutor

l f
D. Non-financial conditions lof release:
i
I

E. Conditions of release not determined by the court.

Return On Arrest Warrant I

eographical Town
area H State of Connecticut
number I
Then and there, by v med accused and read the
&ame In the hearin of said

Attest(Officer's signature and Department)

Date Judge

.. .. .. ····•··· ··· .. ···1·

-· -- ·· · -- ----·---- -- ·- -· ----·- -·- -·-- --·· -- --· ·- ·- -·+···· ·· · · · ··· · ·· ·· · ··· · · · ·· · ·· ·· ·· ·· ·· ··· ········· - -··· -:·· · ····· ········

·-··!· -·- .

Thie Jc: n,MP 2 of a ; pa_qe Information

 ARREST WARRANT APPLICATION
J0-C R-64b Rev. 3- 11 STATE OF CONNECTICUT For Court Use Only
C .G.S %54-2a
SUPERIOR COURT Supporting Affidavits sealed
Pr. Bi.. S ec. 36-1, 36-2, 35_
Police Case number
3 www.jud.cl.gov 0 Yes 0No
0600047429 I IAgency name Agency number
1 /Hamden Police
CT0006200
Name (Last, First, Middle lnitiaO
McFarland, Willie
I
Re~ldence (Town) of accused
New Haven I
/
Court to be held at (Town)
Meriden
IGeographical
Atea number GA-07
Application For Arrest Warrant
To: A Judge of the Superior Court
nd
The u ersigned hereby applies f~r a warrant for the arrest of the above-named accused on the basis of the facts
set forth in the:[K]Affidavit Belo~. OAffidavit(s) Attached .
Date
I( T~rint

Affidavit
The undersigned affiant, being dtlly sworn, deposes and says:
1. :hat the Affiant, Detective Sea~ J. Dolan, is a member of the Hamden Police Department, presently
assigned to the Detective Division !- Major Crimes Unit, and has been a Police Officer since April 28,
1995. That the Affiant has conducted an investigation which is hereinafter related, and as a result has
I
personal knowledge of the facts and circumstances, as related herein, through his own investigation and
from information developed from other officers throughout this investigation.

2. That the Affiant is also a member of the Office of the State's Attorney, Judicial District of New
I
Haven-Cold Case Unit. The Cold (];ase Unit consists of Prosecutors and Inspectors from the Office of the
State's Attorney-Judicial District of f'Jew Haven, along with Detectives from the greater New Haven
area. The mission of the Cold Cas~ Unit is to review unsolved homicide investigations and conduct
further investigations into these cririies. The utilization of modern day scientific methods is often limes
used to assist in these ~old case int estigations.

i
3. That on 08/27/87 at 2337 hours, !Audrey McDonald (DOB 04/21/24) contacted the Hamden Police
Departm ent and reported that she ~ad not heard from her brother, Fred Harris (DOB 12/27/27) or his son ,
Gregory Harris (DOB 01/29/64), sin~e 08/21/87. She made numerous attempts to reach them from 08/21
thru 08/27. McDonald reported thatjFred and Greg Harris both resided at 655 Fitch Street, #8-6 ,
Hamden, CT. HPD responded and ~ound the front door locked, but gained entrance through a second

( This is page 1 of a 11 page Affidavit)

Date Signed

Subscribed and sworn to before me on (Date) Signed

Jurat
· f • Of)- I~ '
Finding ,
The foregoing Application for an arrest warrant, an~ affidavit(s! attached to said Application, having been sub~ltted to and
considered by the undersigned, the undersigned fl~ds from said affidavlt(s) that there Is probable cause to believe that
an offense has been committed and that the accused committed It and, therefore, that probable cause exists for the
issuance of a warrant for the arrest of the above-named accused.
Date and Trial Referee)
Signature

J
 ~ RREST WARRANT APPLICATION
JD-CR-64a Rev 3-11 STATE OF CONNECTICUT
C.G.S § 54-2a
Pr. Bk. Sec. 36-1 , 36-2 , 36-3
SUPERIOR COURT
CFS#: 0600047429 www.j ud.ct.gov
Hamden Police
Name (Last, First, Middle Initial) Residence (Town)of accused Court lo be held at (Town) Geog raphical
McFarland, Willie New Haven Meriden 3A-07
Affidavit - Conti nued
floor window. In one of the two u~stairs bedrooms, police fo und the bound and deceased bodies of Fred
and Greg Harris with their throat~ severely slashed. They were both lying on their backs, side by side, on
the bedroom floor. CSP Major cri'.mes Unit and the Medical Examiner's office also responded to assist in
the investigation.
i
4. That detectives made the follo~ing observations on the first floor of the condominium: The front door
was locked and no forced entry wbs present. The lights were on in both the kitchen and living room.
There were cut telephone and la~ p cords located on the kitchen and living room floors. A wallet
containing a silver colored badge, \along with an opened box of margarine, were located on the living
room floor. ,
!
5. That detectives made the follo+ ng observations on the second floor of the condominium where the
bodies were located: A set of car ~eys were located on the floor, in close proximity to the bodies of Fred
and Greg Harris. The keys were 11 er determined to be the car keys belonging to Fred Harris' Chrysler
vehicle. A yellow colored work gloY.9 (left hand), with apparent blood stains, was recovered by the victims'
heads. The matching yellow work p1ove (right hand) was found outside the condominium near a fence. A
metal pan containing melted margarine and a gold-colored wrapper were located on a dresser. On a
large multi-colored rug, in the area lof Greg Harris' testicles, detectives found a grease-like stain. Coin
wrappers were also found on the fl bor. The to~ of the dresser contained a layer of dust, which appeared
to have been recently wiped. A bo~m-box rad io was located on Greg Harris' bed. The contents of the
bureau drawers littered the bed an~ floor. The drawers on the floor had blood splatter on top of them .

6. That inside of the second floor b'athroom, officers located a knife with a brown handle in the sink. The
knife was identified as being part ofi a cutlery set from the kitchen . A gold-colored bar of soap and a
green towel were also found in the bathroom sink. A pump container of apparent soap was found on the
back of the toilet. There were used Jtowels and crumpled tissues in the bathroom.

7. That Fred Harris' throat was cut v,,ith a gaping wound of almost three inches in depth. He also had two
puncture wounds to the chest. His ~ands were tied behind his back with a telephone/electrical type cord,
which was also wrapped around his ,waist. His feet were also tied with a telephone/electrical type cord.
He was dressed in a white I-shirt with blue pants. His pants were unbuttoned , with the zipper down, and
his belt unbuckled.

(This is page 2 of a 11 page Affidavit

Sig ned ( Affiant)
Date
II- tP/J· /9
Subscribe d and sworn l}efore me o,Date)
Ju rat , () '7- G
~ary Public)

R~IOfficial) i'te
I
 ARREST WARRANT APPLICATIO~
J0-CEl-64a Rev. 3- 11
C.G.S § 54-2a
STATE OF CONNECTICUT
Pr. Bk. Sec. 36- 1. 36-2, 36-3 SUPERIOR COURT
CFS#: 0600047429 www.jud.ct.gov
Hamden Police
Na me (Last, First, Middle JnitiaQ
Residence {Town}of accused Coun lo be held al (Town) Geograpi,ca]
McFarland, Willie
New Haven Meriden r,:, r -,
3 A-07
Affidavit - Continued
8. That Greg Harris' throat was s ashed with a gaping wound and suffered a single puncture wound to
the chest. His hands were lied bJhind his back with a telephone/electrical type cord, but his feet were
not tied. He was naked except fol
a white !-shirt. A pair of blue & green sweat pants, along ~ith white
underwear, were located in the vi ( ity of his feet.

9. That Dr. Ira Kanter of the Medical Examiner's Office performed the autopsies on Fred and Greg
Harris. Fred Harris was stabbed i~ the chest and his throat was slashed. One of his lungs was
punctu red. The soft tissue of the anterior neck, as well as the intrinsic muscle of the neck, the larynx, and
carotid arteries were severed. Grt Harris was also stabbed in the chest and his throat was slashed
with a gaping incised wound of th interior neck. Neither of the victims had defensive wounds. The
cause of death for Fred Harris wa determined to be multiple sharp force injuries and the manner of
death was determined to be homicide. The cause of death for Greg Harris was determined to be
incised wound of the neck and the !manner of death was determined to be homicide.

10. That based on the police inve~~igation, the time of Fred and Greg Harris' deaths were determined to
be between the late evening hours !of 08/21/87 into the early morning hours of 08/22/87.
I

11 . That throughout the course of r e investigati~n in_to the m_urders of Fred and Greg Harris, numerous
people were interviewed that may Have had possible information regarding the case. Various leads
were developed and investigated. t s the investigatiqn progressed, a suspect was later identified as
Willie McFarland (DOB 08/02/67).

1
12. ·That from 1987 through 1993, y eronica Saa rs-Doyle (DOB 08/01/61) was interviewed on various
occasions regarding the Harris mur~ers. During these interviews with police, she gave conflicting
staiements about her knowledge an6 presence at the murders. She stated, among other things, that she
~as at the Harris residence at the lii e of the murders with Lee Copeland and Greg Harris. Copeland
wanted to borrow money from Greg] whom he was friends with. Saars later went to the M throom on the
second floor of the Harris condo. s 1e was confronted by another associate of theirs, Bruce
Hankins. He told her to keep quiet 9nd left the bathroom . The bathroom door was ajar and she heard
Greg Harris yelling at someone to leh ve his father alone. When she looked out the bathroom door, sh e
stated that she saw Lee Copeland s~abbing Fred Harris and slitting his throat. She also saw Hankins
I

involved in the stabbing of Fred and f3reg , but stated that Copeland was the one that slit both their
throats. She stated that both Harris' r ere killed in a seated position and that Fred Harris was killed

(This is page 3 of a 11 p age Affidavi t

Date

1
Subscribed ;1 nd swo rn b e fore me ofDate )
ourt Notary Public)
I -0'1- ,q ' :JFff6
( rosecutorlal Official) loate
, I

I
 ARREST WARRANT APPLICATIO
Jb-CR-64a Rev. 3-11 STATE OF CONNECTICUT
C .G.S § 54•2a
SUPERIOR COURT
Pr. Bk. Sec. 36-1 , 36-2, 36-3
www.jud.ct.gov
CFS #: 0600047429 Hamden Police
Name (Last, First. Middle Initial) Residence (Town)of accused Court to be held at {Town) Geograph;,-..;\
McFarland, Willie New Haven Meriden . ,. , ~. 3A-07
Affidavit - Continued I
first. She told police that she wad initially scared to tell them this information because Copela nd
threatened to slit her throat if shelever talked to police. Veronica Saars-Doyle is now deceased.

13. That from 1987 through 1992 Donald Bruce Hankins (DOB 07/23/54) was interviewed on various
occasions regarding the Harris m rders. He stated, among other things, that Lee Copeland told him that
Fred Harris was receiving a large±mount of money from the sale of their condo and he (Copeland)
wanted a piece of the cash for dr s. Hankins stated that Copeland told him he committed the murders
by slitting their throats and that Sa rs was present. Hankins stated that he did not initially provide this
information to police because he ~id want to implicate himself. Donald Bruce Hankins is now
deceased. I
14. That in 1987, Lee Copeland tdld police the last time he was at the Harris residence was
approximately 6 months prior to th~ murders. He said that he last saw Greg Harris a couple weeks
before the murders at Nicky's Pizzt Copeland was friends with Greg Harris, however he did not attend
the wake or funeral. He told polic~ he did not attend because he was afraid that he was going to be
accused of the murders.
I
15. That in 1988, David Dowjat (a Co-worker of Copeland) gave a statement to police that he had
conversations with Copeland regarhing the Harris' murders. That Copeland discussed some details of
the Harris crime scene that were cd,nsistent with the police investigation. Copeland told Dowjat that he
1
knew whoever was responsrble for ,he murders was wearrng gloves. Copeland also gave additional
details to Dowjat that were not"consistent with the crime scene. These details included that Fred Harris
was stabbed approximately 20 time~, that Fred's penis was removed and stuffed in his mouth like a
"corn cob pipe" and that Greg's hea~ was cut off like a "jack o' lantern" with his brain pulled out.

16. That in May of 2019, the Affiantlapplied for a search warrant and later obtained a DNA sample, via
buccal swab , from Lee Copeland (ops 11/06/69). On 05/15/19, Copeland voluntarily met with theAffiant
and Sgt. Kearns. Copeland also re1d, initialed and signed a Voluntary Interview form indicating that he
understood its contents. He stated, i3mong other things, that he grew up with Greg Harris and visited him
at the condo in Hamden on differentloccasions. He could not recall the last lime he saw Greg Harris prior
to the murders. He denied any invol~ement or knowledge about who may have committed the murders.
Detective Delieto showed a photo a'Tay to Lee Copeland of people he might have recognized from the
time-frame of the murders in 1987. The photo array included a picture of a suspect in the murder

(This Is page 4 of a 11 page Affidavit

Date Signed (Affiant)

I/ o-7 ·/?.
Subscrihf!d and s:wnrn hefore me 'O ,oate)
I· O - 1
Jurat

Date
l I
 ARREST WARRANT APPLICATIO
JD-CR-64a Rev. 3-11
C G.S § 5"-2a STATE OF CONNECTICUT
Pr. Bk. Sec. 36-1, 36-2, 36-3 SUPERIOR COURT
CFS#: 0600047429 www.jud.ct.gov
Name (Last, First, Middle Jnftlal) Hamden Police
Resldence (Town)of accused
McFarland, Willie Court !o be held at (Town) Geographica l
New Haven Meriden 3A--07
Affidavit - Continued
investigation; Willie McFarland.
opeland did not make an identification.

17. That on 06/18/19, the State f CT-Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection-Division
of Scientific Services laboratory ( ereinafter referred to as the State Lab) issued a report regarding the
DNA testing on various pieces of ey evidence in the Harris homicides. As a result of the testing , Lee
Copeland was either eliminated a the source of any DNA or inconclusive as to whether Copeland could
be a contributor to any of the DN profiles.

18. That in 1987, Detectives also checked with area police departments concerning any violent crimes
involving knives that occurred on r about 08/21/87. During the early morning hours of 08/22/87, Willie
McFarland was arrested for a sex al assault in New Haven in which a knife was used. The sexual assault
took place within hours of the Har s murders. The assault took place on Read Street, which is
approximately one mile from the H rris crime scene. DOC records showed that McFarland was released
from prison on the day before the r micides (08/20/87).

19. That on 09/04/87, Detectives ipterviewed McFarland at Bridgeport Correctional. He was shown
photos of Fred and Greg Harris and denied knowing either one of them . He later stated that he may ha ve
worked with Greg ~arris at Custo j Car Wash in Hamden, but denied any involvement in the homicides.

20. That in August of 1996, nine y ars after the hom1c1des, McFarland contacted HPD from
prison. During the next several mohths, he gave three int~rviews, four ta_ped statements that were_later
signed, and submitted h1s _own hanJwntten statement detailing his comm1ss1on of the Hams hom1c1des .
Prior to the police interviews, McFa land read and signed Miranda Waiver forms . He stated he was
confessing to the murders because he found religion and was dying Of HIV. - His confessions consistently
covered all major, and most minor etails, of the crime and crime scene. He accurately described the
manner and order of deaths, where he murder weapon came from, and where he left it. He gave detailed
descriptions of the positions and co ditions of the bodies and of the injuries inflicted. He gave locations
and descriptions of specific items that were present at the time or resulted from his commission of the
crimes, and he did so nine years aft~r the incident. Overwhelmingly, in all but ve_ry few details, his
confessions are consistent within thJmselves and with evidence at the scene. He details his col]nection to
the victims , entrance into the_home, Jhe torturing purpose of the shallow chest wounds and the
near-decapitation of _
both v1ct1ms . H1f motive was to locate money or a gun that he mistakenly believed
was in the condominium. I
(TMs Is page 5 of a 11 page Affidavit
Date Signed ( Affiant)

lurat Subscrlhed aind ~or18efore me ! 4Date

- 0 ( - 1· 1

or( / (q
 AR REST WARRANT APPLICATIO I
JD-CR-64tt Rov 3. 11
C G.s § 54-2a
STATE OF CONNECTICUT
Pr Bk Sec. 36-1. 36-2. 36-3
SUPERIOR COURT
CFS#: 0600047429
www.Jud.ct.gov
Name (Last. First, M lddlo lnlf/a/)
Hamden Police
McFa rland, Willie Residence (To wn)of accused
Court to be held at (Town) Geograohica!
New Haven Meriden
Affidavit - Continued 3A-07

21
· That McFarland initially repo ed that three other individuals (Celeste Staten, Kevin Moody and a white
male named Downey, McDowney Glen or Len) were involved in the murders with him. In a following
st
th atement to POiice, he explained hat he had a motive of revenge against these other individuals and that
ey were not involved. He state that he was solely responsible for the murders. He also initially omitted
points about sexual acts with Gre Harris, but later admitted doing so, consistent with evidence at the
crime scene.

22. That McFarland stated, amon other things, that he arrived at the Harris residence on "August 21 "
between "1130 and 1200 (midnigh )." He knocked on the door, which was answered by Greg Harris.
He explained to Greg that he "nee ed a knife to cut a rope to tie around the muffler" on his vehicle. Greg
subsequently retrieved a knife fro the kitchen. When Greg provided him with the knife, McFarland
forcibly entered the residence. Inv stigation revealed that the suspected murder weapon, a kitchen
knife, was found to be part of a kit hen set from the Harris residence. Investigation further revealed that
there was no forced entry, confirmi g McFarland's statement. McFarland stated that "both of them was
forced to go upstairs" and 'I told th m to lie on the floor, they lied on the floor and I tied them up." Fred
and Greg Harris laid down on a mu ti-colored rug in Greg's bedroom. He pulled phone cord from the
wall, cut it in half and tied Fred Har is' hands and feet. McFarland stated that he knew "for a fact that I
tied his (Fred's) hands and feet." tectives observed at the scene that Fred Harris was bound by both
his hands and feet. Regarding the ying up of Greg, McFarland told detectives,-"All I tied up was his
hands, I'm not sure of his feet." De ectives observed at the scene that Greg Harris was bound only by his
hands.

23. That prior to murdering Fred an Greg Harris, McFarland went to the first floor because he was
hungry. He stated that he placed a tick of butter, with a gold-colored wrapper attached, in a pan and
began to cook it on the kitchen stov . McFarland stated, "I put butter in the frying pan. The butter with the
wrap around. It was like a gold cov red wrapper aroun_d the butter." Greg Harris then broke free from
being tied upstairs and tried to flee t e condo. McFarland chased after him and re-tied Greg's hands
behind his back, using telephone co , in lieu of using a black cloth-like material that he previously used.
Detectives did in fact locate a pan c taining melted margarine with gold-colored wrapper on a bureau in
Greg Harris' bedroom . Greg Harris as found with his hands lied behind his back with a
telephone/electrical type cord. A bla k cloth-like material was located in the vicinity of Greg Harris' body.
McFarland told detectives that, "The irst time I'm not sure, I believe I might of tied him up with some type of

(This Is page 6 of a 11 page Affidavit

Date

~0--r
nd
. 01-
5Wo fore me
·; ior #ft (otary POblic)

al Officl Date
{I
 STATE OF CONNECTICUT
SUPERIOR COURT
=- ~ ~ -~- ~36-:
:::.=,z = ."-."QJ.!74 29 www.Jud .cl,gov
I l;Jrr1dc:n Pc,l1Cf:
V ~ tt.al) (low,,>,, tlCC\1111,ld
I
...-S:. Ho ald(lllCe
Lf,u1t In lit t~ a· (/rpm) 1~"'3raphical
1,!,.:;far,a.,c, ~ 1e
New Haven Mnr1den L.e.a.n:.r.cr:bf~
Affida
doL'lingvimaterial,
t• Continued
maybe somethi g black, a black sock, someth ing
· rkI e th a1." He foll owed up wi.th, "I .

walked him back upstairs where I tied him up again, thi s time I used telephone cord, and I only tied his
hands."

24 . That after tying Greg's hands behind his back for a second time, McFarland retrieved the pan of
melted butter and used it to have ex with Greg. McFarland stated, "I used the butter, I was going to eat ,
first I would eat something, and I sed the butter to have sex with Greg." He added, "I poured the butter
on Greg, on his butt" and "As I be an to ejaculate I got off of him." McFarland stated that he did not
ejaculate inside Greg because he id not want to leave any evidence behind. Detectives located a
grease-like stain on the rug, betw en the legs of Greg Harris. As McFarland was having sex with Greg,
Fred Harris was lying beside them on his back. McFarland reached over and unbuttoned Fred's pants .
He pulled Fred 's pants zipper dow . Regarding Fred's pants, McFarland stated, "Yeah I unbutton his
pants but no sexual activity took h ppened, of a sexual happening." Furthermore, crime scene photos
show Fred Harris' belt was unbuck ed and his pants were unbuttoned with the zipper pulled down .

25. That after sexually assaulting reg, McFarland stated that he stabbed Fred Harris in the chest. He
stated , "Both of them I believe was wearing a white I-shirt, I know Greg's father Fred was wearing a white
I-shirt because when I stabbed him in the chest, he was trying to catch his breath, it was going up and
down, and you could see that the k ife where I made _a small puncture, I mean in the I-shirt I made a sma ll
hole." After Fred was stabbed in th ch·est, he "made like a cough sound, he couldn 't breathe. " The
autopsy findings showed that Fred' right lung was penetrated. McFarland then held the knife in his left
hand and slit Fred's throat. He des ribed ihe wound to Fred's throat as a deep cut saying , "I didn't cut
their heads off but if you pick their h ad up it looked like their head would just fall right off. B~th of them
wa s the same way. " McFarland sta d that he killed Fred Harris first. Investigation revealed that Fred
Harris did in fact have a stab wound in his chest. The stab wound penetrated his white t-shirt leaving a
small hole on the shirt.

26. That after killing Fred Harris, M Farland stated that he stabbed Greg Harris in the chest throu gh a
white I-shirt. McFarland reported th chest wounds were torture to coax information from the victims. He
stated that Greg was wearing grays eatpants. Green sweatpants were located in close proximity to
Greg's feet. McFarland then cut Gr 's throat in the same manner as his father. McFarland told
detectives, "One time, I stabbed Gre in the chest one time and I stabbed his fa ther in the chest one
time. I slit his father's throat and I sli his throat." Autopsy reports indica te that Greg Harri s was stabbed
(This is page 7 of a 11 page Affidavit
Date
 ARREST WARRANT APPLICATJO
JtJ.CR-64a Rev. 3- 11
C.G.S § 54-2a STATE OF CONNECTICUT
P r. Bk. Sec. 36-1. 36-2. 36-J
SUPERIOR COURT
CFS#: 0600047429
www.jud.ct.gov
Name (Last, First, Middle fnirial) Hamden Police
McFarland, Willie Residence {Town)of accused
Court lo be held at {Town) Geograoh:cal
New Haven
Affidavit - Continued Meriden r .,.,.,.,,,.,
3A-07
in the chest and his throat was sl
White tee Shirt. shed. The investigation also revealed that Greg Harris was wearing a

27 · That after killing Fred and Gr g Harris, McFarland staled that he searched Fred 's pants for money.
Inside Fred's pants pockets, he f und a set of car keys. He described the keys as silver with a gold or
silver colored keyring . He believe that the keys were "a Chrysler type." He did not lake the car ke ys
because he was afraid that if he as found with them, he would be implicated in the murders. He stated
that, " .. . I believe I dropped the ke s somewhere, somewhere, maybe around the bodies, not sure, I just
dropped the keys ." McFarland al found a dark colored wallet in Fred's pockets and stated that it
contained "papers and a badge, a small silver badge." When he observed the badge, McFarland
thought he "had killed a cop, so I rapped the wallet." Investigators located a set of silver keys that were
attached to a gold colored keyring n the floor in close proximity to the bodies of the victims. The ke ys
were for Fred Harris' Chrysler vehi le. Detectives also located a dark colored wallet containing a small
silver badge in the living room of t e Harris residence.

28. That among the crime scene tails reported by McFarland, he stated, "I stabbed both speakers
one lime apiece" on a "radio box" t at was in Greg's bedroom . The radio was "on the left hand side , I
believe that there's some type o!, aybe a bed or something·: McFarland stated, "I wiped down the
dresser, the bureau dresser drawe I wiped down the radio I touched, and I wiped down some parts of
downstairs that I touched." He stat d that he "tried 16 wipe down everything that I believed I touched."
Crime scene photos show puncture holes in a boom-box radio's speakers and swipe marks on the
dresser. The radio was on th,::. bed n Greg Harris' bedroom on the left side of the room as you view it
from the doorway. McFarland state he was at the apartment for approximately 45 minutes and
searched it for about 15 minutes aft r the murders. He searched the Harris' 're~idence in an attempt to
locate money and a gun. He ransa ked Greg Harris' bedroom by pulling drawers from the bureau and
throwing the contents on the floor. estated that he stole "about "$31 .00 or $32.00 in change." Coin
wrappers were also recovered on th floor next to the bodies of both victims. McFarland stated that he
also located gold or sil~er coins in a resser at the Harris residence. He stated that he didn't take these
coins, which he described as collect r's items, because he felt it was not real money. Upon interviewing
Kimberly Pacheco (Fred Harris' dau hler), she stated that her father had a coin collection. McFarland
further related that he left the kitche light on and locked the front door upon his departure. Investigation
confirmed that the kitchen light was I ft on and the front door was locked. He was unsure if he wore
gloves while he was in the condo. M Farland stated that he took the change from the Harris residence

(This is page 8 of a 11 page Affidavit

Date

io#JS1otary
lurat tDate)
R Public)
_ le vi ~OfficialJ Date
II
L
 kt-(RtST WARRANT APPLICATIOi
JO-CR-(k.:i RevJ.11
CGS§.5-1.2~ STATE OF CONNECTICUT
Pr B~ Sec 3&-1. 36.2. 36.3
SUPERIOR COURT
CFS#: 0600047429
www.Jud.ct. gov
Name (Lu1. Fn t, MI/Jdlf} 1n,/Jlfl}
Hamden Police
McFarland, Willie Resldeoce{TowriJof~
New Haven Court to ti,e, r>e'O a1 (T<MT' Ge?::·~w
Affidavit . Continued Meriden 3A-07
nd
a
th la/er cashed it in at the Taur s Bar in New Haven. The bar is located approximalely one mile from
e Harris residence and in the s me neighborhood where McFarland wa s later arrested for Ille sexua l
assault , shor1Iy after the murders took place.

29
st - That there were certain area of McFarland's statements that were not corroborated ; He reported
ealing a ca r and leaving it in Ne Haven, bul NHPD had no record of the incident. He stated he pulled
Greg's pants back up, but they w re found on the floor. He also stated the Lalin Kings hired him to
commit the homicides and that h photographed the bodies before he left the house; however. he never
knew the Latin King member's na e and could not remember what he did with the camera .

30. That McFarland specifically d tailed how Fred and Greg Harris were both murdered in an upstairs
bedroom . Also, that they both die in the same position, on their backs, lying side by side on the floor.
He stated that when you approac d the bedroom , -Greg 's body was on the right and his father's bod}'
was on the left.~ Also, that their h ads were "facing the open dooMay. He stated that Fred Harris was
killed first, that they were both sla bed in the chest, and that their throats were slashed. That this
information provided by McFarlan was also consistent with_the crime scene observations made by
police.

31. That McFarland pointed out th t Greg Harris had a beard at the tiO}e of the murders. Upon
observing autopsy photographs, th y depict that Greg ~ar:_ris had a beard at the time of his death.
McFarland knew Greg Harris had beard , even though he hadn't seen him in months, due to the fact that
McFartand was incarcerated. Prio to the murders, Hamden Police photographed Greg Harris on
05/12/87 during an arrest. Greg H rris did not ha ve a beard in the photograph at that time . DOC
reco rds confirmed that McFarland as incarcerated on 05/ 12/87 at the time of the Greg Harris photo
withou t a beard.

32. That McFarland stated he obs ed a pump container of liquid soap in the second floor bathroom.
He remembered this item because e had never seen liquid soap in a pump container before, due to the
majority of time that he had spent i prison. A pump container of apparent liquid soap is shown in the
bathroom photographs taken by det ctives at the crime scene. McFartand related that he used soap
and a dark wash rag in the Mupstairs bathroom in the sink.. to clean the knife he had used and to wash llIs
hands.

(This Is pilge 9 of a 11 page Affidavit

 ARRE ST WARRANT APPLICATIO ~
JD-CR:-<,-t;1 Re,,• 3· 11
CG.S§54-2~ STATE OF CONNECTICUT
P, Bl, Se-c 36- 1. 36-2 . 36-3
SUPERIOR COURT
CFS #; 0600047429
www.jud.cl.gov

"•= ~•M.m,.,.,,...,ru,,,, """"""/T=;,, ,'°""' c,.,,,,,.,.,,., (To~, G"""' "'

Hamden Police

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Affidavit• Continued

33. Thal McFarland told Detecti es, "In a way I feel bad I took th ese people 's life, I only did it because I
wanted something, and that was o help me start a new life out in the world . I feel, I regret that I killed
these people, because two innoc nt people died and they didn't, they didn 't do an ything to nobody that I
knew of, they didn't have no repu ation of being no wise ass, none of that. I took two innocent people 's
life for nothing ."

34. That no specific crime scene nformation was ever made public or released to the media (i.e. exact
positions of bodies & items of evi ence, types of ligatures used, puncture holes in speakers, melted
margarine in a pan, a wallet con ta ning a badge and the swipe marks to prevent fingerprints). The
detailed and precise information p ovided by Willie McFarland in his statements to police would only be
known to a person who committe these crimes or who was present during the commission of these
crimes . McFarland knew all these details after only being released from prison on 08/20/87 and then
incarcerated again within 48 hour on 08/22/87. Detectives were not aware of several details that were
specifically described and provide by McFarland. These details were corroborated through evidentiary
photographs, videotapes and evid nee collected at the crime scene. McFarland even told detectives ,
"You will find out that the butter an the clothes and all that shit match up. It ain 't like I just heard that from
somebody because I doubt, I'm pr tty sure they ain't going to put no shit like that in the newspaper"

35. That in 1987, the State Lab ex mined evidence from the Harris homicides for fingerprints and trace
evidence, but not DNA. 1,.2006, D tectives applied for a search warrant to obtain a DNA sample from
Willie McFarland. McFarland was ncooperative with police and DOC personnel when they attempted to
serve the warrant. He used profani y towards officers and refused to give a DNA sample. A second
search warrant had to be obtained take the DNA sample from McFarland using a reasonable amount of
force. McFarland later needed to h ve his arms and legs restrained to a table by DOC staff in order to
take a DNA sa mple from him via bu cal swab.

36. That the initial forensic and ON testing, on a limited amount of evidence from the case. was negative
for any positive links to McFarland o any other suspects. In 2018, the Alliant submitted additional pieces
of evidence to the State Lab for furt er forensic analysis due to recent advan cem ent s in DNA
tesling . Among the items submitted o the lab was the yellow work glove (left hand) found at the cnme
scene, next to the bodies of the victi s.

37. That on 01/11/19, the State Lab ssued a report regarding the DNA test ing on the interior of the left
(This is p.rge 10 of a 11 ,»ge Atrid.rvit
Date

lurat

l?-/.ubt,c)
"r;( 1 (( t;
 ~-- I ~•A.K R.ANT APPLICATIO N
JD-CR-64,a Rev 3-1\
CGS§54 :!a
STATE OF CONNECTICUT
Pr B~ Sec 36,1. J6.2. 36.3
CFS #: 0600047429 SUPERIOR COURT
www.jud.ct.go v

N,m, •••.F•"·""'""M"' ••~=•l'~.b< •= C=•"'=•

Hamden Police
I'~• c;.,,._,.~
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Affidavit • Continued

work glove. The results of the Jesting were consislenl with lhe DNA pmfile from the glove bei ng a m,xture
or four co~tribu tors with a'. J_
e ast_±e of them b.eing male. -~ssu.m_ing four contri~~lors., the DNA profile from
the glove ,sat least 1.5 m,11,on t, es mo,e likely to occur ,f ,t ong,nated from w ,11,e McFarland DOB
08/02/67 and three unknown indi 1duals than 1f it originated from four unknown indivtduals.

38 . That a SPRC background chrk revealed that Willie McFarland DOB 08/02/67 is a Convicted
Felon with previous convictions fo Sexual Assault 1st Deg,ee, Aggravated Sexual Assa uli 1st Degree,
Burglary 1st Degree, Assauli 2nd eg ree, Assauli 2nd Deg,ee-1/ictim over 60 Years, Larceny 2nd Deg,ee
Weapon in an Institution, Escape lorn Custody, and Probation Violations. McFarland is also a
registered sex offender.

WHEREFORE, the Affiant sta es he has probable cause to believe that the said W illie McFarland
(DOB 08/02/67), of 54 Brownell St eet, 1st floor, New Ha ven , CT, did commit the crimes of Murder
53a-54a (2 counts ) in violat ion of I e CT General Statutes and respectfully requests that an arrest
warrant be issued.

(This Is pagft 11 of • 11 page Ar,/d .av i l