Florida resident David Hammersley and his family were fleeing from the hurricanes that plagued Florida and decided to tour homes in Kentucky.
asserted
that → flee → Kentucky
While house hunting on Sept. 26, 2022, their realtor showed them a rural 2-acre lot with a main house, a detached garage, and a cottage in Burkesville, Kentucky — a town known as the fishing capital of Kentucky.
asserted
realtor → hunt → Kentucky
You can eat off the floor," Hammersley told correspondent Peter Van Sant in "The Mansion Above Dale Hollow Lake," an all-new "48 Hours" airing Saturday at 10/9c on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.
asserted
Hammersley → eat → Paramount+
Hammersley was impressed with the property, including the sight of a Dodge truck found inside the detached garage.
asserted
Hammersley → include → garage
"And I started to salivate over the possibility of that being part of the deal," he said.
asserted
he → start → deal
As Hammersley and his family approached the cottage at the far end of the property, they were overpowered by a stench radiating from the cottage.
asserted
they → approach → cottage
"It had to be something like a dead raccoon, in my opinion," Hammersley said.
asserted
Hammersley → have → opinion
Hammersley and his father-in-law proceeded to investigate, and within moments they stumbled across a horrific scene.
asserted
they → proceed → scene
"I saw a man on the floor, his arm outstretched, obviously dead, from gunshot wounds," Hammersley told Van Sant.
asserted
Hammersley → see → Sant
They immediately contacted the authorities, who identified that man as Michael "Mike" Harding, a California transplant who resided across the Kentucky border in Tennessee.
asserted
who → contact → Tennessee
He had been missing for over a week
asserted
He → miss → week
An autopsy revealed that Harding had been shot four times — twice in the head and twice in the torso.
asserted
Harding → reveal → torso
Authorities found his phone at the crime scene and lead investigator BJ Burton from the Kentucky State Police examined it to see if it could answer their questions.
uncertain
it → find → questions
"Once you start looking through the text messages and phone calls, it becomes very obvious early on that he was lured to the house," Burton told Van Sant.
asserted
Burton → start → Sant
Investigators learned Harding had been contacted by a realtor named James Fraser requesting a repair service because Harding worked as an HVAC technician.
asserted
Harding → learn → technician
However, they discovered the number used to contact Harding came from a prepaid cellphone.
asserted
number → discover → cellphone
"It was pretty evident early on that this is a burner phone," Burton said.
asserted
Burton → say → ?
Burton also discovered Harding was going through a contentious divorce with his wife Julie Harding, a captain with the California Highway Patrol.
asserted
Harding → discover → Patrol
The two were living in separate places — he was in Tennessee and she was in California.
asserted
she → live → California
"I feel like he was blinded by love.
asserted
he → feel → love
He truly loved her ...
asserted
He → love → her
So, I thought he found his dream girl.
asserted
he → think → girl
But to me personally, I just, I didn't like her," Mike Harding's daughter, Heather Cavalieri, told "48 Hours."
asserted
daughter → like → Hours
Friends and family of Mike Harding told authorities he feared Julie Harding.
asserted
he → tell → Harding
They got access to her call log and learned that in the months leading up to his murder, Julie Harding had around 194 calls with a man from Houston.
asserted
Harding → get → Houston
His name was Thomas O'Donnell and he was a former car salesman now living in Napa, California.
asserted
he → live → Napa
They also determined that the prepaid phone and O'Donnell's phone were located together a few weeks before Mike Harding's death.
asserted
phone → determine → death
"And the first thing you notice is ... the phone is first turned on when it's in the Houston, Texas, area," Burton said.
asserted
Burton → notice → area
"I don't think Mr. O'Donnell got out here by accident.
asserted
O'Donnell → think → accident
The only connection that he had to Michael Harding was through Julie Harding."
asserted
he → have → Harding
On Dec. 8, 2022, just two months after Mike Harding was found dead, authorities arrested O'Donnell for his murder.
asserted
authorities → find → murder
For Julie Harding, two days after O'Donnell's arrest, she was found dead at the Tennessee home where Mike Harding had been living.
asserted
Harding → find → home
An investigator determined she had died by suicide.
asserted
she → determine → suicide
Burton believes Julie Harding may have feared she would lose hundreds of thousands of dollars in their divorce, so she conspired with O'Donnell to kill her estranged husband.
uncertain
she → believe → husband
O'Donnell pleaded not guilty to the murder charge and would face trial three years after his arrest.
asserted
O'Donnell → plead → arrest
A Kentucky jury found him guilty, and he was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 20 years.
asserted
he → find → years
The Aporia
