Susan Hurley Harrison (missing person case)

[Kane]

Just today, Lifetime reran the segment on the 1994 disappearance of Susan Hurley Harrison, a Maryland resident. Her husband Jim Harrison (the stepfather of her two grown sons) became a suspect because he and Susan had had a strained marriage. Her sons went to see her on August 5, 1994, only to find that she was nowhere to be seen. Jim Harrison took a polygraph test, and admittedly failed the test.

There is an update to the case, but only one chapter of it is closed: According to the update, her remains were discovered in a remote area near Wolfsville, MD, on November 29, 1996 (only a few weeks after the segment originally aired). She was an apparent victim of foul play, and an autospy determined that she probably died on the day of her disappearance.

Now that her remains were recovered, she is no longer a missing person. But there are still some unanswered questions. I personally think Jim Harrison was involved in her death. What do you think?

[Mijada]

I remember that segment. I definitly think the ex-husband was involved. That guy was weird.

[dynoguy88]

That's one of the few UM segments I haven't seen that many times. It's been a while since I've seen it, but I remember the it.

Through out the whole interview, I got bad vibes from that ex-husband. Not only did he seem strange but he seemed to have guilt written all over his face. There's not a doubt in my mind that he had something to do with her fate.

[cellomaster]

Yipes.

That's it. I'm never getting married. (bad joke, I know...)

[Clockworkhigh]

Any news on it since?

I too think the husband had something to do with it. It seems too convenient that she decides to leave him for good and then two days later is missing.

That being said I believe the husband when he says that she was a manic depressive. This is something the sons never denied, nor said anything about. I realize how tough it can be to be involved with someone like that. It is hell. And personally while Susan's sons talk glowingly about her I don't think they realize or choose to realize how hard it is to be married to someone who is in depression.

That being said, there is more reason to believe Jim was involved. It would be almost a relief to rid yourself of someone like this. Which is why I think he had something to do with it

[kadrmas15]

Well, Jim Harrison was never charged in the case. It appears Jim Harrison, although I am not sure if this is the right one but this man is the same age as Jim Harrison with the same name James J. Harrison, it appears that Jim Harrison born September 5th, 1936, died on September 18th, 2007 at the age of 71 in Baltimore, Maryland. Susan's sister, Molly Hurley Moran wrote a book on the case and was or is a professor at the University of Georgia. She established a website about the case called www.findingsusan.com. http://www.uga.edu/dae/division_info...ran_molly.html that is her college website.

In terms of Jim Harrison, while that could very well be the guy, the same guy in the UM episode, I am tempted to confirm with Susan's sister that it is in fact the same Jim Harrison. Personally I hope Jim Harrison is alive so he can be charged. However if that Jim Harrison that matched up with age and full name is the same one, maybe he is better off dead?

Jim Harrison had a very lengthy history of alcoholism and violence. This was not just against Susan but was charged no fewer than three times with assault on a police officer after they tried to arrest him while drunk. Harrison was the CFO of a spice company in Baltimore and thus was quite wealthy.

Here is an article of Jim's 1997 arrest for assault on a police officer at the Baltimore airport. He had been refused permission to board a plane to Florida because he appeared to be drunk. http://articles.baltimoresun.com/199...airport-police

Yup, just confirmed, Jim Harrison who graduated with his Bachelors Degree from Cornell University in the class of 1958, was listed in the alumni magazine. http://cornellalumnimagazine.com/ind...Itemid=56&ed=5

[starmushrooms]

Personally, the ex-husband came off like he was deliberately trying to pick his words in the segment to keep it from looking like he had anything to do with it.

I do believe he had something to do with it, but whether it was deliberate or not I'm not sure what to think.

What I am thinking is she probably did get into a fight with him the night she disappeared on the stairs, but I think it was at the top of the stairs and not the bottom, or she followed him upstairs. He might have been drunk or not, but my personal feeling is he finally went too far and shoved her down the stairs and killed her. Or the stairs story may never have happened and he killed her somewhere else. I would be interested to know if she was killed by blunt force trauma consistent with a fall or something else.

This is where I'm not sure if he killed her on purpose or not. On the same hand I'm not defending him either because I do think he killed her.

[Dazinho]

Just seen this one for the first time.

Gotta say Jim Harrison was giving what could only be described as 'politician's answers!!'

[NDAlum2003]

I believe Jim also held a law degree (possibly from Cornell) and was likely licensed at one time as an attorney, so he would definitely know how to choose the "right" answers. I did buy and read Molly Moran's book. It is definitely a must read if this case interests you.

[skypilot]

just saw this one for the first time. whilst i agree the husband was "a weirdo" i really am not sure. i thought the ending (how she was discovered so close to her home just 2 years after going missing) was extremely disturbing.

[NDAlum2003]

Since Jim Harrison is now deceased, this case will likely never be solved.

There was a wrongful death lawsuit filed against Jim Harrison by Susan's two sons (intended beneficiaries of her estate). It was settled out of court and the terms were not disclosed.

[thinwhiteduke74]

'Susan, you're being bad again...'

[WishfulDreamer]

I think the general consensus on this board is that Jim was a bizarre individual and very likely the perpetrator. I always thought he seemed pretty deceptive during his interview, but it was information other posters wrote about details in the book that made me believe he was likely to be responsible.

One that comes to mind is him sitting on railroad tracks when the UM segment was being filmed (he was going to portray himself for a train boarding scene that was cut) while a train was coming. What a bizarre individual. He also seemed incredibly defensive, eager to cast all blame on Susan, and like he had rehearsed his interview dialogue repeatedly.


That part of the book is available through Google book preview and also gives a family member's perspective of the broadcast.

http://books.google.com/books?id=jhg...cks%22&f=false

[MegtheEgg86]

Originally Posted by WishfulDreamer

I think the general consensus on this board is that Jim was a bizarre individual and very likely the perpetrator. I always thought he seemed pretty deceptive during his interview, but it was information other posters wrote about details in the book that made me believe he was likely to be responsible.

One that comes to mind is him sitting on railroad tracks when the UM segment was being filmed (he was going to portray himself for a train boarding scene that was cut) while a train was coming. What a bizarre individual. He also seemed incredibly defensive, eager to cast all blame on Susan, and like he had rehearsed his interview dialogue repeatedly.


That part of the book is available through Google book preview and also gives a family member's perspective of the broadcast.

http://books.google.com/books?id=jhg...cks%22&f=false

I always thought Jim Harrison's answers were among the lamest ever given on UM and even then was pretty well convinced he had something to do with Susan's disappearance and murder. But the book left no doubt at all in mind. He absolutely killed her, and I'm sorry he'll never be able to stand trial for it.

There is a photograph in the book of an injury Susan sustained in an altercation with Jim. Her eye is black and completely swollen shut. It's chilling to look at, but the most striking aspect is how profoundly sad she looks.

[WishfulDreamer]

Originally Posted by MegtheEgg86

There is a photograph in the book of an injury Susan sustained in an altercation with Jim. Her eye is black and completely swollen shut. It's chilling to look at, but the most striking aspect is how profoundly sad she looks.

I didn't know about that photo. It really sounds to me like she went to break up with him for good after the ultimatum her son gave her and Jim went ballistic (accounting for the head injuries she was found with). It's a shame he can never be charged and it makes me sick to think he was giving that smarmy, holier-than-thou interview pretending he didn't know where she was all as she lay in the woods not that far away.

I do need to read the book sometime. I'm already intrigued by the little I was able to preview online.