Mother Seeks Case Reopening Over Daughter's Death
The mother of Lucy Harrison, a 23-year-old woman shot and killed by her father in Texas, has called for the case to be reopened, expressing doubts about the thoroughness of the US detectives' investigation.
Lucy Harrison was alone with her father, Kris Harrison, at his home in Prosper, Texas, when she was shot in the chest on 10 January 2025.
Authorities investigated the death as a possible manslaughter case; however, no criminal charges were filed after a grand jury declined to indict Kris Harrison.
Lucy’s mother, Jane Coates, stated she believes the Prosper Police Department did not conduct the investigation with sufficient rigor and scrutiny and has submitted a formal complaint. The Town of Prosper confirmed it had referred the case for further review.
The local district attorney's office confirmed in June 2025 that "the grand jury voted a no-bill, which means there will be no criminal charges related to the death."
"The absolute goal is to be able to reopen Lucy's case. I know that statistics are against us in terms of that, but that does not mean that we can't try. I think some days I have a thousand little fires inside of me, and other days you just feel completely spent. But then I hear Lucy saying 'Come on mum, you've got to do the right thing for me', however uncomfortable that might be, however tough that might be."
Lucy and her boyfriend, Sam Littler, had been visiting her father and his family and were scheduled to fly home later on the day she was killed.
Jane described the days following Lucy’s death as overwhelming and difficult to process.
"In the days that followed, for me, it was too much to actually try and process how it had happened. Just the fact that Lucy had gone, and even now when I'm talking about this, it still doesn't feel real."
In February, a UK inquest into Lucy’s death revealed that Kris Harrison, described as a "functioning alcoholic," had been secretly drinking wine on the day of the shooting without his family’s knowledge.
Jane expressed frustration that Lucy was tested for alcohol and drugs during her autopsy, while her father was not.
"I feel an anger that my daughter was tested for alcohol and for drugs with her autopsy, yet the person that shot her wasn't, and how is that fair?"
Kris Harrison declined to attend the inquest but submitted written statements claiming the gun "just went off" as he lifted it from a case to show his daughter.
The senior coroner for Cheshire, Jacqueline Devonish, concluded that Lucy had been unlawfully killed.
She stated that based on the evidence, Kris Harrison’s actions were "reckless" and amounted to gross negligence manslaughter.
The inquest also heard that a US grand jury found insufficient evidence to charge anyone in connection with Lucy’s death.
Jane reiterated her doubts about the investigation by the Prosper Police Department.
"I really don't believe that the Prosper Police Department did the right thing. They did not investigate with rigour and scrutiny. I couldn't quite believe that, for example, that they had drawn the diagram of the room where Lucy was shot and it was really clear from looking at that diagram that Kris's version of events just could not have been valid."
The Town of Prosper stated: "After a thorough investigation related to the tragic incident that occurred on January 10, 2025, the Prosper Police Department referred this case to the Collin County District Attorney's Office for review and any potential further action. As a normal practice, we do not comment once a case has been referred, due to the possibility of ongoing investigation or pending litigation."
Jane also highlighted the need for improved support from the Foreign Office.
Warrington South MP Sarah Hall commented on the case, noting that Lucy’s death exposed significant gaps in support for British families dealing with suspicious deaths abroad.
"Families like Jane's are often left navigating complex foreign legal systems while dealing with unimaginable grief. Too often, support depends on discretion and whether someone happens to intervene on their behalf."
A Foreign Office spokesperson stated: "We will always look to learn lessons from cases such as this one to improve the consular support we offer to other families in the future."
Paying tribute to Lucy, Jane described her daughter’s achievements and character.
"She was such a force of life. She was energetic, very intelligent, funny, empathetic and she always had a real strong moral compass. It was really important to her to do the right thing."
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