Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Episode: JENNIFER HARRIS, 28 & PREGNANT, FLOATING DEAD IN RED RIVER, TEXAS
Date: March 13, 2025
Podcast: Crime Stories with Nancy Grace – iHeartPodcasts & CrimeOnline

Episode Overview

In this gripping episode, Nancy Grace investigates the mysterious disappearance and death of Jennifer Harris—a 28-year-old pregnant woman found floating naked in the Red River, Texas. The episode unpacks Jennifer's final days, the key suspects and relationships in her life, and the frustrating lack of resolution in her case, with contributions from Jennifer's family, forensic and psychological experts, and seasoned crime reporters.

Nancy and her panel explore why homicide is statistically the leading cause of death among pregnant women, sift through conflicting accounts and lost evidence, and challenge the official silence around Jennifer’s manner of death. This episode is an in-depth study of the obstacles and heartbreak that haunt cold cases—especially when the victim is young, pregnant, and surrounded by complicated relationships.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Timeline and Discovery of the Crime

• Mother’s Day Disappearance

  • Jennifer spent the afternoon at her friend Christy Farr's house and left around 8pm after mentioning she needed to go (02:38).
  • Her Jeep was later found abandoned near Lake Bonham, in a remote area, locked and missing her purse (05:03).
  • Volunteers and police searched the area to no avail (04:26).

• Body Found

  • Six days after her disappearance, Jennifer’s naked body surfaced in the Red River; it was so decomposed that cause of death could not be determined, only ruled as “violent homicide” (15:21; 42:28).
  • Notably, her uterus was missing—likely destroyed by aquatic scavengers, complicating confirmation of pregnancy (42:28; 46:23).

2. Family’s Emotional Account and Jennifer’s Final Days

• Sister’s Testimony

  • Alyssa Warnick recalled:
    "It just seemed peculiar to me that she would leave her vehicle for any reason, much less without her dog, who she carried wherever she went..." (08:06)
  • Alyssa firmly dismisses the possibility of suicide:
    “Absolutely not. Not a chance… she had a lot of hope.” (11:27)

• Jennifer’s State of Mind

  • Jennifer was planning for the future: possible moves, job applications, and a hiking trip with her father (12:03).
  • There was no evidence she was suicidal—especially as a pregnant woman, which is statistically rare (13:27; 21:13).

3. Jennifer’s Relationships and Motivations

• Long-Term Relationship with Rob Holman

  • Childhood sweethearts—“They were inseparable at the time… loved Nacogdoches. That was the happiest time of their lives…” (14:35)
  • Relationship fractures over different lifestyle desires (16:35–16:57).
  • Reports of escalating domestic disputes:
    “Jennifer says she got in an argument with Rob, who got so angry, he began punching the wall...Jennifer never reports the attack to police, but Alyssa notices a huge change in her sister's demeanor with her husband…” (29:12)

• Rebound with James Hamilton

  • James was married with a pregnant wife and a young child at the time of his involvement with Jennifer; relationship viewed skeptically by family (33:05).
  • Relationship ended badly—Jennifer filed for bankruptcy, business failed, and breakup was acrimonious (34:44).

• Return to Bonham & Contact with Rob

  • Jennifer returned to her hometown and was seen with Rob, who was living with a new girlfriend; speculated tension and discomfort in the arrangement (35:43).

• Jennifer’s Pregnancy

  • She revealed her pregnancy to a friend, stating Rob was the father; Rob seemed not to want the baby and was overwhelmed (37:06; 37:16).

4. The Investigation and Forensic Challenges

• Crime Scene & Forensics
  • The Jeep found 12 miles from the body, suggesting she did not walk there (12:03).
  • Decomposition and animal activity in the river obscured cause of death and maternity evidence (19:36, 42:28, 46:23).
  • Officially, manner of death: “violent homicide,” but felt inconsistent given lack of precise cause (27:18).

Notable Quote:
“...if the tissue isn't there, it's hard to make a diagnosis. If a person was shot and that bullet only traveled through soft tissue and all we have left is skeleton, or we may not be able to tell whether or not a person has been shot…”
—Dr. Thomas Coyne, Medical Examiner (20:05–21:06)

• Caretaker’s Cottage
  • Nearby abandoned caretaker’s house burned down the night Jennifer vanished; suspected arson to destroy evidence (43:17).

5. Witness Accounts and Eyewitness Challenges

• Eyewitness (Deborah Lambert)

  • Lambert claimed she saw a red-haired woman (possibly Jennifer) on the bridge with three men, two holding her by the elbows as she struggled (43:54).
  • Lambert’s mother reportedly said, “that girl's fishing to get raped and killed.” (44:25)
  • The sighting's timeline conflicted with Jennifer's known movements (45:23).
    “...the time of Mrs. Lambert's reported sighting… was several hours before Jennifer went missing.” —Barry Warnick (45:40)

• Police Lineup

  • Lambert picked Rob Holman out of a questionable lineup as one of the men she saw, but the procedure was poorly documented (45:49–47:06).

6. Shifting Stories and Ongoing Suspicion

• Changes in Rob Holman's Account
  • Initially admitted to police that Jennifer informed him of the pregnancy and that he’d asked her to have an abortion. Later, after lawyering up, he denied both (48:34–49:29).
  • Nancy’s commentary:
    “It's a problem not when you add facts to your statement, but when you actually change facts. That's when there's a problem.” (49:29)
  • Despite suspicions, Rob was never arrested or charged, and is not legally considered a suspect as of the episode's date (50:08).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The number one cause of death amongst pregnant women in America is homicide. Not high blood pressure, not a heart attack, not some complication of the pregnancy. It's homicide.”
  —Nancy Grace (02:54)

• “She was getting her life together. She was planning on a move… She actually scheduled a trip with her father a couple weeks later…”
  —Barry Warnick (12:03)

• “...statistically, I never see pregnant women commit suicide.”
  —Nancy Grace (21:54)

• “Her body is so badly decomposed, a medical examiner cannot determine her cause of death, only classifying it as a violent homicide. There is damage to some of her internal organs, and shockingly, Jennifer's uterus is missing.”
  —Narrator/Reporter (42:28, 46:23)

• “You would think it would raise more suspicions, but… Rob Holman… was never arrested, never charged, never had to face any more scrutiny for the fact that he changed his story…”
  —Claire St. Amant (49:41)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Mother’s Day events and disappearance: 02:15–06:15
• Sister Alyssa's account, family’s reaction: 08:06–11:48
• Jennifer’s relationships and life history: 09:38–16:35
• Body discovery and investigation focus: 15:21, 22:32–23:30
• Domestic dispute and unreported assault: 29:12–30:36
• Expert on forensics and decomposition: 19:36–21:06
• Discussion of suicide improbability in pregnant women: 21:06–21:54
• Jennifer’s rebound and move back to Bonham: 33:00–35:56
• Pregnancy revelation and Rob’s response: 37:06–38:36
• Caretaker’s cottage fire: 43:17–43:50
• Eyewitness bridge sighting: 43:54–45:42
• Lineup and change in Rob’s narrative: 45:49–49:41
• $50,000 reward call for evidence: 50:08

Conclusion

The episode leaves the listener with a chilling sense of the unknown—no cause of death, no official suspects, inconsistent witness statements, and a family still desperately seeking answers. Jennifer Harris’s tragic death is emblematic of the hurdles faced by families and investigators fighting for justice in cold cases. Nancy Grace calls on the public's help:
“If you know or think you know anything about what happened to Jennifer, please dial 1-903-583-2143.” (50:08)