Everything They Missed – Episode 7: A Father's Son

Host: Stephanie Tinsley
Release Date: January 15, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, host Stephanie Tinsley receives an unexpected message from Stephen Harris, the son of Danny Harris—a Memphis father and military veteran murdered in 2007. The episode centers on Stephanie’s tense, candid conversation with Stephen, who offers new insights, untold stories, and raw emotion about the murder, the family, and the decades-old investigation. The episode explores fractured trust, unresolved grief, and the lengths to which family members and investigators will go to seek justice or protect their version of the truth.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Pursuing Sarah Lucas – The Elusive Witness

• [01:21 – 03:29] Stephanie and investigator “Q” attempt to track down Sarah Lucas, a witness linked to Danny Harris’s murder.
• Q visits John Vance, Sarah’s father, to inquire about her whereabouts. He learns Sarah is hospitalized but cannot locate her.
• Stephanie underscores the frustration at this pivotal dead end:

  "I'd turned my entire investigation towards Sarah Lucas...maybe the story could finally change." (Stephanie, 02:54)

• The Innocence Project and Andrew’s family await movement, highlighting the fragile momentum of the reopened case.

The Unexpected Message – Stephen Harris Reaches Out

• [04:40 – 05:20] Stephanie is contacted via X by Stephen Harris, Danny's son, just days before her podcast launch.
• Stephen expresses interest in the podcast and wants to represent his father’s story:

  "I just wanted you to take a deep breath because, you know, I mean, you're not finished with your theory." (Stephen, 05:20)

Approaching the Family – Reluctance and Pressure

• Stephanie reflects on not contacting the Harris family, out of respect and at the urging of the Innocence Project:

  "I hadn't reached out to Danny Harris's family…with their ties to the MPD and the DA's office, who knew what strings they could pull..." (Stephanie, 05:41)

• Stephanie reveals the emotional toll of dealing with intimate crime scene photos and the responsibility of narrative truthfulness, highlighting the intersection of empathy and investigation.

The Call – A Son’s Perspective

• [10:09 – ] Stephanie calls Stephen Harris, initiating a conversation rich in Southern familiarity, but soon delving into the gravity of the case.
• The conversation turns quickly to Stephen’s concerns about how his father will be portrayed.

Stephen’s Take on the Investigation

• Stephen claims deep access to case files and has spoken to investigators due to family law enforcement ties:

  "I've read through all the same files you have....I've talked to people y’all haven't been able to talk to, like the actual investigators..." (Stephen, 12:01)

• He reveals both of his brothers work(ed) in law enforcement; one as a homicide detective present during the original investigation.

Key Evidence: The Pocket Knife

• [12:55 – 15:47] Stephen points to a key detail from Andrew’s confession—a pocket knife his father always carried. He believes Andrew could not have fabricated this:

  "...when he was getting his first few statements...he started fumbling in his pocket for a pocket knife, and that's when I struck him....That to me right there, that, that. You can't make that up." (Stephen, 13:19, 15:48)

• Stephanie, reviewing the records, recognizes the odd specificity but notes Andrew claims details were "fed to him" during interrogation.

Torn Between Suspects

• [15:48 – 16:26] Stephen admits efforts to find evidence pointing to Sarah Lucas and away from Andrew, but remains conflicted:

  "We've done the whole thing and try to find everything...there's still stuff that points to him too...I want and I know Sarah...she had more in this than anybody else." (Stephen, 15:48)

• Stephen believes the police may have underestimated how weak his father was due to alcohol abuse, making him more vulnerable.

Witnessing Aftermath and Unanswered Questions

• Stephen describes a haunting near-encounter with his father’s apartment, suspecting Sarah and Tammy (another suspect) were present after the murder:

  "I literally had my key in her door...something just came over me...just don't go in." (Stephen, 18:52)

• He questions the logic of the competing confessions—if more than two people were present, why did the confessions not implicate all three?

Family Access to Investigation

• Shocking revelation: Stephen's brother, Chris Harris, was actively involved in the crime scene, cutting evidence from the wall—though official records omit his name:

  "He's the one that found the bloody fingerprint. He actually cut that out of the wall himself." (Stephen, 22:15)

• Stephanie flags this as a major breach in investigative impartiality.

Notable Quotes & Moments

On Bias and Doubt

• "It's one thing that Chris Harris monitored interrogations of suspects who might have killed his father. But what crosses the line...is that Chris went back to his dad's apartment to collect evidence. That's shocking..."
  —Stephanie, [22:38]

On the Limits of Justice

• Stephen is adamant about Andrew’s guilt despite contradictory evidence but wants all avenues explored:

  "If I had no problem Andrew sitting in prison and me being wrong about him, I would have more of a problem him being out and me being wrong about him..." (Stephen, 25:28)

On Confronting Suspects

• Stephen admits tracking down Sarah Lucas, even coming close to violence:

  "So I would. I tracked her down while she was out. Prostitute one night. And I was standing maybe five feet from her, and I said something to her and told her who I was....I was pretty close to choking her out right then." (Stephen, 29:45)

Planning Joint Action

• Stephanie and Stephen discuss joining forces to confront Sarah, with Stephen volunteering to be recorded ("miked up") during the encounter:

  "Hell, yeah. You better believe that you can cuss with me." (Stephen, 31:43)

A Sudden Twist – Locked Out Again

• [34:16] Days after their plan, Stephen calls to inform Stephanie:

  "So you don't have to worry about talking Sarah anymore because I've reached out and I talked to her. She's only speaking to me. She's not going to talk to you or Jason." (Stephen, 34:16)

Timeline of Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|---------------------------------------------------------| | 01:21 | Q tries to reach Sarah Lucas, but she is unreachable | | 04:40 | Stephen Harris contacts Stephanie | | 10:09 | Stephanie and Stephen have their first phone conversation| | 13:19 | Discussion of pocket knife detail as evidence | | 22:15 | Revelation: Chris Harris collected evidence at the scene| | 29:45 | Stephen describes confronting Sarah Lucas in person | | 31:43 | Stephen offers to confront Sarah while being miked up | | 34:16 | Stephen reveals Sarah will only speak to him now |

Tone and Atmosphere

This episode is charged with tension, frustration, and the emotional residue of a family tragedy unresolved. It highlights both the persistence of trauma for the Harris family and the perils of re-investigating cold cases where memory, evidence, and allegiances are slippery. Stephanie’s dogged but empathetic approach stands in contrast to Stephen’s stoic, sometimes volatile protectiveness, creating a deeply personal look at the ripple effects of unsolved (or questionably "solved") crimes.

Summary

Episode 7, “A Father’s Son,” marks a turning point in the investigation, with Stephanie gaining unprecedented access to the Harris family’s perspective. The episode reveals unsettling new details about the original investigation—including possible evidence mishandling and conflicting loyalties inside the Memphis PD—while laying bare the complicated feelings of a son determined to cling to the only truth that brings him peace. As Stephen closes ranks around his access to Sarah Lucas, once again the lines between ally and adversary blur, leaving Stephanie—and the listener—with more questions than answers.