The Girlfriends S3/E1: Hell's Gate

Summary

The Girlfriends: Jailhouse Lawyer - Season 3, Episode 1: "Hell's Gate"

Release Date: July 14, 2025

---

Introduction

In the premiere episode of Season 3, titled "Hell's Gate," Anna Sinfield delves deeper into the harrowing story of Kelly Harnett, a woman whose life spiraled from being a promising gymnast to a convicted murderer. This episode sets the stage for a nuanced exploration of how Kelly, a victim of domestic violence, became perceived as a villain by the justice system. Through intimate interviews and vivid storytelling, Anna unpacks the events that led to Kelly's incarceration and her relentless fight for justice.

---

Kelly Harnett: From Gymnast to Inmate

Childhood Ambitions and Early Struggles

The narrative begins with a flashback to Kelly's childhood in the late 1980s at North Shore Gymnastics in Queens, New York. At seven years old, Kelly exhibits an unyielding passion for gymnastics, challenging the limitations imposed on her:

Kelly Harnett [04:35]: "This is not what I signed up for. I don't want to jump into a huge like, it almost looked like a pool of spongy things and play cat and mouse. It was basically like tag. That's not gymnastics."

Kelly’s determination is evident as she improvises her own balance beam at home, showcasing her innate talent:

Kelly Harnett [04:52]: "Kelly should know. She's already built her own DIY balance beam at home and she's been somersaulting off the sofa for years. So playing tag in the sponges with the babies, no, thank you."

Despite her prowess, financial constraints force her mother, Kathleen, to withdraw her from competitive gymnastics, breaking Kelly's Olympic dreams:

Kelly Harnett [07:19]: "My mom told the head coach that she has to take me out. She said, no, no, you can't take her out. And my mother said, I don't have a choice. And she said, your daughter is a natural at this. This is the type that goes to the Olympics. And it made my mother cry because she didn't have the money."

---

Life Before Prison: The Descent into Darkness

Fast forward to late 2024, Kelly is released from maximum security prison after serving nearly 12 years for a murder she maintains she did not commit. Anna Sinfield meets Kelly in her apartment in Astoria, Queens, where Kelly, now dubbed "Jailhouse Barbie," exudes a resilient yet haunted persona.

An Intimate Encounter:

Anna describes her first in-person meeting with Kelly:

Anna Sinfield [11:00]: "She's got big wide eyes. Her hair is vivid blonde, pulled back into a high ponytail. She's sporting a headband that perfectly matches her eyeshadow, which she says it always does."

Kelly's living space is a testament to her tumultuous life, filled with religious symbols, memorabilia, and remnants of her past:

Kelly Harnett [13:43]: "This is my shrine that I made for my mother... These are the rosary beads that were found clamped in her hand when she died."

---

The Fateful Night: July 6, 2010

The core of the episode revolves around the night of July 6, 2010, a turning point that forever altered Kelly's life.

Setting the Scene:

Anna and Kelly recount the events leading up to the tragedy:

Anna Sinfield [25:05]: "I just want to warn you that I'm not going to be holding back on the grisly details in this series..."

Kelly and her boyfriend, Tommy, are depicted grappling with addiction and the strains of an abusive relationship. On that night, they find themselves in Astoria Park, under the shadow of the aptly named Hell's Gate Bridge.

The Encounter:

Fatigued from substance withdrawal and excess, Kelly and Tommy encounter an intoxicated man named Angel. The interaction quickly deteriorates:

Kelly Harnett [29:27]: "Tommy grabbed the bicycle of the man and I said, what are you doing? And he said, I'll be right back. I said, what, are you crazy? Don't leave me here. He just took off."

The Murder:

As the night unfolds, tensions escalate. Tommy’s volatile behavior culminates in violence:

Anna Sinfield [35:21]: "He screams out, why won't this motherfucker die? Now I realize he really is going through with this. He really is gonna kill this man."

Kelly finds herself paralyzed by fear, witnessing her boyfriend brutally murder Angel. Her attempt to intervene through faith adds a poignant layer to the narrative:

Anna Sinfield [37:13]: "I put my hands out, knowing he's an atheist. And I said, pray with me, O glorious Saint Therese..."

In the aftermath, Kelly grapples with the consequences of that night, leading to her arrest and wrongful conviction.

---

The Aftermath: Incarceration and Resilience

The episode transitions to Kelly's life in prison, highlighting her transformation into a self-taught legal advocate:

Kelly Harnett [43:05]: "Harnett, you need to get your ass to that law library. You got to start fighting your case."

Despite the harsh realities of prison life, Kelly becomes a beacon of hope for other incarcerated women, dedicating herself to overturning her conviction and fighting for those who have suffered abuse.

Kelly's Reflection on Justice:

Anna probes into Kelly's perspective on her wrongful conviction and the broader implications for victims of domestic violence:

Anna Sinfield [21:19]: "I mean, what can happen to anyone is a wrongful conviction. Nobody could really sit there and say what they could definitively do in any situation until it happens to them."

Kelly emphasizes the complexity of her situation, caught between surviving abusive relationships and the unforgiving gaze of the legal system:

Kelly Harnett [42:05]: "I'm being penalized because of the fact that I chose to survive, chose life over death."

---

Themes of Sisterhood and Solidarity

A recurring motif in the series is the power of sisterhood. Kelly's relationship with her close friend Ronnie serves as a cornerstone of her resilience:

Anna Sinfield [20:17]: "I know home is wherever Ronnie is. If Ronnie's here, then this is home."

Their enduring bond provides Kelly with the strength to confront her past and seek justice, highlighting the importance of support systems for survivors of abuse.

---

Conclusion and Future Directions

"Hell's Gate" sets a compelling foundation for the season, inviting listeners to question the binary of victim and villain. Anna Sinfield promises to unravel the layers of Kelly's life, exploring how systemic failures and personal traumas intertwine to shape one's destiny.

Anna Sinfield [38:34]: "The first thing you need to know is that this series is not a whodunit. I'm not going to be proving Kelly's innocence or guilt. That was decided in a courtroom years ago."

As the series progresses, it aims to shed light on the intricate dynamics of abuse, justice, and redemption, offering a platform for voices like Kelly's to challenge prevailing narratives.

---

Notable Quotes

• Kelly Harnett [04:35]: "That's not gymnastics."
• Kelly Harnett [07:19]: "This is the type that goes to the Olympics."
• Anna Sinfield [21:19]: "Nobody could really sit there and say what they could definitively do in any situation until it happens to them."
• Kelly Harnett [42:05]: "I'm being penalized because of the fact that I chose to survive, chose life over death."

---

Final Thoughts

"The Girlfriends: Jailhouse Lawyer" Season 3, Episode 1: "Hell's Gate" masterfully intertwines personal narrative with broader social issues, offering a poignant examination of a woman's fight against an unjust system. Through Anna Sinfield's empathetic storytelling and Kelly Harnett's candid revelations, the episode challenges listeners to reconsider their perceptions of victimhood and villainy within the context of domestic abuse and legal injustice.

---

Produced by Novel for iHeartPodcasts and written and hosted by Anna Sinfield, this season promises to delve even deeper into the complexities of Kelly Harnett's story and the systemic challenges faced by survivors of domestic violence.

Transcript

[Anna Sinfield]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Kelly Harnett]

Hey, it's Anna, host of the Girlfriend's Jailhouse Lawyer. Welcome to episode one. I can't wait for you to hear the incredible story we've got coming up for you this season. Also, you can listen to this and all new episodes completely ad free and one week early with an iHeart True Crime plus subscription available exclusively on Apple Podcasts. The girlfriend's jailhouse lawyer has also been selected as one of Apple's Summer Listens. And so as an extra treat, we're offering you a 30 day free trial to the I Heart True Crime plus channel. It's a limited offer, so grab it while you can. Head to Apple Podcasts, search for I Heart True Crime plus and subscribe today.

[Designer Shoe Warehouse]

Want to pull off the season's freshest trends? You just need the right shoes. That's where Designer Shoe Warehouse comes in. Loving wide leg jeans. Pair them with sleek low profile sneakers. Obsessed with the sheer trend? Try it with mesh flats. Feeling boho comfy sandals. Nail the whole free spirited thing. Find on trend shoes from the brands you love like Birkenstock, Nike, Adidas and more at dsw.

[Lenovo]

Let your imagination take flight with an AI powered PC from Lenovo. Whether it's creating digital art, designing new software, or building a portfolio for a few Future career, our PCs are powered by Intel Core Ultra processors to help students unlock smarter learning and unleash their creativity. That's the power of Lenovo. With intel inside, all you have to do is choose the one that fits your passion. Head to lenovo.com to shop AI PCs and find your perfect companion. Plus get 5% off when you create an education account.

[Jacob Goldstein]

This is Jacob Goldstein from what's yous Problem? When you buy business software from lots of vendors, the costs add up and it gets complicated and confusing. Odoo solves this. It's a single company that sells a suite of enterprise apps that handles everything from accounting to inventory to sales. Odoo is all connected on a single platform in a simple and affordable way. You can save money without missing out on the features you need. Check out [e-mail] that's O D O.

[Kelly Harnett]

O.com hey you, it's Anna here. I just wanted to give you a heads up on what to expect in this series because this story has some pretty dark moments. It's gonna include addiction, domestic and sexual abuse and murder, and a lot of it takes place within the prison system. But also, like every series of the Girlfriends, this is a story all about sisterhood and solidarity. Along the way, I'm going to introduce you to a cast of women who've been through the most incredible, complex and at times even tragic experiences, but have managed to come out the other end. If you feel impacted by some of the themes in this show, you can reach out to know more. They're a domestic violence charity with a lot of great resources to help you or your loved ones. You can search knowmore.org, and we've also put a link to their website in the episode description. So do take care and get ready for one hell of a story and more than a few swear words. If you happen to be strolling near Queens, New York in the late 80s, you might have found yourself passing by North Shore Gymnastics. Inside, there's a smell of chalk and sweat in the air. Small feet are running across the crash mat covered floor, sending echoes that bounce around the room. The room is bustling with girls of all ages, each in a brightly colored leotard straight out of an 80s workout video. Standing at the side with a sassy little expression on her face is a seven year old girl with a point to prove, Kelly Harnett. At only seven years old, Kelly's just been told she's not big enough to do real gymnastics. She can only play games in the sponge pit with the other little kids. Boring.

[Anna Sinfield]

This is not what I signed up for. I don't want to jump into a huge like, it almost looked like a pool of spongy things and play cat and mouse. It was basically like tag. That's not gymnastics.

[Kelly Harnett]

Kelly should know. She's already built her own DIY balance beam at home and she's been somersaulting off the sofa for years. So playing tag in the sponges with the babies, no, thank you.

[Anna Sinfield]

I was getting really irritated about this.

[Kelly Harnett]

Kelly hatches a plan, looking up into the stands, scanning through the sea of proud parents. Kelly makes sure her mum is watching. And then it's go time.

[Cindy Crawford]

Okay.

[Anna Sinfield]

One, two, three. And everybody would run.

[Kelly Harnett]

Kelly, the coach and the rest of the little kids start running towards the sponge pit. But after a few conniving strides, Kelly makes a break for it. She's heading straight to the balance beam, a proper one, which is currently surrounded by a gaggle of big girls who do real gymnastics. But Kelly isn't phased.

[Anna Sinfield]

I just grabbed it, the balance beam and I started doing cartwheels and round offs. I remember looking up at my mom and she was proud of me. She was happy.

[Kelly Harnett]

The other mums, well, they're not so happy, actually. They're freaking the fuck out. Pounding on the glass, screaming bloody murder, trying to get the coach's attention.

[Anna Sinfield]

I felt like saying, you snitches.

[Kelly Harnett]

The snitching works. Kelly's coach turns around to see her mid maneuver. He starts booking it across the gym.

[Anna Sinfield]

Although he's running, I know I have a few seconds left. I did, like a cartwheel without hands, did the dismount, boom. And my feet were together. And that's always what they mess up on. They back up a little bit. My feet were together. And he was like, oh, my God, are you crazy? What is wrong with you? You know how hurt you could have gotten? I was like, but I didn't get hurt. So, yes, I got in a lot of trouble for that.

[Kelly Harnett]

This memory, it means a lot to Kelly.

[Jacob Goldstein]

She.

[Kelly Harnett]

She'll spend her life repeating it over and over again in her head. How proud her mother was and how special she felt. How she stuck it to the man and stuck the landing at the same time. Kelly says she keeps doing gymnastics, and after a while, her coach even lets her back on the balance beam. But soon, that all changes.

[Anna Sinfield]

My mom told the head coach that she has to take me out. She said, no, no, you can't take her out. And my mother said, I don't have a choice. And she said, your daughter is a natural at this. This is the type that goes to the Olympics. And it made my mother cry because she didn't have the money.

[Kelly Harnett]

It's about 30 years later, and Kelly's walking out of a maximum security prison. She's in shackles with a chain around her belly and cuffs on her wrists. She's being escorted to a hospital appointment via a prison transfer van. To pass the time, Kelly gets chatting to a prison guard.

[Anna Sinfield]

He started talking to me about previous jobs because I was talking to him about how rough it must be to get stuck there and to have a home life and whatnot. And he said, yeah, like, I missed, like, the good old days. I said, what'd you do? He says to me that he used to be a coach at North Shore, and that's where I used to go. And I said, what?

[Kelly Harnett]

Really?

[Anna Sinfield]

And he goes, oh, gosh, I'll never forget the time. And I don't know, something in my heart just told me, like, don't tell me he's going to tell my story. He said. So as the coach, I led them all to the pit, and apparently one didn't make it with us. She ended up over by the teenagers. I guess I miss half of her. And Then he did the air quotes routine, like, still a little bit angry. And he goes, but I'll tell you, she did such a damn good job. I couldn't tell her that though. I said, you just did. And he looked at me and he was like, no. And then I started to cry thinking about 7 year old Kelly and how crazy life is. It was one of those what went wrong moments. You have a lot of them clearly in prison, but not to that extent. But he looked at me differently after that and he was just like, what happened?

[Kelly Harnett]

I'm Anna Sinfield and from the teams at Novel and iHeart Podcasts, this is the Girlfriends Jailhouse Lawyer episode one, Hell's Gate. When you see a long ramp for the wheelchair accessibility along with a regular staircase, that is my courtyard. Don't listen to the sign. They got it wrong. I am so not kidding. Just walk straight. Upon entry to your left, you will see another ramp.

[Anna Sinfield]

And now turn around and go back up the ramp here.

[Kelly Harnett]

Yeah, I can't see you. This is great. Is that Kelly's house? Hi, how you doing?

[Anna Sinfield]

Good, how are you? Anna, it's so nice to finally meet you. Hi.

[Kelly Harnett]

This is Kelly Harnett, now 43 and still with a point to prove. It's late 2024 and she's waiting for me outside her apartment in Astoria, Queens. Kelly's wearing a red top with Bebe bejeweled across the front. When she hugs me, she smells like a mix of rose perfume and the king size cigarette she's smoking. She's got big wide eyes. Her hair is vivid blonde, pulled back into a high ponytail. She's sporting a headband that perfectly matches her eyeshadow, which she says it always does. This is my first time seeing Kelly in person. And up close, I can see how she got the nickname Jailhouse Barbie. Kelly got out of prison three years ago. She spent almost 12 years behind bars for murder. Kelly says she's innocent of all charges, but in the eyes of the justice system, Kelly was a villain, a perpetrator of a terrible crime who deserved to be punished. As the reporter behind the Girlfriends, I've always had a victim first philosophy. In fact, I've said more than once that we don't interview perpetrators on this show. And through that philosophy, through telling the stories we have, the Girlfriends has unwittingly reinforced the idea that you have a victim, generally a woman. And then there's a bad villain, often a man who hurts them, a bad guy who thankfully gets locked up in the end with the key thrown away and in these stories, it's clear who to root for. The victim, a woman who is a lot of the time, let's face it, dead, who then becomes forever memorialized, frozen in a state of perfect, almost sainted victimhood. But real life is rarely so neat, especially for the women who survive. One good thing about Kelly, at least from a journalist's perspective, is that she is not at all withholding. I don't even need to ask her that many questions. She's a boiling pot of beans ready to spill. Kelly's the type to wear her heart on her sleeve and on her front door.

[Anna Sinfield]

We have the shadow mark here on the door. It represents my ethnicity. I'm 100% Irish. But we always have to keep the two American flags here to establish that I am Irish American and that we're proud supporters of the Paralyzed Veterans of America.

[Kelly Harnett]

Thank you.

[Anna Sinfield]

You're welcome.

[Kelly Harnett]

Oh, it's your piano program.

[Anna Sinfield]

Yes, that is.

[Kelly Harnett]

As I walk into Kelly's apartment, I'm struck by how much of a shrine it is to her life. Sure, but I actually mean a literal religious shrine. It's full of roses, like so many roses. Real fake jewelry, pictures. They're everywhere.

[Anna Sinfield]

Oh, but today is a very significant day. I don't know if I ever told you about my story about St. Therese. October 1st. Today is her feast day.

[Kelly Harnett]

St. Therese is a Catholic saint. Kelly's been praying to her since a Rainy Day about 40 years ago when she was around 4 years old.

[Anna Sinfield]

My mom, she was driving to the rectory. She parked the car. I opened the car up, and I stepped into a puddle. Inside the puddle was a rose. For some reason, I don't know why, I picked the rose up. My mom got out of the driver's seat and came around, and she saw me with the rose in my hand. She said, kelly, put that down. It's dirty. So I threw the rose down. I go into the rectory, and my mom had to go in the back, and the nuns were sitting there, and they had this whole wall of pamphlets of about 50 different saints randomly. I just picked this pamphlet. It was a picture of a saint holding a crucifix and holding roses in her hand. As I started to read the prayer, it said, she will send a message of love and a shower of roses from the heavenly gardens. I just kept thinking of that rose outside. I wanted that rose. When we got back to the car, I waited until my mom got in the driver's seat, grabbed the rose, and put it in my pocket. Throughout my whole life, I had been praying to Saints race and finding roses constantly. I had shoe boxes upon shoeboxes and then I started marking each one sitting.

[Kelly Harnett]

In Kelly's rose adorned apartment. I'm watching her as she speaks. I'm listening, but simultaneously trying to get the measure of her, looking for hidden context in between her words. I guess it's a reporter and me. Kelly's eyes light up when she speaks about St. Therese, which she does a lot, this saint. She's one of the most important figures in Kelly's life. I'm imagining Kelly, barely four years old, reading a prayer pamphlet, a sodden rose in her tiny pocket. It's just beginning to dawn on me how extraordinary this story is. And that's when I'm interrupted by the other most significant person in Kelly's life. Hello.

[Anna Sinfield]

Here's my brother, Ronnie. Nice to meet you.

[Kelly Harnett]

Nice to meet you. How you doing? I heard lots about you.

[Cindy Crawford]

Well, good.

[Kelly Harnett]

Terrible.

[Jacob Goldstein]

I knew it.

[Anna Sinfield]

I know it.

[Kelly Harnett]

I know.

[Anna Sinfield]

Yeah, that's Ronnie. That's my best friend in the whole wide world. Ronnie and I, I mean, we have.

[Kelly Harnett]

Kelly and Ronnie live in the same apartment they've called home for nearly three decades. Before it was just them. They shared it with their mum, dad and their family dog, a cocker spaniel named Casey. You can feel that family history here. It soaked into the walls alongside the nicotine.

[Anna Sinfield]

This is my shrine that I made for my mother. I know you're probably thinking, why is there a cigarette on top of that? My mother's last words, not to be funny, God forgive me, was give me a cigarette. So I gave her her last cigarette. These are rose petals, of course, because of my love for roses. Oh, these are the rosary beads that were found clamped in her hand when she died. So when rigor mortis sets in.

[Kelly Harnett]

Kelly's mom's name was Kathleen. Before she died, she had been sick for a long time. Kelly and Ronnie still keep her sickbed in the living room. Currently, it's covered in teddy bears and a blanket with a poem printed on it about how special brothers are. A gift from Kelly to Ronnie.

[Anna Sinfield]

Yankee pillows, because we're Yankee fans. We used to be Met fans, but we were sick and tired of rooting for a losing team. But I guess.

[Kelly Harnett]

Scanning my eyes around the room, I spot a dresser next to the bed. On it, A pair of 1980s Barbies, still in their original packaging. One's a dentist and the other is a lawyer. Both are blonde, obviously. Also in the living room is a makeup table with lights around the mirror like something from old Hollywood. It comes complete with a pink and white heart shaped chair. But right at the center of the room, in front of the tv is one of Kelly's most prized possessions, her electronic keyboard. Some evenings, Kelly and Ronnie sit in here on the old sick bed converted into a sofa and listen to DJ sets on YouTube. They dance and sing along. Sometimes Kelly jams on her synths.

[Anna Sinfield]

Honestly, I'm an aspiring dj. My favorite DJ is Paul Van Dyke. However, I haven't gotten the money to get the turntables yet. The pioneer turntables. I don't have that much. However, I go crazy on my keyboard. And so, yeah, I'm just freestyling, setting just me freestyling. I had nothing planned, honestly.

[Kelly Harnett]

Kelly's apartment here in Astoria is a safe haven for her and Ronnie. But I'm shocked to learn that it's barely three blocks away from the scene of the murder that put Kelly behind bars. I know I wouldn't want to stick around so close to the place where my whole life fell apart. You could have left New York if you wanted to, but you haven't.

[Anna Sinfield]

I know home is wherever Ronnie is. If Ronnie's here, then this is home. If Ronnie moved, then that would be home. Wherever Ronnie would have moved to, I would have been going there. And I'm glad Ronnie was still here because this is the place that I left. We've lived here for 32 years. I mean, that's home. And I could tell you there's no place.

[Kelly Harnett]

Well, I think it's a very brave thing to stay in the same place. It's easier to run.

[Anna Sinfield]

Yeah. Yeah, but I don't run from my problems.

[Kelly Harnett]

Other than Ronnie. The one other very important reason why Kelly has refused to run is because she's always maintained her innocence. I was just wondering how important it is to you that the people who listen to this podcast come out of it believing you. You know, everyone's jury, everyone's going to have their own opinions.

[Anna Sinfield]

Yeah. I mean, what can happen to anyone is a wrongful conviction. Nobody could really sit there and say what they could definitively do in any situation until it happens to them. It would be nice if people would be open minded. I was put away for 13 years wrongfully. I'm not asking for a retrial here. All I need is the chance.

[Kelly Harnett]

Next, I'm gonna give Kelly the chance to tell her side of the story about the terrible night that would change her life forever.

[Odoo]

Tired of spills and stains on your sofa? WashablesOfAs.com has your back. Featuring the Annabe collect Collection the only designer sofa that's machine washable inside and out where designer quality meets budget friendly prices. That's right, sofas start at just $699. Enjoy a no risk experience with pet friendly stain resistant and changeable slip covers made with performance fabrics. Experience cloud like comfort with high resilience foam that's hypoallergenic and never needs fluffing. The sturdy steel frame ensures longevity and the modular pieces can be rearranged anytime. Check out washablesofas.com and get up to 60% off your Anna Bay sofa backed by a 30 day satisfaction guarantee. If you're not absolutely in love, send it back for a full refund. No return, shipping or restocking fees. Every penny back Upgrade [e-mail] Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.

[Gatorade]

Hi, I'm Cindy Crawford and I'm the founder of meaningful beauty. When Dr. Sabah and I decided to do a skincare line together, he said to me, we are going to give women meaningful beauty. And I said, that's exactly right. We want to give women meaningful beauty. Which means each and every product is meaningful. It has a reason to exist, it's efficacious, you're going to get results and then you just go out and live your life. Meaningful beauty confidence is beautiful.

[Lenovo]

Learn [e-mail].

[Jacob Goldstein]

This is Jacob Goldstein from what's yous Problem? Business software is expensive, and when you buy software from lots of different companies, it's not only expensive, it gets confusing. Slow to use, hard to integrate. Odoo solves that because all Odoo software is connected on a single affordable platform. Save money without missing out on the features you need. Odoo has no hidden costs and no limit on features or data. Odoo has over 60 apps available for any needs your business might have, all at no additional charge. Everything from websites to sales to inventory to accounting, all linked and talking to each other. Check out Odoo at o d o o.com that's o d o o.com Gatorade.

[PayPal]

Is the number one proven electrolyte blend designed to hydrate better than water.

[Anna Sinfield]

So.

[PayPal]

You can lose more sweat and raise your game. Gatorade is it in you?

[Kelly Harnett]

Why don't we move on to the actual night itself? Do you want to start us from earlier on that day? Like what you'd been doing?

[Anna Sinfield]

Sure.

[Kelly Harnett]

I just want to warn you that I'm not going to be holding back on the grisly details in this series like I've Tried to In previous seasons of the Girlfriends. The brutal details of the murder Kelly was accused of and what she went through either side of it are just too important. It's in the details that someone like Kelly is found guilty or innocent. It's in the details that her culpability is decided. And it's in the details where Kelly can morph from victim into villain. It all started on July 6th. 20. Kelly's 28 years old. She still lives at home, but she and her mom have been arguing a lot recently, mostly about Kelly's new boyfriend, Tommy. Kelly's mother, Kathleen, doesn't approve of him, thinks he's bad news. More than once in their short relationship, Kelly has turned up on her mom's doorstep, horrifically beaten, bloody, and bruised. Before long, Tommy usually turns up, too, yelling vile abuse at their windows for all the neighbors to hear. And Kathleen's explosive reactions put Kelly between a rock and a hard place. So Kelly's staying away from home. She's with Tommy instead. But by July 6th, Tommy's gotten into a fight with his roommate and says he can't go back to his apartment. Now he and Kelly asleeping under a bridge in Astoria Park.

[Anna Sinfield]

I don't know, I guess you could say that I was transient by choice and also out of fear and out of love, honestly, because I didn't want to leave him in the park by himself. So I was like, that's a terrible thing for a girlfriend to do, leave her boyfriend in the park by himself. I said, I don't want to do that.

[Kelly Harnett]

So all day July 6th, they're hanging out in the park. But Kelly is suffering. She's been addicted to prescription pain pills since she was 17. She and Tommy actually met at a methadone clinic. And right now, Kelly is withdrawing hard, vomiting, feeling terrible. Tommy has stopped her from getting her methadone dose for the past three days, which just seems like a cruel act of control to me.

[Anna Sinfield]

So right now, we're actually standing at the scene of the crime. I would say I was standing right over here.

[Kelly Harnett]

I've asked Kelly to come back to Astoria Park. I want to try and make some kind of sense of what happened that night back in July 2010.

[Anna Sinfield]

It's difficult to really say what the the crime was because the drinking, like, began over here.

[Kelly Harnett]

Kelly, still jonesing for her methadone fix, has spent the day with Tommy drinking four Loko. A single can is the equivalent of four cans of beer. And as if that wasn't enough, to top it all off, it also includes roughly A metric fuck ton of caffeine.

[Anna Sinfield]

The caffeine being in it. What it would do is wake you up. So you keep drinking it and then the caffeine wears off. And boy, does that alcohol hit you. It sneaks up on you.

[Kelly Harnett]

By about 3am Tommy and Kelly are wasted. Exhausted from the rough sleeping and withdrawal. They lay some blankets down under the bridge that cuts right through the park.

[Anna Sinfield]

It just so happens to ironically be named the Hells Gate Bridge. And boy, oh boy, was that given the correct name. Because it really was the gate to hell for me.

[Kelly Harnett]

Tommy notices a man sat on a park bench across the way from him. He yells over to him.

[Anna Sinfield]

The guy says, hola. I know. Now he speaks Spanish, right? And I speak Spanish fluently. And Tommy knew that. And he asked me to ask him if it would be okay for us to join him. And he said yes.

[Kelly Harnett]

Tommy and Kelly walk over to sit with the man who introduces himself as Angel.

[Anna Sinfield]

And that's when he told me that his brother threw him out of the house because he had been drinking. He said he beat him up. And that's when he pulled out some type of. I don't know if it was a keychain or a charm that he was Alcoholics Anonymous.

[Kelly Harnett]

Angel is drunk, like falls over when he tries to stand up drunk. But Tommy doesn't care. He just sees an opportunity.

[Anna Sinfield]

He tells me to ask him if he's ever drank Four Loko. And I asked him and he said no, but that he would love to try. So the man gave Tommy, I think it was $6. And I got up, I had this little book bag. I put it on and I thought I was going with Tommy, except Tommy grabbed the bicycle of the man and I said, what are you doing? And he said, I'll be right back. I said, what, are you crazy? Don't leave me here. He just took off.

[Kelly Harnett]

So here Kelly is temporarily abandoned by her boyfriend, stuck in a dark park with a very drunk man. At some point, while Tommy is still gone, Kelly says Angel goes way over the line with her. She doesn't want to go into the details about it, which I respect, but she does describe it as a sexual offense. Before too long, Kelly spots Tommy riding back into the park and she bolts towards him.

[Anna Sinfield]

I wanted to get to Tommy on bike before he got to Angel. I didn't tell him exactly what transpired. I just kept telling him, I am not comfortable. We have to leave. We have to leave. We have to leave. And because you.

[Kelly Harnett]

Tommy's not listening. He's focused on the drinks.

[Anna Sinfield]

So I blurted it out. I told him what happened. That's when he said I'm going to effing kill him.

[Odoo]

Time for a sofa upgrade. Visit washablesofas.com and discover Annabe where designer style meets budget friendly prices with sofas starting at $699, Annabe brings you the ultimate in furniture innovation with a modular design that allows you to rearrange your space effortlessly. Perfect for both small and large spaces, Anibe is the only machine washable sofa inside and out. Say goodbye to stains and messes with liquid and stain resistant fabrics that make cleaning easy. Liquid simply slides right off. Designed for custom comfort. Our home, our high resilience foam lets you choose between a sink in feel or a supportive memory foam blend. Plus our pet friendly stain resistant fabrics ensure your sofa stays beautiful for years. Don't compromise quality. For price. Visit washablesofas.com to upgrade your living space today with no risk returns and a 30 day money back guarantee. Get up to 60% off plus free shipping and free returns. Shop now at washablesofas.com Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.

[Gatorade]

Hi, I'm Cindy Crawford and I'm the founder of meaningful beauty. When Dr. Sabah and I decided to do a skincare line together, he said to me, we are going to give women meaningful beauty. And I said, that's exactly right. We want to give women meaningful beauty. Which means each and every product is meaningful. It has a reason to exist. It's efficacious. You're going to get results and then you just go out and live your life. Meaningful Beauty Confidence is beautiful. Learn more@meaningful beauty.com.

[Jacob Goldstein]

This is Jacob Goldstein from what's yous Problem? When you buy business software from lots of vendors, the costs add up and it gets complicated and confusing. Odoo solves this. It's a single company that sells a suite of enterprise apps that handles everything from accounting to inventory to sales. Odoo is all connected on a single platform in a simple and affordable way. You can save money without missing out on the features you need. Check out Odoo at o d o o.com that's o d o o.com Gatorade.

[Kelly Harnett]

Zero the number one proven electrolyte blend made with zero sugar, designed to hydrate better than water so you can lose more more sweat and push more limits. Gatorade 0 is it in you? It's about 3 in the morning on July 6, 2010. After telling her boyfriend Tommy what just happened between her and Angeli is watching on helplessly as Tommy races through the park. He's headed straight for angel, who's none the wiser about how much danger he's in.

[Anna Sinfield]

I'm still 50 yards away. Now, from a distance, I see him throw the bike down, and he is pummeling this guy. Now, I ran, you know, first it was a fight, and I figured that's what was going to happen, so I pulled Tommy's arm. He threw me down and said, bitch, stay out of this. You're fucking next. Then I lost it. And I'm saying, should I run? Because he's 20 yards from me. Should I run in that direction? If he turns around and sees me running, he's going to catch up to me in a second.

[Kelly Harnett]

Kelly stays put, frozen in fear under Hellsgate Bridge, watching on as Tommy's attack goes from violent to murderous. He begins to choke Angel.

[Anna Sinfield]

If I try to stop him again, he's going to kill me. If I run, he's going to kill me. So he comes over to me. He grabs my foot. All he did was take my shoelace. I thought he was pulling my leg to kill me. You think, oh, shit, now it's my turn. I saw him go over to the man, put the shoelace around the man's neck, and it snapped instantaneously. So he screams out, why won't this motherfucker die? Now I realize he really is going through with this. He really is gonna kill this man. Then he took off his own belt.

[Kelly Harnett]

Tommy strangles angel with his belt until he stops struggling, until his body goes limp.

[Anna Sinfield]

It was at that point that I was the most scared, and he came over to me. It would look like a person stalking their prey. Not a person, rather an animal. And it was then that I made it my point to walk to him, literally, as I'm doing right now, with my hands out.

[Kelly Harnett]

Kelly's still terrified she'll be next. She goes into pure survival mode, doing whatever it takes to stay alive.

[Anna Sinfield]

It was right next to angel, this poor man laying on the ground. But I had to try to manipulate Tommy. And I put my hands out, knowing he's an atheist. And I said, pray with me, O glorious Saint Therese, whom almighty God has raised you to aid and counsel mankind. I implore a miraculous intercession so powerful are you in obtaining every need of God. Savior. He screams up while holding my hands. St. Teresa, please help me and to carry out your promises of spending goodness upon earth and letting fall from heaven a shower of roses. Amen. Then he looks at me and goes, oh my God, I just killed somebody. So, like, he went back to normal, but it's too late because the poor man is on the ground. Now.

[Kelly Harnett]

If I didn't know what had happened here in Astoria park all those years ago, I just think it was a nice, normal park. You know, it's got winding paths, a huge variety of trees, somewhere you can lounge out in the summer months and read a book or kick a ball. On the surface, it certainly doesn't seem, seem like the kind of place where a man could lose his life.

[Anna Sinfield]

Now, even though whatever happened, happened towards what he said to me or did to me, being that his name was Angel, I always, due to my faith, felt that he was in some strange way my angel. Because had it not been for, this is terrible to say, and I don't mean that his life should have been taken to save mine. Obviously you cannot bring someone back to life. I wish you could. I would do that for that man in a heartbeat. However, being that it happened, I always tried to find a purpose for it. I try to find the good in it. I was addicted to Xanax, to Klonopin, to this, that, you know, many things and I had no intentions of getting off of any of them. And honestly, when I got to Rikers, I was sick for five months. It got me off of it. So that's the good in it. So I feel that the man that was standing right where we're standing right now, I feel that he was my angel.

[Kelly Harnett]

There's something that makes my stomach flip at the idea that this could have all been part of God's plan. I do like the idea that someone, something intervened in Kelly's life. But I guess it just doesn't sit right that in order for that to happen, angel had to become some kind of sacrificial lamb who had to die for Kelly to break free of addiction and of Tommy's abuse. I guess as a one time Christian, now time heathen, I just don't think a true God would have let Kelly go through any of this. But then again, I'm sure if I'd gotten caught up in something so chaotic and senseless and awful, I'd be looking for meaning too. So where do we go from here? Well, the first thing you need to know is that this series is not a whodunit. I'm not going to be proving Kelly's innocence or guilt. That was decided in a courtroom years ago. And as we tell this story, you can decide for yourself whether that was the right or wrong decision. But I do want to know how this all happened. How did Kelly, the sassy little gymnast who was apparently once destined for the Olympics, end up with someone like Tommy? How did she end up in the park that night? And finally, with the story she just told me, how did she end up in prison for 12 years? I'm going to peel back the layers of Kelly's life to try and understand how she got to where she is today and learn how a victim of domestic violence ends up being seen as a villain in the eyes of the law and maybe in the eyes of many of you, too.

[Anna Sinfield]

I'm being penalized because of the fact that I chose to survive, chose life over death. What do you want? My blood? This is the way it seems. That's what everyone would have preferred. That was the better outcome. A dead girl in the park.

[Kelly Harnett]

Coming up on the girlfriends, jailhouse lawyer.

[Anna Sinfield]

Kelly. She got arrested for murder. This is the justice system. I said, I know my sister. She didn't do this. You have to think of the domestic violence aspect and not the truth finding aspect. I was afraid of Tommy. It was like Kelly was his possession. The trial, it was awful. And the verdict was guilty.

[Kelly Harnett]

Our sisterhood called ourselves the shows.

[Anna Sinfield]

You showy. She goes, harnett, you need to get your ass to that law library. You got to start fighting your case. It became the love of my life.

[Kelly Harnett]

I said, excuse me, is your name Kelly?

[Anna Sinfield]

I said, were you a victim of domestic violence? And she was like, yeah.

[Kelly Harnett]

I said, can you please help me? Not just started crying.

[Anna Sinfield]

I was giving a lot of people hope. I said, how many people have gotten other incarcerated individuals out of here? He said, nobody's ever done that. I said, I'm going to be the first one to do that. He goes, oh, God. Harnett. Jailhouse lawyer.

[Kelly Harnett]

The girlfriend's jailhouse lawyer is produced by Novel for I Heart Podcasts. For more from Novel, visit Novel Audio. The show is hosted by me, Anna Sinfield and is written and produced by me and Lee Meyer, with additional production from Jake Otajevic and Michael Jino. Our assistant producer is Madeline Parr. The editors are Georgia Moody and me, Anna Sinfield. Production management from Cherie Houston and Jo Savage. Our fact checkers are Danya Suleiman and Fendel Fulton. Sound design, mixing and scoring by Daniel Kempson and Nicholas Alexander. Music supervision by me, Anna Sinfield, Lee Meyer and Nicholas Alexander. Original music composed by Nicholas Alexander, Daniel Kempson and Louisa Gerstein. Story development by Willard Foxton. Creative director of Novel, Max o' Brien and Craig Strachan are our executive producers for Novel, and Katrina Norvell and Nikki Etor are the executive producers for iHeart podcasts, and the marketing lead is Alison Cantor. Thanks also to Carrie Lieberman and the whole team at wme. I just wanted to say thanks so much for listening to this first episode of the Girlfriend's Jailhouse Lawyer. Speaking of which, if you just can't wait a whole other week until episode two, and honestly, I can't blame you, it's going to be great. Remember, with an iHeart True Crime plus subscription, you can get access to new episodes a week before everyone else. And to top it off, they're 100% ad free. It's available exclusively on Apple Podcasts, so head there now. Search iheart truecrime plus and subscribe today.

[Jacob Goldstein]

This is Jacob Goldstein from what's yous Problem? When you buy business software from lots of vendors, the costs add up and it gets complicated and confusing. Odoo solves this. It's a single company that sells a suite of enterprise apps that handles everything from accounting to inventory to sales. Odoo is all connected on a single platform in a simple and affordable way. You can save money without missing out on the features you need. Check out Odoo at o d o o.com that's o d o o.com Gatorade.

[PayPal]

Is the number one proven electrolyte blend designed to hydrate better than water.

[Anna Sinfield]

So.

[PayPal]

You can lose more sweat and raise your game. Gatorade is it in you?

[Cindy Crawford]

Every business has an ambition. PayPal open is the platform designed to help you grow into yours with business loans so you can expand and access to hundreds of millions of PayPal customers worldwide. And your customers can pay all the ways they want with PayPal, Venmo pay later and all major cards so you can focus on scaling up when it's time to get growing. There's one platform for all PayPal open grow grow today at paypalopen.com loans subject to approval in available locations.

[Anna Sinfield]

This is an iHeart podcast.