The boyfriend of a woman fatally shot by her father during a holiday visit has raised concerns over whether a grand jury was provided with all the evidence by police when they decided not to press charges over her death.
Lucy Harrison had been holidaying with her boyfriend Sam Littler on January 10, 2025 when she was shot dead from "medium range" at a detached house in Prosper, Texas. The couple had arrived at her father's American home on December 28, 2024, having flown out from Heathrow.
Lucy and Sam had purchased their first home together just nine months earlier and welcomed family over for their first Christmas at their Warrington property just days before they departed.
Inquest Reveals Details
At an inquest into her death held at Cheshire Coroner's Court in Warrington on February 11, it emerged that Lucy's father Kris Harrison had taken her by the hand into his bedroom shortly before he was due to drive her and Sam to the airport. Sam told the court how approximately 15 seconds later he heard a bang before Mr Harrison called out his wife Heather's name. Sam, Mrs Harrison, her two daughters and a neighbour who was present in the house rushed to the downstairs bedroom where they discovered the 23-year-old lying on the floor shortly before 3pm.
Senior coroner Jacqueline Devonish, while summarising the case, described Mr Harrison as a "functioning alcoholic" and drew attention to his drinking prior to the fatal incident. She said: "I find that Kris Harrison did not immediately tell the truth about his drinking to those representing him. The USA police confirm that Kris Harrison smelt of alcohol and eventually admitted drinking continuously since the morning, and then after lunch when he attended the 7-Eleven on the pretence of solely collecting cookies. He was a secret drinker having left home to collect cookies and insisting he should go out alone. It was irresponsible of him to plan to drive Lucy and Sam to the airport that afternoon, in the circumstances. I am left in no doubt whatsoever that he had been drinking continuously on January 10. This was normal for him and he could function. No-one in the family suspected that he had been drinking that day. He spent most of the time outside in the snow and not in close proximity to them."
The coroner went on to say: "I accept he did not load the magazine into the handgun. I accept that he did not know the gun was loaded. I do not accept that the gun just went off as he removed it from the box. This is due to the room layout and location in which Lucy's body was found. To shoot her through the chest whilst she was standing would have required him to have been pointing the gun at his daughter without checking for bullets and pulled the trigger. I find this action to be reckless."
Boyfriend's Statement
The coroner ruled Lucy had been unlawfully killed, with nobody facing prosecution after a grand jury examined the evidence last June. Sam has now released his first public statement following the inquest, revealing he had "concerns" about Mr Harrison's drinking. He went on to express his dismay that the father not only refused to attend the inquest from his American home, but also requested the coroner's removal on the morning of proceedings and released a media statement while avoiding questions about his daughter's death.
Sam said: "The information shared in the coroner's court was the first time I had heard, in a formal legal setting, a clear account of what was believed to have happened on 10 January 2025. I had held concerns for over a year which I chose not to express publicly placing my trust in the UK coroner's process. Based on the evidence presented, the coroner found that Kris had been consuming alcohol without the knowledge of anyone else in the household before taking Lucy into a bedroom, where she died from a gunshot wound to the chest. The coroner stated that this would have required the gun to have been pointed in Lucy's direction from across the room, without checking whether it was loaded, before the trigger was pulled. The coroner described these actions as reckless."
He went on to say: "I agree with the coroner's conclusions and findings reached at the inquest. Hearing the evidence in full was devastating, but it confirmed many of the concerns I had carried privately since Lucy's death. The coroner found that Kris had been drinking continuously on 10 January 2025 and had also admitted to drinking the day before, without the knowledge of anyone else in the household. One of the hardest things for me to live with is that, during my 911 call, I did not know Lucy had been shot. I was trying to explain an emergency without understanding what had actually happened. That confusion, and the delay in understanding the nature of the situation, has stayed with me ever since."
Sam alleges he was requested to provide a written statement to police prior to being taken to a police station for questioning, and that he was only informed of Lucy's death from her gunshot wound afterwards, having been prevented from accompanying her to hospital.
Wrapping up his lengthy statement posted on social media, Sam said: "I recognise that the Grand Jury process in Texas is confidential and that no criminal charge was brought. I do not know exactly what evidence was presented. I have therefore been left with seeking further understanding following the evidence heard during the UK inquest. For example, I do not know whether the Grand Jury was provided with evidence relating to alcohol consumption that, according to the coroner's findings, was unknown to others in the household, the CCTV footage showing Kris purchasing two 500ml cartons of wine approximately two hours before the shooting, or the post-mortem findings regarding the downward trajectory of the bullet. I also do not know whether they were shown the bedroom diagram included within the UK inquest bundle, which recorded the location of the bullet casing near the bedside table, the location of the firearm near the opposite lower corner of the bed and bloodstaining near the entrance to the en-suite bathroom. Based solely on my understanding of the evidence presented during the inquest, I personally struggled to reconcile the physical evidence shown in that diagram with the account that Lucy had been standing beside Kris when the gun was removed from its case. I do not know whether the Grand Jury was informed that the firearm was found to be in full working order, or that the bullet itself was never recovered. Prior to the inquest, I respected the need for confidentiality and chose not to speak publicly. I now feel that it is the right time for me to honour Lucy in the way that feels right to me, and to use my voice to speak about both my experience and the evidence heard during the inquest. Everything I have said reflects my own personal experience, recollection and understanding of the evidence heard during the UK inquest and the findings made by the coroner. I recognise that the legal process in Texas concluded without criminal charges being brought. Nothing in this statement is intended to suggest otherwise. I will not be making any further public comment at this time."
Mother's Criticism
In a scathing statement delivered by Lucy's mum Jane Coates after the inquest wrapped up, she criticised US police for the quality of their investigation into the shooting. She said: "Furthermore, it is mine and Sam's strongly held view that the US investigation led by the Prosper Police Department lacked the rigour and scrutiny you'd expect if this had happened in the UK. Lucy deserved better. The Grand Jury seemed to have no option but to conclude a 'no bill' which meant no prosecution could be brought, based on the evidence they were presented with. Despite believing that Texas gun laws and decisions made by the Prosper Police Department failed Lucy, both Sam and I would like to extend our thanks to the many first responders who tried to save Lucy's life, including the team at the Baylor Medical Center."
In a statement issued to the ECHO in his absence from the proceedings, Mr Harrison said: "Lucy was the light of my life. From the moment she was born, to watching her grow into the remarkable young woman she became - from her first steps to her graduation, where I cried with pride - was the greatest privilege of my life. Lucy adored her younger sisters, and our home was never truly complete unless she was in it - laughing, cuddling, and filling every room with joy. During her last visit, she wrote a letter saying that Texas was her home and that she felt lucky to be part of 'the best family in the whole wide world.' That letter is now one of our most treasured possessions." He added: "I fully accept the consequences of my actions, and there isn't a day I don't feel the weight of that loss - a weight I will carry for the rest of my life, and I know that nothing I say can ease the heartbreak this tragedy has caused."
A Prosper PD spokesperson told the ECHO earlier this year: "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 standard practice, we do not comment once a case has been referred, due to the possibility of ongoing investigation or pending litigation."
