Heartbreaking killing of transplant survivor Jonathan Harris on Murder Calls

The fact that Jonathan Harris was alive at all was a miracle and the young man was an inspiration to many, but he was murdered in a petty revenge attack – Murder Calls spotlights the case.

26-year-old Jonathan Harris was a remarkable young man, with an equally amazing mother. He’d been born with only one kidney and when he turned 12-year-old his health began to deteriorate. He went on to dialysis until his brother donated a kidney to him, sadly this failed and he ended up on an organ transplant exchange program that featured on the Today show.

His mother, Patricia Harris, donated one of her kidneys to a stranger in return for someone donating a kidney to Jonathan. He survived the transplant and went on to attend community college and work delivering pizzas as he studied. Jonathan lived in his mother’s converted basement in Eagle Rock Place in Silver Spring and everything seemed to be on track for the young man who had gone through so much.

Then on December 6, 2014, Patricia noticed that her son’s car was still outside and he was not answering his cell. When she ventured into the basement she found him lying on the floor and immediately called 911. The harrowing call is featured on the show and sadly it transpired that her son had not fallen, he’d been murdered.

100 lb Jonathan had been beaten and strangled to death and police did not have to wait long until they had some suspects. Dion Sobotker was caught using Jonathan’s credit cards soon after the murder and it turned out he’d gone over to the basement apartment with Jonathan’s ex-girlfriend Samantha Parker and another woman, Latoya Morgan.

Parker was there on the pretence of retrieving some personal items left at Jonathan’s home, but the real reason for the visit was revenge. Parker and Sobotker were both charged with first-degree murder but Parker died of brain cancer in prison before she could be tried.

Morgan pleaded guilty to driving the getaway car and was given a five year sentence.

In March 2016, 33-year-old Sobotker was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to 40 years in prison.

Murder Calls – No Good Deed Goes Unpunished airs at 9:00 PM on Investigation Discovery.