Murder of Donna Lynn Jordan by Roger Harris featured on American Monster

American Monster is taking a closer look at the case of Donna Jordan, a nurse who was murdered by her husband, Roger Harris, in Lake City, Florida.

In June 1998, Jordan and Harris allowed a 21-year-old woman named Jennifer Palmer to move into their home to care for their two children.

It was during that time that Harris and Palmer became romantically involved.

When Jordan found out about it, she asked Palmer to leave her home.

Palmer moved next door to the couple and continued watching their children.

Jordan was under the impression that Palmer and Harris had ended their love affair, but after finding out that they were still seeing each other, Jordan fired her.

Her termination didn’t stop her from seeing Harris, who told her he was going to divorce his wife and marry her.

That plan quickly changed when Harris told her that Jordan threatened to take the children.

He then decided that killing his 30-year-old wife would be a better option.

Roger Harris murdered his wife before falsely reporting her missing

On Dec. 4, 1998, Harris contacted the Lake City Police Department and reported his wife missing. He said Jordan never returned home after leaving around 10:15 p.m. to go to their local Walmart.

Three days later, police officials located her vehicle, a blue Astro van, at a truck stop on Interstate 75, and her body, which was in an advanced state of decomposition, was found inside.

An autopsy revealed that Jordan died from an injury to the back of her head that caused severe damage to the lower half of her brain.

Investigators believe that the murder weapon was a handmade firing device. They found parts of it inside her van.

Harris immediately became a suspect.

Roger Harris was indicted for his wife’s murder

On Jan. 22, 1999, Harris was officially charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.

Palmer was also arrested and charged with being an accessory and tampering with evidence.

She pleaded guilty.

Palmer testified that Harris began talking about killing his wife five weeks before he killed her. He said he would shoot her and make it look like a suicide.

After the shooting, Harris called Palmer at her job and said, “I did it,” and he needed her help.

When she arrived at his house, Harris placed several bags in her car and instructed her to dispose of them, possibly in water.

Palmer agreed. 

She said she went to different locations in Columbia County to discard the bags.

In April 2000, Harris was convicted of killing his wife, and a judge sentenced him to death.

The Florida Supreme Court overturned his death sentence in 2003, and he was sentenced to life in prison.

American Monster airs Sundays at 9/8c on Investigation Discovery.