A jury has found a New Haven man guilty of murdering a father and his son 35 years ago.
In 2019, police arrested 55-year-old Willie McFarland and charged him with the Aug. 21, 1987 murders of Fred Harris, 59, and his 23-year-old son, Gregory Harris, police said.
The father and son were killed inside their home at 655 Fitch St.
Police said McFarland and the two Harris men knew each other. According to court documents, the day of the murders Harris showed up at the home and asked to borrow a knife. When one of the victims handed the knife over, he forced his way into the home.
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Both victims were tied up before being killed, and one was sexually assaulted, the documents state. The documents said McFarland stabbed both men in the chest and slit their throats.
McFarland had a criminal history and had just been released from jail the day before the crime, investigators said.
While serving time for another crime, McFarland confessed to the murders, according to the documents. He said he did it because he was looking for money and a gun he believed to be in the home.
Police began investigating the case again in 2018 with the assistance of the New Haven State's Attorney's Office. Advances in DNA technology that didn't exist in 1987 helped them make an arrest.
“In utilizing innovative investigative techniques, advances in forensic science, and the determination to hold perpetrators of horrendous crimes accountable, today’s jury verdict is the result of a 35-year quest by dedicated investigators and prosecutors who never gave up their search for justice for the victims of these horrendous crimes,” State’s Attorney John Doyle said.
Police said McFarland is a registered sex offender, convicted for two sexual assaults shortly after the killings. One of those sexual assaults happened just hours after the killings.
Sentencing is set to take place on Jan. 31, 2023.
