Zachary Harper charged in 2007 cold case murder of Houston mother Yosheka Jarmon
Houston police have charged Zachary Harper in the 2007 strangulation murder of his then-girlfriend Yosheka Jarmon, nearly two decades after her death.
Cold case murder solved after 18 years: Houston man charged over 2007 killing
Houston police have charged Zachary Harper with the 2007 murder of his then-girlfriend Yosheka Jarmon, according to abc7chicago.com — closing a cold case that had remained unsolved for nearly two decades.
Harper, who was already in custody since April on a separate 2023 murder charge involving Armin Mirazimi, was formally charged on Tuesday in connection with Jarmon's death at their northeast Houston apartment.
Jarmon's brother, Terance, discovered his sister's body inside a closet after neighbours reported that her two young children had been left alone outside the apartment. Investigators determined she had been strangled with an electrical cord and that one of her arms had been slashed.
Witnesses had reported seeing a man matching Harper's description near the crime scene at the time. Jarmon's car was subsequently found close to where Harper had been staying in the days after the murder.
Terance Jarmon said Harper's behaviour aroused his suspicion early on. "He ain't come back home, and then the next day he ain't call to check up on the kids or nothing," he said. Despite those suspicions, investigators lacked sufficient evidence to bring charges — mixed fingerprints at the scene were deemed inconclusive.
It was Harper's April arrest on the 2023 murder charge that prompted detectives to reopen Yosheka Jarmon's case and conduct further evidence testing, her brother said.
Court records show that in the years between the 2007 murder and his most recent arrest, Harper accumulated at least five criminal charges, including unlawful possession of a weapon, drug possession, and a terroristic threat charge relating to an ex-girlfriend.
Police say Harper had also been violent towards Yosheka Jarmon prior to her death. "He used to beat on her and stuff like that, but she never did — he didn't do nothing to the face," Terance Jarmon said, adding that he had not learned of the abuse until after the investigation concluded.
Harper was denied bond and remains held at the Harris County Jail. His listed attorney did not respond to a request for comment.
Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)