Conviction Upheld for Mich. Man Who Killed Wife by Putting Heroin in Cereal Weeks After She Gave Birth

The Michigan Court of Appeals upheld the conviction for Jason Thomas Harris, 49, who was convicted of murdering his wife Christina Ann-Thompson Harris

A Michigan court has upheld a 2021 ruling that found a man had murdered his wife by putting heroin in her cereal just weeks after she gave birth to their second child.

Years after 36-year-old Christina Ann-Thompson Harris’ 2014 death, her husband, Jason Thomas Harris, now 49, was convicted of first-degree premeditated murder, solicitation of murder and delivery of a controlled substance causing death.

Prosecutors argued that Harris had placed heroin in his wife’s milk and cereal the night that she died, believing that it was tasteless and odorless, according to court documents. A court also convicted Harris of attempting to hire a hitman to kill Christina, planning to pay for the crime with $10,000 of her life insurance policy.

Per the court documents, Harris first filed an appeal to his conviction in 2021, arguing that he had ineffective counsel during his trial. On Feb. 22, the Michigan Court of Appeals upheld his conviction, writing in a court document that “Harris had a motive to kill Christina.”

Related: Mich. Man Allegedly Killed Wife Who'd Recently Given Birth by Putting Heroin in Her Cereal

“He was having an affair, thought that she was cheating on him, and was tired of her nagging him,” the Court wrote in its ruling. “He specifically stated to many people that he did not want a divorce because he did not want to pay child support or lose custody of the children. Before her death, he told a co-worker that he wished Christina were dead. He even solicited a coworker to murder Christina in exchange for $10,000.”

The Genesee County Prosecutor’s Office said that they were happy with the Court of Appeals’ latest decision.

“The evidence in this case was overwhelming and, I am pleased with the decision reached by the Court of Appeals,” Prosecutor David Leyton told WNEM. “Justice for Christina Harris and her family has once again been achieved in a court of law.”

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. 

Although Christina’s death was initially believed to be an accidental overdose, law enforcement began investigating it as a homicide after receiving reports from friends of the couple that Harris had been complaining about his wife in the weeks before her death. Friends also said that Harris believed his wife had cheated on him and that he was not the father of their then-4-month-old child, and that he’d supposedly talked about “getting rid of her.”

The prosecutor’s office said the investigation ruled her death as an accidental overdose at first, but her family refused to accept the ruling and urged police to dig deeper. Leyton said there was eventually enough probable cause evidence to support a murder charge.

Related: Killing of Laken Riley Was 'Crime of Opportunity,' Police Believe Suspect Acted Alone

“Post-trial appeals are very common among defendants sentenced to life or very lengthy prison terms and they require an immense amount of time and effort by my appeals division,” Leyton told the local Michigan outlet. “I am proud of the work my team of prosecutors, victim advocates, and support staff put forth in this case and very happy that we were once again able to stand up for Christina Harris, her children, her parents, her siblings and all her friends and family to see justice through.”

Harris is now serving a life sentence without parole.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.