Maintenance man charged in Drexel grad's murder

A man who killed his father in 1982 was charged Friday with the rape and murder of Jasmine Wright, a recent Drexel University graduate who was found dead last week in her West Philadelphia apartment.

James Harris, 56, had worked as a maintenance man at Wright's apartment building, Homicide Capt. James Clark said Friday. Harris was fired from his job there a week before Wright's death, but still had keys to the building.

Wright, 27, was found dead, apparently strangled and beaten, on July 16 in her third-floor apartment on the 200 block of South 50th Street.

Police said they believe that Harris broke into Wright's apartment about 30 minutes before she arrived home that day. Police said he attacked her from behind as she spoke on the phone with her mother, who heard sounds of a struggle before the line went dead.

Harris beat, sexually assaulted, and strangled Wright, likely beside her bed, before placing her body on top of it, Clark said at a news conference Friday.

Harris attempted to cover up the crime scene with bleach, but investigators managed to obtain DNA evidence that matched him to the scene, Clark said.

Police, acting on witness accounts, first arrested Harris on burglary and trespassing charges, and held him on $5 million bail while they awaited DNA test results.

Harris has a long record of violent crime. In 1982, he was arrested for killing his father and served time in prison; he also has been charged with sexual assault and other crimes multiple times. Clark described him as a "career criminal."

"He's a monster, and we're very happy to get him off the streets," Clark said.

Clark said officials are unsure how Harris gained entry to Wright's unit, but said there were no signs of forced entry. In his capacity as a maintenance worker, Clark said, Harris should not have had access to individual room keys.

Harris is not cooperating with police, Clark said, and investigators have not identified a motive for the attack. Harris and Wright were on first-name speaking terms and were generally friendly, he said.

Clark said Harris' arrest offered members of Wright's family some closure after her death, which came weeks after she finished graduate school in public health at Drexel. But, he said, they are still traumatized.

"Their daughter did everything the right way," Clark said, adding that Wright "was just about to make her mark in this life, and to be killed in this fashion is very sad and very tragic."