Jilted lover admits he strangled Devon woman

Less than two weeks before his scheduled homicide trial, a Schuylkill County man admitted Wednesday that he had used a bungee cord to strangle his former girlfriend in Chester County.

Randall R. Harner, 49, of Girardville, pleaded guilty to third-degree murder in the Aug. 17, 2008, death of Deborah French, 52, of Devon.

Chester County Judge Howard F. Riley Jr. accepted a plea agreement with a 26- to 52-year prison term, which was negotiated between Deputy District Attorney Robert L. Miller and First Assistant Public Defender Nathan M. Schenker.

Anguish dominated the hour-long proceeding as French's friends and family, including her two daughters, described the impact of what the prosecutor labeled a "very violent, vicious" murder.

"She had a way of making everyone feel welcome and loved," said Mirilee VanDame, French's older daughter.

Andrew French, the victim's former husband, said "the loss to our community" was exemplified by her funeral, which was attended by 750 people. He said that the two had remained close friends after their separation, and that she had called him hours before she was killed and told him about a "difficult conversation" she'd had the day before with Harner.

"She just wanted me to know in case anything happened," he said.

Later that day, West Vincent Township police responded to an area of South Chester Springs Road for what the 911 operator called "a child in distress" but one that was from Deborah French. Officers did not receive an exact address because the call came from a cell phone during the attack.

Police, responding to the general area, saw an "out of place," beat-up Dodge parked in front of a house. The car roused the suspicion of police, who traced it to Harner. When officers walked up the driveway, they saw French's body inside the door of a residence where she had been house-sitting, Miller said.

They also found a hammer on the ground, broken glass around the door, and Harner "washing his hands at a sink," Miller said.

In an interview with police, Harner said he had killed French during an argument over her breakup with him.

Harner showed little reaction to the emotional testimony that preceded the judge's acceptance of the plea agreement, but he apologized to the family.

"I take full responsibility for my horrible actions," he said. "I just hope that someday that everyone will be able to heal from this tragedy."

According to court records, Harner had a history of domestic-violence allegations: His former wife and another woman had filed protection-from-abuse orders against him.

The murder conviction violated Harner's probation on previous convictions for burglary and criminal trespass, violations that were included in his sentence.

"This will put him behind bars for functionally the rest of his life," said Miller.