A Carlsbad woman found guilty of murdering her schoolteacher husband was sentenced Friday to 40 years to life in prison by a Superior Court judge who said the defendant’s claim that the shooting was accidental was “inherently” unbelievable.

In handing down the sentence, Judge Blaine Bowman told Julie Harper: “You are no doubt a danger to society.”

Judge Blaine Bowman speaks during the sentencing hearing of Julie Harper at the Vista Courthouse before sentencing her to 40 years to life for killing her husband Jason Harper. (Charlie Neuman)

The 42-year-old Harper was convicted in October of second-degree murder in the August 2012 death of her husband, Jason, 39 and a popular math teacher and volleyball coach at Carlsbad High School. The verdict came at the second trial for Harper, who in 2014 was acquitted of first-degree murder after a weekslong trial in Vista. The jury in that trial deadlocked on the second-degree murder charge.


Harper testified that her 6-foot, 7-inch-tall husband previously abused her, and that she shot him accidentally, but in fear for her life, when he charged her during an argument.

Bowman, who oversaw both trials, said none of that rang true. He noted that on the day of the shooting Harper grabbed a loaded gun, and with the safety off, put her finger on the trigger and pointed it at her husband.

“The court listened carefully to the defendant’s testimony,” Bowman said, “and the court finds that the defendant is inherently untrustworthy and not worthy of belief.”

Lina Harper, mother of Jason Harper, speaks during the sentencing hearing of Julie Harper, at left, at the Vista Courthouse. (Charlie Neuman)


At Friday’s hearing, Harper cried as she addressed the court for close to 40 minutes, starting her words with “A, B, C, D — another behind closed doors.” She said her popular husband was a different person in private, and repeated her claim that her husband had put her through “absolute hell.”

“I am not guilty of the charge for which I am here,” she told the judge. “I am innocent of any criminal wrongdoing.”

Jason Harper’s mother also addressed the court, saying her son’s death had devastated the family. Lina cq Harper, 74, called Julie Harper a “selfish, arrogant and vile person” and said the murder conviction was “justice for Jason.” She and her 84-year-old husband are raising their three grandchildren, who were ages 8, 6 and 1 at time of the shooting.

Letters from the two older children were read during the hearing. Both wrote of loving their father and of wanting their mother to have a lengthy sentence.


The oldest child, a boy who is 12, wrote that “the suffering and pain we have endured that she has caused should be answered with justice.”

The middle child, a girl who is 10, wrote “Because you killed our dad, you are no longer mom. You are Julie!! I will never call you mom again for what you did. ...” She later wrote, “He only wanted the best for us, and you betrayed him by taking his life.”

In both trials, Harper testified in her own defense, saying her husband had sexually and verbally abused her for years — accusations that outraged Jason Harper’s family and friends.

Jurors saw cellphone footage Harper had secretly recorded that showed Jason yelling and berating her.


On the morning of the shooting, Harper said, she told her husband she’d filed for divorce and hired an attorney. She said Jason soon exploded in anger. Harper said she fired the gun by accident, but in fear for her life, as he rushed toward her.

Their children were watching cartoons downstairs.

× Julie Harper, a Carlsbad woman found guilty of murdering her school teacher husband was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison on Friday.

Prosecutor Keith Watanabe said during the trials that Harper’s story just didn’t add up. For starters, he said, the bullet entered Jason Harper’s side, slightly from behind, and pierced his heart — not as if he were charging her, but as if he were trying to get away.


Watanabe also pointed to Harper’s actions after her husband collapsed. She didn’t call 911, but instead fled the home with the children, hid the gun and later went to see her father, who helped her find an attorney.

That attorney, Paul Pfingst, called police later that night, and told them to go to the couple’s Carlsbad home. There, police discovered Jason Harper’s body.

She was arrested the next day, and remained jailed for a year until she was able to post bail. While out on bail, Harper became pregnant; she said it was through in vitro fertilization. (The baby, now about 9 months old, is with Julie Harper’s family.)

In the second trial, jurors heard from domestic violence experts and also had an opportunity to test fire a small derringer handgun similar to the one Harper said she used.


The murder weapon was never found.

Three of the jurors from Harper’s second trial attended her sentencing, and said they were pleased that the judge found Harper’s testimony not credible.

“We thought she was guilty, we thought she was a liar, we thought she was manipulative,” juror Steven Westland said. He later added, “We added it up, and it all added up to 100 percent guilty.”

Juror Carol Grimes said the jury “felt very justified in coming up with our verdict.”


“We all saw the same truth quickly,” Grimes said.

Harper will be back in court next week for a restitution hearing. She will be in her 70s before she is eligible for parole.