Mother Demands New Investigation into Daughter's Death After Argument Over Donald Trump

The mother of a British woman shot and killed in Texas is demanding a new investigation into the incident, which she believes stemmed from an argument over former President Donald Trump. Lucy Harrison, 23, died on January 10, 2025, after being shot in the chest at her father's home in Prosper, Texas.

Her father, Kris Harrison, 52, initially claimed the gun discharged accidentally when he removed it from its container. A grand jury later agreed with this explanation, leading to no jail time for charges including manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide.

However, Lucy's mother, Jane Coates, and her former wife, is urging the Collin County District Attorney’s Office to reopen the case. "I simply want the truth about what happened," Coates told the New York Post. "I want the people responsible for investigating her death to sit down with us and listen to what we have been told by independent experts."

Lucy's boyfriend, Sam Littler, who had traveled to the U.S. with her, testified that Kris Harrison and his daughter had been arguing about the impending inauguration of Trump, who was set to begin a second term. According to BBC reports, Littler stated that Kris then took Lucy to a bedroom to show her his gun, and shortly thereafter, a gunshot was heard.

Kris Harrison had reportedly been drinking on the day of the incident. A UK-based inquest determined that Lucy died by gross negligence manslaughter, a classification akin to involuntary manslaughter in the U.S. The Senior Coroner for Cheshire, Jacqueline Devonish, concluded that the shooting, which entered Lucy's chest, required the gun to be pointed at her without checking for bullets before the trigger was pulled. Devonish referred to Kris Harrison as a "functioning alcoholic" and stated he "unlawfully killed" his daughter.

Retired Texas homicide detective Craig Miller also expressed skepticism. "Guns just don’t go off," Miller told The Post. "The only person who could have fired the gun is the dad." He further questioned the location of the gunshot wound, noting its entry directly through the center of the chest was inconsistent with an accidental discharge during a demonstration.

Bodycam footage from the police showed Kris Harrison denying he had been drinking, despite later findings that he had consumed a significant quantity of white wine that day. "When a person lies and is inconsistent with their testimony, those are important facts for the police to look at and consider," Miller commented.

Kris Harrison, through his attorney, previously stated he "fully accepted" the consequences and would bear the weight of his daughter's death. The Prosper Police Department has indicated it will not reopen its investigation, stating the case was presented to a grand jury that declined to pursue criminal charges.

Coates, who is traveling from the UK, hopes to persuade the DA's office to reconsider. "There isn’t a day that goes by when I don’t think about Lucy and everything she should have had in front of her," she said. "I want people to see her as a person, not just as a case. She was funny, kind, loving and full of life. She had dreams. She had people who loved her deeply. She deserved a future."

Coates' lawyer, Radd Seiger, stated that authorities have refused to meet with the mother. "The authorities say the investigation was thorough and complete. But where is the evidence that the accidental discharge explanation was properly tested?" Seiger asked. He listed unanswered questions regarding scene reconstruction, toxicology, gunshot residue, ballistics, and the pursuit of all evident lines of inquiry. Seiger added that they are in Dallas to "seek justice" and see if authorities will "step forward and do the right thing."