DALLAS — After four murders, the man who police say is responsible for killing Southern Methodist University student Robert “Jaden” Urrea is behind bars. Jeremy Harris, 31, remains in the Collin County Jail on a $3 million bond in the killings of four men, according to Dallas police.
“In my opinion based on what we’ve seen so far, I believe that this is the definition of a serial killer,” said Dallas Police Department deputy chief Reuben Ramirez. “It’s random. There is no known association between victims and the complainant.”
Harris was initially arrested on Nov. 18 in Celina just forty miles north of Dallas near Prosper.
Multiple murders over two weeks
On Oct. 31, Dallas Police responded to the intersection of S. Hardwood Street and Jackson Street just before 3 a.m. after receiving reports of a man “laying in the intersection with a gunshot wound,” per police records. Urrea was pronounced dead at the scene.
Video surveillance obtained by authorities shows a suspect in a white 4-door vehicle with a sunroof and custom wheels interacting with Urrea. As the video continues, the vehicle eventually leaves the scene, and at that point, Urrea falls to the ground.
“… As Jaden turns toward the car, he was maliciously shot in the chest at close range,” said Robert and Patricia Urrea, Robert’s parents. “We strongly believe this was a drive-by shooting, unprovoked, committed by complete strangers.”
The Urrea’s belief would later be confirmed as investigators stated Harris didn’t appear to know any of his shooting victims except for the father of his ex-girlfriend – 60-year-old Blair Carter.
“… As we began to investigate, we figured out quickly Mr. Harris who’s in jail right now in Collin County for the murder he committed in Celina is the same one who committed the murders in Dallas and the aggravated assault here in Dallas,” said Dallas Police Department assistant chief Avery Moore referencing the assault that happened Nov. 16 in the 6000 block of Grand Avenue after 12:30 a.m.
Two weeks after Urrea’s death, two more men would be killed roughly thirty minutes apart in Dallas on Nov. 14. Just after 8:30 p.m., 36-year-old Adam Gatreau was shot and killed in the 8000 block of N. Stemmons Service Road. At 9:02 p.m., police say 57-year-old Kenneth Hamilton was also shot and killed in the 1000 block of S. Beckley Avenue. In both shootings, the suspect was seen driving a black Chevy SUV.
Dallas Police chief Renee Hall described the surge in violence as “alarming because it was separate and apart from anything that we’ve seen.”
“The knowledge that someone is randomly, with no real reason and reckless regard for human life, going around murdering individuals is a separate kind of fear,” Hall said.
On Wednesday, Nov. 18, Carter’s body was found inside a burned home in the Greenway subdivision. In a news release from the Celina Police Department, witnesses at the scene provided details on the suspect’s description and vehicle.
“Upon arrival, the police department secured the scene, and located witnesses that observed a man running from the residence prior to the fire department’s arrival,” said Celina Police Department acting chief of police Allwin Barrow. “Witnesses described the man running from the residence as dressed in black clothing, about 5’7” and carrying an unknown object.”
Piecing the evidence together
Following a tip connected to the murder in Celina, the investigation began to take a turn for authorities in Dallas. Based on court records, police obtained a search warrant for Jeremy Harris’ cellphone records, which placed him at multiple crime scenes. Additionally, a search of Harris’ apartment produced a set of four black rims belonging to a black Chevy SUV. A witness told police that a day before his Nov. 18 arrest, Harris removed the rims from the vehicle. During a search of Harris’ Chevy Suburban, police found a “black handgun that was taken apart, destroyed and burned,” which they said is the “weapon believed to be used in all offenses.”
“We really started to find the pieces,” said Ramirez. “Through collaboration with our federal partners, as well as the municipalities in this region… we really started to piece this thing together.”
Early on in their investigation, police found that the vehicle used in the killing of Urrea was in a car wreck the same morning just hours later. Court records show that investigators found a single fired cartridge under the passenger seat matching the weapon used in the killing. The vehicle belonged to Harris’ ex-girlfriend, per court documents. Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis released a statement on Harris’ arrest, noting that multiple agencies were working together on the case.
“My office has been working closely with numerous area law enforcement agencies since Wednesday’s murder in Celina and the subsequent arrest of Jeremy Rashad Harris for that crime,” Willis said. “Harris is currently in the Collin County Jail on bonds totaling $3 million. We will continue to coordinate with all the involved agencies and jurisdictions to protect the public and see that justice is done. To respect the integrity of ongoing investigations, I will have no further comment at this time.”
Harris is suspected of other shootings that took place in Denton, Prosper, and Frisco, according to authorities. SMU’s Vice President of Student Affairs, K.C. Mmeje, applauded the department’s efforts in arresting Harris in a statement.
“We are grateful for the arrest of a suspect in the murder of our student, Jaden Urrea,” Mmeje said. “While nothing can ease the pain felt by his family and friends, we hope the successful prosecution and conviction of Jaden’s killer will allow them to find peace. We appreciate the diligent work of the investigators in this case.”