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Who Was Michael Harding & What Happened to Him? 2026 Update & Profile

by · October 22, 2026

Michael Harding was a 53-year-old Tennessee businessman and father whose murder in September 2022 exposed an alleged murder-for-hire conspiracy involving his estranged wife, California Highway Patrol Captain Julie Harding, and a man from California who was convicted of killing him.

His story is featured in “48 Hours: The Mansion Above Dale Hollow Lake,” airing Saturday, October 24, 2026, at 10/9c on CBS. Correspondent Peter Van Sant examines Michael’s life, his troubled marriage, the service call that led him to a vacant Kentucky home and the investigation that resulted in Thomas O’Donnell’s murder conviction.

Michael operated Around the Clock Heating and Air, an HVAC business serving customers in the Tennessee region. On September 19, 2022, he travelled to Burkesville, Kentucky, after receiving what appeared to be a routine request for heating and air-conditioning work. Prosecutors established that the appointment had been arranged as a trap.

A real estate agent discovered his body inside the vacant property on September 26. Michael had been shot multiple times. Investigators traced the service call and uncovered evidence connecting O’Donnell to the killing and to Julie, who had filed for divorce months earlier.

O’Donnell was convicted of murder on May 1, 2026, and sentenced to life imprisonment three days later. Julie died in December 2022 before she could face trial over allegations that she had arranged her husband’s murder.

Who Was Michael Harding?

Michael Harding was a businessman and father who had lived in Northern California before relocating to Tennessee. He operated Around the Clock Heating and Air, providing heating, ventilation and air-conditioning services to customers in the region.

His work involved travelling to homes and properties to inspect, repair and maintain HVAC systems. That occupation became central to the circumstances of his death when someone arranged a fictitious service appointment at a vacant house in Kentucky.

Michael had children living in Northern California. Their accounts of his life became part of the reporting that followed the murder investigation and the conviction of Thomas O’Donnell.

He was 53 when he died in September 2022. Friends and relatives described a man whose life involved his family, his business and plans for a future in Tennessee.

His death became a criminal case involving investigators in Kentucky, Tennessee and California, but his family has sought to preserve his identity beyond the events that led to his murder.

Michael Harding’s Life and Business in Tennessee

Michael established Around the Clock Heating and Air after living in the Sacramento area of California. His business provided heating and cooling services, an occupation that brought him into contact with homeowners and property managers.

The company name reflected the type of service associated with HVAC repair work, where customers may require assistance with heating and cooling systems at different times.

Michael’s relocation to Tennessee formed part of his plans to establish a new life in the region. He and his wife, Julie, purchased a large property near Dale Hollow Lake in Celina.

His business continued to operate as the couple’s marriage deteriorated. In September 2022, a service request brought him across the state line into Kentucky, where prosecutors said the caller had arranged the appointment for the purpose of killing him.

The use of his occupation to lure him to the property became one of the defining elements of the murder case.

Michael Harding’s Marriage to CHP Captain Julie Harding

Michael married Julie Harding in 2019. Julie was a longtime California Highway Patrol officer who had risen to the rank of captain and served as commander of the department’s Yuba-Sutter area office.

The couple purchased a large home in Celina, Tennessee, near Dale Hollow Lake. The property represented their plans to build a life together outside California.

Julie continued working in California while Michael developed his business in Tennessee. Their living arrangements placed them in different states for parts of their marriage.

By 2022, the relationship had deteriorated. Julie filed for divorce in May, and the couple became involved in disputes concerning finances and property.

Prosecutors later alleged that Julie had withdrawn approximately $220,000 from three joint bank accounts without Michael’s consent. The financial dispute became part of the suspected motive for the murder.

The Mansion Above Dale Hollow Lake

Michael and Julie Harding purchased a substantial property in Celina, Tennessee, near Dale Hollow Lake, a reservoir that extends across the Tennessee-Kentucky region.

The property became associated with their plans for a shared future. Michael had relocated his business and established a life in Tennessee, while Julie maintained her career in California.

Their marriage deteriorated before those plans could be realised. The property became part of the financial and personal disputes surrounding their separation.

The home gained another connection to the criminal investigation in December 2022, when Julie was found dead there in what authorities described as an apparent suicide.

The mansion provides the title for the 48 Hours episode, linking the couple’s aspirations for the property with the events that led to their deaths.

Why Were Michael and Julie Harding Getting Divorced?

Julie Harding filed for divorce in May 2022, approximately three years after the couple married. Their relationship had become strained, and disputes over finances and property formed part of the separation.

Prosecutors alleged that Julie withdrew around $220,000 from joint accounts without Michael’s consent. The transactions attracted investigators’ attention after his murder.

Michael had begun a relationship with another woman. That relationship became part of the conflict surrounding the divorce, with Julie later facing allegations of trespassing at the woman’s Tennessee property.

The prosecution argued that the financial dispute and the breakdown of the marriage provided a motive for Julie to arrange Michael’s killing.

Julie died before those allegations could be tested in a criminal trial against her. The claims concerning her role formed part of the prosecution’s case against Thomas O’Donnell.

Michael Harding’s Concerns About His Safety

Before his death, Michael expressed fears about his safety to people who knew him. One friend later recalled a conversation during a fishing trip in which Michael raised the possibility that something might happen to him.

The friend told KCRA’s documentary Hometown Tragedy: The Broken Oath that Michael had suggested investigators should examine Julie if he came to harm.

The recollection gained significance after Michael was found murdered in September 2022. It suggested that he had been concerned about the consequences of his deteriorating marriage.

The friend’s account was one part of the wider reporting about the case. The criminal prosecution relied on evidence connecting Thomas O’Donnell to the service appointment and the shooting.

Michael’s fears also became part of the story his family and friends told after the conviction, providing insight into the months preceding his death.

What Happened to Michael Harding on September 19, 2022?

On September 19, 2022, Michael received a request to perform heating and air-conditioning work at a vacant house in Burkesville, Kentucky.

The caller presented the appointment as a legitimate service request. Michael travelled to the property believing he was responding to a customer who needed assistance.

According to prosecutors, Thomas O’Donnell had arranged the appointment through a prepaid telephone and obtained access to the vacant house by posing as someone associated with a real estate transaction.

The property was listed for sale, and the lockbox code allowed O’Donnell to enter. Prosecutors argued that he used the location to create a trap for Michael.

Michael arrived at the house and was shot multiple times. His body remained inside the property until it was discovered one week later.

The service call became the central act of deception in the murder case. Michael’s work brought him to the location where the killer was waiting.

How Was Michael Harding Murdered?

Prosecutors established that Michael was lured to the vacant Kentucky property through a fictitious HVAC service appointment.

The state argued that O’Donnell arranged the appointment, travelled to the house and shot Michael after he arrived.

The shooting occurred on September 19, 2022. Michael suffered multiple gunshot wounds and died inside the property.

The house was unoccupied, which allowed his body to remain undiscovered for several days. Investigators reconstructed the circumstances through communications, travel records and evidence concerning access to the property.

O’Donnell denied responsibility for the murder. A jury convicted him in May 2026 after considering the prosecution’s evidence.

The Discovery of Michael Harding’s Body

On September 26, 2022, a real estate agent arrived at the vacant house in Burkesville, Kentucky, to show the property to prospective buyers.

Inside, the agent discovered Michael’s body. He had been shot multiple times, and investigators determined that the death was a homicide.

Kentucky State Police began examining why Michael had travelled to the house and who had arranged the service appointment.

The property had been vacant and listed for sale, making the circumstances of the appointment a focus of the investigation.

Detectives examined telephone records and the arrangements for accessing the house, leading them toward a suspect with connections to California.

The discovery began a murder investigation that would take more than three years to reach a jury verdict.

How Investigators Uncovered the Murder Plot

Kentucky State Police investigated Michael’s murder with assistance from the FBI and authorities in Tennessee and California.

Detectives examined telephone records, travel information and financial transactions. The investigation identified Thomas O’Donnell, a California resident, as a suspect.

Prosecutors alleged that O’Donnell had used a prepaid phone to arrange the fictitious service appointment and obtain access to the vacant house.

Investigators also discovered extensive communications between O’Donnell and Julie Harding. Telephone records documented 194 calls between the two during the three months before Michael’s murder.

The prosecution argued that the calls, travel evidence and financial dispute established a murder-for-hire arrangement.

The evidence connected events in California, Tennessee and Kentucky, requiring cooperation between law enforcement agencies across state lines.

Why Was Michael Harding Targeted?

Prosecutors alleged that Michael was targeted because of the breakdown of his marriage to Julie Harding and the financial disputes surrounding their divorce.

Julie had filed for divorce in May 2022. Investigators examined allegations that she had withdrawn more than $220,000 from the couple’s joint accounts without Michael’s consent.

The prosecution argued that Julie arranged for Thomas O’Donnell to kill Michael as part of a plan connected to the divorce and financial conflict.

The allegation was supported by evidence of communications between Julie and O’Donnell, along with travel and location records examined during the investigation.

Julie died before a jury could determine whether she was criminally responsible for arranging the murder. O’Donnell was convicted of carrying out the killing.

The Role of Thomas O’Donnell in Michael Harding’s Death

Thomas O’Donnell was a California man from Napa who became the central defendant in the murder prosecution.

Investigators connected him to the vacant property through telephone records and evidence concerning the arrangements for the HVAC appointment.

Prosecutors alleged that O’Donnell obtained the lockbox code by impersonating someone involved in the real estate transaction. He then used a prepaid phone to contact Michael about the fictitious repair.

The state argued that O’Donnell travelled to Kentucky and shot Michael at the house on September 19, 2022.

O’Donnell denied responsibility and maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings. The jury rejected his defence and convicted him of murder.

Thomas O’Donnell’s Arrest in December 2022

On December 8, 2022, authorities arrested O’Donnell at Sacramento International Airport in California.

The arrest followed an investigation that linked him to Michael’s murder through communications, travel records and other evidence.

O’Donnell was charged with murder in Kentucky. His arrest marked a major development in a case that had begun with the discovery of Michael’s body in September.

The same day, Julie Harding was arrested in Tennessee on a criminal trespassing allegation involving Michael’s girlfriend.

Two days later, Julie was found dead at the couple’s Tennessee property, adding another death to the investigation.

What Happened to Julie Harding After Michael’s Murder?

Julie Harding remained a focus of the investigation after Michael’s death. Detectives examined her communications with O’Donnell and the financial disputes surrounding the divorce.

On December 8, 2022, she was arrested in Tennessee on allegations that she had entered the property of Michael’s girlfriend without permission.

Julie was taken into custody and released. On December 10, she was found dead at the couple’s home in Celina.

Authorities described her death as an apparent suicide and reported no indication of foul play. She was 49 years old.

Her death prevented prosecutors from bringing a murder-conspiracy case against her. The criminal proceedings continued against O’Donnell.

The allegations concerning Julie’s involvement remained untested in a trial in which she was the defendant.

Thomas O’Donnell’s Trial for Michael Harding’s Murder

O’Donnell stood trial in Cumberland County, Kentucky, beginning in April 2026.

Prosecutors presented evidence concerning the fictitious HVAC appointment, the prepaid telephone, access to the vacant house and communications between O’Donnell and Julie.

The state also examined travel records and location data connecting O’Donnell to the area around the time of the murder.

The defence argued that the evidence did not prove O’Donnell was responsible for Michael’s death. O’Donnell did not testify during the proceedings.

The jury considered the evidence and returned a guilty verdict on May 1, 2026, after approximately two hours of deliberations.

Thomas O’Donnell Convicted and Sentenced to Life

On May 1, 2026, a Kentucky jury convicted Thomas O’Donnell of murdering Michael Harding.

The verdict followed a trial examining the service appointment, the shooting and the evidence linking O’Donnell to the alleged murder-for-hire arrangement.

On May 4, 2026, O’Donnell was sentenced to life imprisonment.

The sentence brought a major legal conclusion to the case more than three and a half years after Michael’s death.

O’Donnell continued to maintain his innocence after the conviction. His statements did not change the jury’s verdict or the sentence imposed by the court.

Michael Harding’s Family Waited More Than Three Years for Justice

Michael Harding’s murder left behind a family that included his mother, twin brother, two children and three grandchildren. His children travelled from Sacramento to Kentucky to attend the sentencing proceedings in May 2026.

During the penalty phase, his children told jurors about their father and the effect of his death on the family. They described him as a good father and spoke about the years spent waiting for the criminal case to reach a conclusion.

Their testimony gave jurors a perspective on the consequences of the murder beyond the evidence presented during the trial.

The family’s experience was also explored in KCRA’s October 2026 documentary Hometown Tragedy: The Broken Oath. Investigative journalist Lysée Mitri reported that Michael’s children had avoided public interviews during the investigation because they did not want to jeopardise the case.

After the verdict, they shared their memories and expressed a desire for their father to be remembered for his life and relationships rather than the circumstances of his death. <Cite refs={[“turn811450search0″,”turn811450search2”]}/>

Michael Harding’s Military Service and Life Before Tennessee

Before building his HVAC business in Tennessee, Michael Harding had served in the United States military. Local reporting in February 2026 identified him as a veteran of both the Army and Navy.

Michael had lived in the Sacramento region before moving to Celina, Tennessee. His military background and business career formed part of a life that extended beyond the marriage and murder investigation that brought his name into national headlines.

The available reporting does not establish his service dates, military assignments or the circumstances of his discharge. His confirmed background includes military service, business ownership and family ties to Northern California.

Michael’s decision to relocate to Tennessee marked a new chapter in his life. He established his HVAC business in the region and purchased a home near Dale Hollow Lake with Julie Harding before their marriage deteriorated. <Cite refs={[“turn811450search4″,”turn811450search5”]}/>

The Evidence That Helped Establish What Happened to Michael

Investigators reconstructed Michael’s final movements through telephone records and witness accounts. He was expected to attend the HVAC service call in Burkesville before travelling to Bowling Green, Kentucky, to collect a tuxedo.

Michael never arrived to collect the tuxedo and failed to return home. He was reported missing on September 20, 2022, one day after the appointment.

According to court records reported by the Clay County Courier, the final incoming call to Michael’s telephone occurred at 4:34 p.m. on September 19. The caller used the name “James Fraser,” which investigators connected to the telephone used in the alleged plot.

Telephone evidence placed the device near the crime scene that afternoon. Investigators also traced O’Donnell’s movements through cellphone records, vehicle information and surveillance footage.

During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence involving communications, DNA and ammunition to support their allegation that O’Donnell was the gunman.

The jury accepted the prosecution’s case and convicted him of murder. <Cite refs={[“turn811450search5″,”turn811450search2”]}/>

What Happened After Thomas O’Donnell’s Conviction?

Following O’Donnell’s conviction on May 1, 2026, jurors returned for the penalty phase on May 4. They considered testimony from Michael Harding’s family and members of O’Donnell’s family.

Michael’s children spoke about the impact of losing their father. O’Donnell’s children asked jurors to consider his life and personal circumstances before deciding on punishment.

The jury recommended life imprisonment, the most severe option available during that phase of the proceedings. The recommendation was unanimous.

Under Kentucky law, the jury’s sentencing recommendation was subject to a final decision by the judge. Reporting at the time stated that O’Donnell would become eligible for parole after serving the required minimum period, rather than receiving a sentence that excluded parole in all circumstances.

O’Donnell maintained his innocence after the verdict. In a later documentary interview, he acknowledged being in the area around the time of Michael’s murder but disputed the conclusion that he had killed him. <Cite refs={[“turn811450search0″,”turn811450search2”]}/>

Michael Harding’s Story Featured on 48 Hours

Michael Harding’s life and murder are examined in 48 Hours: The Mansion Above Dale Hollow Lake, reported by Peter Van Sant. The episode airs Saturday, October 24, 2026, at 10/9c on CBS.

The investigation follows Michael’s move from California to Tennessee, his marriage to Julie Harding and the financial dispute that developed during their divorce.

It examines how a routine HVAC service request became a trap, bringing Michael to a vacant house in Burkesville, Kentucky, where he was shot and killed.

The programme also explores the evidence that connected Thomas O’Donnell to the murder, Julie’s suspected involvement and the court proceedings that led to O’Donnell’s conviction in May 2026.

For Michael’s children and relatives, the case concerns the loss of a father, grandfather, son and brother. Their accounts provide a picture of the man behind a murder investigation that involved law enforcement agencies across three states.

What Was the Final Outcome of Michael Harding’s Murder Case?

Michael Harding was murdered on September 19, 2022, after travelling to a vacant house in Burkesville, Kentucky, for what he believed was an HVAC service appointment.

His body was discovered on September 26. Investigators established that the appointment had been arranged as a trap and identified Thomas O’Donnell as the suspect responsible for the shooting.

O’Donnell was arrested in December 2022 and convicted of murder on May 1, 2026. Jurors recommended life imprisonment during the penalty phase on May 4.

Julie Harding, Michael’s estranged wife, was suspected of arranging the killing but died in December 2022 before she could face trial. She was never convicted of involvement in the murder.

The criminal case established O’Donnell’s responsibility for Michael’s death and provided a measure of accountability for his family after more than three years of investigation and court proceedings.

48 Hours: The Mansion Above Dale Hollow Lake airs Saturday, October 24, 2026, on CBS, with streaming availability through Paramount+.

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Ryan Gill

Ryan is a passionate follower of true crime television programs, reporting on and providing in-depth investigations on mysteries in the criminal world.

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  1. “The Mansion Above Dale Hollow Lake”: 48 Hours Reports on Michael Harding Homicide October 24 2026 - 48 Hours Tonight
    October 22, 2026

    […] Who Was Michael Harding & What Happened to Him? 2026 Update & Profile […]

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