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Who Is Thomas O’Donnell and Where Is He Now? 2026 Update & Profile

by · October 22, 2026

Thomas O’Donnell is a California man serving a life sentence for the murder of Tennessee businessman Michael Harding, who was lured to a vacant Kentucky house through a fictitious heating and air-conditioning service appointment in September 2022. Prosecutors alleged that O’Donnell carried out the killing as part of a murder-for-hire arrangement involving Harding’s estranged wife, California Highway Patrol Captain Julie Harding.

His case 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 the murder, the investigation spanning California, Tennessee and Kentucky, and the evidence that led to O’Donnell’s conviction.

O’Donnell, 64 at the time of his trial, was arrested at Sacramento International Airport on December 8, 2022. Investigators connected him to Michael’s death through cellphone records, travel information, surveillance footage, ammunition evidence and communications with Julie Harding.

On May 1, 2026, a Cumberland County jury found O’Donnell guilty of murder. Jurors recommended life imprisonment on May 4, and Judge David Williams imposed the final life sentence on May 27, 2026.

O’Donnell continues to maintain his innocence. In an October 2026 documentary interview, he acknowledged visiting the Kentucky property but claimed he had been examining it as a potential real estate investment. His conviction remains in force, and an appeal is pending before the Kentucky Supreme Court.

Who Is Thomas O’Donnell?

Thomas O’Donnell is a former Napa, California, resident who became the central defendant in the murder prosecution following the death of Michael Harding in September 2022.

He was 60 when authorities arrested him in December 2022 and 64 when he stood trial in Kentucky in 2026. His case attracted national attention because prosecutors alleged that a senior California Highway Patrol officer had arranged for him to kill her estranged husband.

Before the murder investigation, O’Donnell had lived in different parts of the United States, including Texas and California. Court records and reporting described previous legal problems in Texas, along with financial difficulties that became part of the testimony during his sentencing proceedings.

His family described a man with a complicated personal history, business ambitions and a tendency to become involved in troubled relationships. His sister, Sharon Goldberg, and his children supported him during the murder prosecution.

O’Donnell denied killing Michael Harding throughout the proceedings. His defence acknowledged aspects of his involvement in the events preceding the murder but argued that another person had carried out the shooting.

The jury rejected that explanation and convicted him of murder.

Thomas O’Donnell’s Life Before the Murder Investigation

Before his arrest, O’Donnell had lived in the Houston area of Texas and later moved to California. Investigators established that he had relocated to California in May 2022, several months before Michael Harding’s murder.

His personal history became relevant during the penalty phase of his trial, when relatives testified about his character, relationships and financial decisions.

His children described him as a sociable person who enjoyed entertaining others. They also spoke about instability in his personal life and his history of relationships.

According to testimony reported by KCRA, O’Donnell had pursued business ventures and schemes that resulted in financial losses. His family described a period when those decisions contributed to bankruptcy.

The sentencing evidence also addressed his mental health. A psychologist testified that O’Donnell had been diagnosed with attention-deficit disorder and bipolar disorder, discussing how those conditions could affect judgment and behaviour.

The defence presented this information as mitigation for sentencing. It did not change the jury’s determination that O’Donnell was responsible for Michael’s murder.

Thomas O’Donnell’s Previous Criminal History in Texas

O’Donnell had faced criminal proceedings in Texas before his involvement in the Harding murder case.

According to court records reviewed by KCRA, he was charged in 2006 with stalking a former girlfriend and received probation.

The case involved allegations that he had threatened and harassed the woman following the end of their relationship. Court documents described accusations of physical violence and threatening conduct.

O’Donnell also faced a driving-under-the-influence charge in 2008. Reporting indicated that he completed his probation.

Those earlier cases became part of the public examination of his background following his arrest for murder.

At his May 2026 sentencing, Judge David Williams referred to O’Donnell’s limited prior criminal record while discussing the seriousness of the murder conviction. The earlier offences were distinct from the Kentucky homicide prosecution.

How Did Thomas O’Donnell Know Julie Harding?

Julie Harding was a California Highway Patrol captain who had been married to Michael Harding since 2019. She continued working in Northern California after Michael relocated to Tennessee.

O’Donnell’s connection to Julie developed during 2022, when her marriage was deteriorating and she had filed for divorce.

His sister, Sharon Goldberg, told KCRA that she learned her brother had been communicating with Julie in July 2022.

Investigators obtained telephone records showing frequent contact between the two during the months preceding Michael’s death.

Kentucky State Police Detective B.J. Burton testified that Julie had called one number on an almost daily basis, sometimes more than once in a day. Investigators traced that number to O’Donnell.

Prosecutors alleged that the relationship developed into a conspiracy to murder Michael. O’Donnell’s defence maintained that Julie had involved him in a plan without his knowledge that Michael would be killed.

Why Did Prosecutors Believe Julie Harding Hired Thomas O’Donnell?

Julie Harding filed for divorce from Michael on May 25, 2022. Their separation involved disagreements over money and property, including allegations that she had withdrawn substantial funds from their joint accounts.

Prosecutors argued that Julie wanted Michael killed and arranged for O’Donnell to carry out the shooting.

The state relied on the volume of telephone communications between Julie and O’Donnell, evidence of his movements near her California home and records placing him in Kentucky when Michael was murdered.

Investigators also examined the circumstances of the fictitious HVAC service appointment and the prepaid telephone used to arrange it.

The defence questioned whether prosecutors had established a financial agreement between Julie and O’Donnell. Detective Burton acknowledged during the trial that investigators had not found a direct bank transfer or written cheque proving payment.

Julie died in December 2022 before she could face trial over the alleged conspiracy. O’Donnell was convicted of carrying out Michael’s murder, but no court issued a criminal conviction against Julie.

The Murder-for-Hire Plot Against Michael Harding

Michael Harding was a 53-year-old businessman who operated Around the Clock Heating and Air in Tennessee. He had moved from California to establish a business and home near Dale Hollow Lake.

On September 19, 2022, Michael received what appeared to be a legitimate request for HVAC work at a vacant house in Burkesville, Kentucky.

Prosecutors argued that O’Donnell had arranged the appointment using a prepaid cellphone. The caller obtained access to the property by impersonating a real estate agent and requesting the lockbox code.

The same telephone was used to contact Michael and arrange the service call, according to testimony presented at trial.

Michael travelled to the property expecting to perform HVAC work. He was shot four times and died inside the house.

His body remained undiscovered until September 26, when a real estate agent arrived to show the property to prospective buyers.

Thomas O’Donnell’s Trip From California to Kentucky

Travel records became an important part of the prosecution’s case against O’Donnell.

Investigators established that he flew from San Jose, California, to Nashville, Tennessee, on September 18, 2022, one day before Michael Harding was murdered.

From Tennessee, O’Donnell travelled toward the Burkesville area in southern Kentucky, where the vacant property was located.

Detectives examined cellphone-location data and surveillance footage to reconstruct his movements around the time of the shooting.

According to trial testimony, surveillance cameras captured O’Donnell’s vehicle and Michael’s truck travelling toward the area where the murder occurred.

Prosecutors used the travel records to support their argument that O’Donnell had travelled across the country to carry out the killing.

The defence acknowledged that he had visited the Kentucky property but disputed the allegation that he shot Michael.

The Prepaid Phone That Connected O’Donnell to the Crime

One of the most important pieces of evidence involved a prepaid cellphone used to arrange access to the vacant house and contact Michael Harding.

Detective B.J. Burton told jurors that the device was central to reconstructing the events surrounding the murder.

The caller used the telephone to contact the real estate agent responsible for the vacant property, claiming to be another agent who wanted to show the home.

The caller obtained the lockbox code and used the same number to request HVAC services from Michael.

Investigators compared location records from the prepaid telephone with those from O’Donnell’s personal phone. The devices appeared in matching locations at significant times, according to the prosecution.

The defence acknowledged that O’Donnell had possessed the prepaid phone but argued that he had given it to another man before the killing.

The prepaid device itself was never recovered, leaving jurors to assess the records and testimony concerning its use.

The Cellphone and Surveillance Evidence Presented at Trial

Prosecutors used electronic records to reconstruct O’Donnell’s movements before and during the murder.

Detectives compared the location of his personal cellphone with the location of the prepaid phone associated with the service appointment.

They also examined surveillance footage showing vehicles travelling toward the crime scene.

The prosecution argued that the combined records placed O’Donnell near the vacant property at the relevant time.

Investigators examined communications between O’Donnell and Julie Harding, including repeated calls during the months before Michael’s death.

The evidence was presented as part of a wider account of planning and coordination between the two.

The defence argued that the records did not establish who fired the fatal shots and that another person could have used the prepaid phone.

The Ammunition Evidence in Michael Harding’s Murder

The prosecution also presented evidence concerning ammunition recovered during the investigation.

Jurors heard testimony about Hornady Critical Defense ammunition, including a distinctive reddish-orange material associated with that product.

Investigators reported finding comparable material in the path of Michael’s gunshot wounds during the autopsy. A shell casing recovered from the scene was also associated with the same ammunition type.

Detectives found a box of Hornady Critical Defense ammunition in O’Donnell’s truck, according to testimony presented at trial.

The prosecution argued that the findings connected O’Donnell to the shooting.

The defence challenged the strength of that conclusion, noting that investigators had not recovered the firearm used to kill Michael.

Detective Burton confirmed that the murder weapon, the prepaid telephone and a relevant key fob were never recovered.

What Was Found in Thomas O’Donnell’s Truck?

Investigators searched O’Donnell’s vehicle as part of the murder investigation.

The prosecution presented evidence that detectives recovered a box of Hornady Critical Defense ammunition from the truck.

Investigators also found a firearm belonging to Michael Harding, according to testimony reported during the trial.

Those findings became part of the state’s argument that O’Donnell was connected to Michael and the circumstances surrounding his death.

The defence disputed the significance of the evidence and maintained that the prosecution had not established that O’Donnell was the shooter.

The murder weapon was not recovered, and the prosecution relied on the combined significance of physical evidence, communications, travel records and witness testimony.

Why Was Thomas O’Donnell Arrested?

Kentucky State Police began investigating Michael Harding’s murder after his body was discovered on September 26, 2022.

The investigation involved cooperation with the FBI and law enforcement agencies in Tennessee and California.

Detectives traced the prepaid phone, examined O’Donnell’s communications with Julie Harding and reconstructed his travel to Kentucky.

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

He was charged with Michael Harding’s murder and held in Sacramento County Jail pending extradition to Kentucky.

A Cumberland County grand jury issued a murder indictment in December 2022, and O’Donnell was transferred to Kentucky later that month.

He pleaded not guilty during his first court appearance in January 2023.

Julie Harding’s Death After O’Donnell’s Arrest

Julie Harding died on December 10, 2022, two days after O’Donnell was arrested in California.

Her body was discovered outside the home she and Michael had purchased in Celina, Tennessee. Authorities determined that her death was suicide.

Julie had been a California Highway Patrol captain and commander of the Yuba-Sutter area office. She was 49 when she died.

Investigators suspected that she had arranged Michael’s murder through O’Donnell, but her death prevented prosecutors from bringing those allegations against her to trial.

The prosecution against O’Donnell continued without Julie as a defendant or witness.

Her absence became a significant issue during the trial, with the defence arguing that she had involved O’Donnell in a plan that another person had carried out.

Thomas O’Donnell’s Murder Trial in April 2026

O’Donnell’s trial began in Cumberland County, Kentucky, in April 2026, more than three years after his arrest.

Nearly 50 witnesses testified during the proceedings, according to KCRA’s reporting.

The prosecution presented evidence concerning the prepaid phone, O’Donnell’s travel, communications with Julie, surveillance footage, ammunition and forensic findings.

The defence argued that O’Donnell had been involved in aspects of the arrangement but had not intended Michael to be murdered.

Public defender Sara Zeurcher maintained that another man had carried out the shooting and that O’Donnell had been manipulated or set up.

O’Donnell did not testify during the trial. His defence called a DNA expert before resting its case.

The jury considered whether the evidence established that O’Donnell was the killer or whether he had played a lesser role in the events.

Thomas O’Donnell’s Defence: Another Man Was the Shooter

O’Donnell’s defence acknowledged that he had visited the vacant house in Burkesville on the day Michael was murdered.

His attorneys argued that he had transferred the prepaid telephone to another man who carried out the shooting.

The defence referred to an account from a neighbour who had reported seeing a younger man with short brown hair driving a silver vehicle near the property.

Attorneys argued that the prosecution had failed to establish that O’Donnell fired the fatal shots.

They also challenged the lack of a recovered murder weapon and the absence of direct evidence of payment from Julie Harding.

The prosecution rejected the alternative-shooter theory and argued that the evidence identified O’Donnell as the gunman.

The jury ultimately accepted the state’s case.

Thomas O’Donnell Convicted of Murder on May 1, 2026

On May 1, 2026, a Cumberland County jury found Thomas O’Donnell guilty of murdering Michael Harding.

The verdict followed approximately two hours of deliberations after a week of testimony.

Prosecutors argued that O’Donnell had travelled from California, used a prepaid phone to arrange the service appointment and shot Michael at the vacant house.

The defence had urged jurors to consider the possibility that O’Donnell was involved in the arrangement without being the person who carried out the killing.

The jury rejected that position and convicted him of murder rather than returning a verdict for a lesser form of involvement.

Michael’s daughter, Heather Cavalieri, expressed relief after the verdict, describing the family’s reaction as a mixture of shock and happiness.

O’Donnell’s sister, Sharon Goldberg, continued to dispute his guilt.

What Did Thomas O’Donnell’s Family Say at Sentencing?

The penalty phase began on May 4, 2026, after O’Donnell’s murder conviction.

His children testified about their father, describing his personality, relationships and the effect of his decisions on the family.

They told jurors that he enjoyed social occasions and had experienced instability in his personal life.

A psychologist, Dr. Sidney Binks, also testified about O’Donnell’s mental health history and discussed diagnoses involving attention-deficit disorder and bipolar disorder.

The defence presented the testimony as mitigating evidence for the sentencing decision.

Michael Harding’s two children travelled from Sacramento to Kentucky and spoke about their father’s life and the consequences of his murder.

The jury considered the testimony before recommending a life sentence.

Thomas O’Donnell Sentenced to Life in Prison

On May 4, 2026, the jury recommended life imprisonment for O’Donnell after approximately 30 minutes of deliberations.

The recommendation was unanimous and represented the most severe sentencing option available to the jury.

The final sentencing hearing took place on May 27, 2026, before Cumberland County Circuit Court Judge David Williams.

Judge Williams imposed a life sentence, describing the murder as one of the most serious crimes he had encountered during his legal career.

The judge also criticised O’Donnell for refusing to accept responsibility for Michael’s death.

The final judgment confirmed the punishment recommended by the jury.

Where Is Thomas O’Donnell Now in October 2026?

Thomas O’Donnell is serving a life sentence in Kentucky following his May 2026 murder conviction. KCRA confirmed his imprisonment in reporting published in October 2026.

His conviction arose from the September 19, 2022, murder of Michael Harding in Burkesville. Judge David Williams imposed the life sentence on May 27, 2026.

The public reporting reviewed for this article confirms that O’Donnell is incarcerated but does not establish his current prison facility or inmate housing assignment.

He remains convicted of murder while pursuing an appeal before the Kentucky Supreme Court.

His legal position has not changed as a result of his public statements disputing the verdict.

Is Thomas O’Donnell Eligible for Parole?

O’Donnell received a life sentence, but the sentence is not the same as life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

According to KCRA’s reporting on the penalty phase, he becomes eligible for parole after serving the required 20-year period.

The court was expected to credit approximately three and a half years of time already served toward his sentence.

Parole eligibility does not guarantee release. Any future decision would depend on the applicable Kentucky procedures and an assessment by the relevant authorities.

For now, O’Donnell remains incarcerated under the life sentence imposed in May 2026.

Thomas O’Donnell’s Appeal to the Kentucky Supreme Court

O’Donnell and his attorneys began pursuing an appeal after his conviction and sentencing.

KCRA reported in October 2026 that his appeal was pending before the Kentucky Supreme Court.

The appeal challenges the criminal judgment, but the existence of an appeal does not suspend or overturn the conviction.

O’Donnell remains subject to his life sentence while the case proceeds through the appellate system.

No appellate ruling reversing his conviction had been reported as of October 2026.

Thomas O’Donnell Breaks His Silence After the Conviction

In October 2026, KCRA released Hometown Tragedy: The Broken Oath, a documentary examining the murder-for-hire case.

Investigative journalist Lysée Mitri interviewed O’Donnell after his conviction, providing an account of his position that had not been presented through his own testimony at trial.

O’Donnell maintained his innocence and questioned the evidence that led to the verdict.

He acknowledged travelling to Burkesville and visiting the vacant house where Michael was murdered.

However, he claimed that he had been examining real estate investment opportunities and had been given a list of properties to inspect.

He said Julie Harding had provided the address of the house. When questioned about Julie, he declined to discuss their relationship and ended the interview.

His account conflicted with the prosecution’s conclusion that he had travelled to Kentucky to carry out the killing.

Thomas O’Donnell’s Explanation for Being at the Murder Scene

O’Donnell told KCRA that he had experience buying and renovating properties and had travelled to Tennessee and Kentucky to examine possible investments.

He said Julie Harding had provided information about properties he could visit, including the vacant house in Burkesville.

O’Donnell acknowledged entering the property and examining it but denied being present for the murder.

His explanation resembled the defence’s trial argument that he had been involved in events surrounding the house without being the person who shot Michael.

The prosecution presented a different account, arguing that he had used the prepaid phone and service appointment to draw Michael to the property.

The jury accepted the prosecution’s case and convicted him of murder.

How 48 Hours Investigates Thomas O’Donnell’s Case

48 Hours: The Mansion Above Dale Hollow Lake examines Thomas O’Donnell’s role in the murder of Michael Harding and the alleged conspiracy involving Julie Harding.

Correspondent Peter Van Sant reports the case, tracing the breakdown of the Hardings’ marriage, the financial dispute and the service appointment that led Michael to the vacant Kentucky property.

The episode examines the investigation that connected O’Donnell to the killing through cellphone records, travel information and physical evidence.

It also explores Julie’s death in December 2022 and the trial that resulted in O’Donnell’s conviction and life sentence.

The programme presents a case involving a senior law enforcement officer accused of arranging her husband’s murder and a California man convicted of carrying out the killing.

What Was the Final Outcome of Thomas O’Donnell’s Case?

Thomas O’Donnell was convicted of murdering Michael Harding on May 1, 2026, following a trial in Cumberland County, Kentucky.

Prosecutors established that Michael had been lured to a vacant house through a fictitious HVAC service call and shot four times on September 19, 2022.

Jurors recommended life imprisonment on May 4, and Judge David Williams imposed the final sentence on May 27.

O’Donnell remains incarcerated in Kentucky and has an appeal pending before the Kentucky Supreme Court.

He continues to maintain his innocence, but the jury’s verdict and the court’s sentence remain in force.

48 Hours: The Mansion Above Dale Hollow Lake airs Saturday, October 24, 2026, at 10/9c 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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