In 1995, a house fire in Fairfax County, Virginia led to the discovery of a female body. Investigation revealed blood, a knife, and a bloodied rolling pin, indicating foul play. The victim was identified as Anne Harper, and her brother, Matt, was later arrested and pleaded guilty to her murder. Lauren Schumacker reported
On Thanksgiving Day in 1995, the Fairfax County, Virginia area woke up to the shocking news of a house fire. The fire investigators who arrived at the scene discovered the body of a female inside the house, turning what seemed like a tragic accident into a much more sinister crime. As reported by Oxygen’s “Homicide for the Holidays,” the investigators found traces of blood, a knife, and a bloodied rolling pin, indicating foul play.
The victim was identified as 20-year-old Anne Harper, who had come home from college for the Thanksgiving holiday. The house belonged to her mother, Elizabeth, and her brother, Matt, and their grandmother were also present at the time. Detective Jeff Miller, now retired from the Fairfax County Police Department, stated that there was no evidence of a break-in, leading them to believe that the culprit was someone within the family.
However, the motive behind the crime remained unclear. Matt Harper, Anne’s brother, provided his account to the police. He explained that the family had gone out for dinner the night before and then went to see a movie with friends. After dropping Anne off at their mother’s house, Matt spent the night at his girlfriend’s place. In the early hours of the morning, a newsroom scanner picked up an emergency call reporting a house fire at the Harper residence. Sadly, Anne’s body was discovered by the emergency personnel.
The local medical examiner conducted an autopsy on Anne’s body, revealing that her cause of death was not smoke inhalation from the fire but rather stab wounds and blunt-force head trauma. Investigators theorized that the fire was intentionally set to conceal the evidence of what had happened. They also believed that the arson was intended to harm Elizabeth, as they found traces of an ignitable liquid leading from the stairs to her bedroom.
Initially, investigators struggled to identify a suspect. However, Anne’s father informed them that she had met with an ex-boyfriend upon her return to town. The ex-boyfriend was located in Houston, where he was spending the holiday, and was questioned by the Houston Police Department. Eventually, he was cleared as a suspect, and the case went cold due to the lack of leads.
During a routine review of open cases, Detective Miller revisited Anne’s file and noticed some suspicious details. He recalled that Matt Harper had arrived at the hospital to see his mother on the night of the fire without wearing shoes, which struck investigators as odd for late November. Additionally, there was a stain on Matt’s jeans that appeared to be blood, which he claimed was from cooking pasta with his girlfriend. Miller theorized that Matt had been present at the house that night and disposed of his shoes in the creek behind the Harper home to eliminate potential evidence.
As the investigation progressed, the evidence against Matt grew stronger, eventually leading to his arrest almost three years after Anne’s death. He was apprehended at James Madison University, where he was attending college, and was charged with the murder of his sister and arson. Despite his arrest, Elizabeth, Matt’s mother, continued to maintain his innocence.
In a surprising turn of events, Matt pleaded guilty to murdering his sister. In 1999, he was sentenced to 35 years in prison for his crimes..