Jane Coates, a mother from Cheshire, England, has raised serious concerns about the handling of the investigation into the fatal shooting of her daughter, Lucy, in Prosper, Texas. Lucy, 23, who had been visiting her father Kris Harrison and her younger half-sisters over the New Year break in January 2025, died after being shot in the chest by her father shortly before she was due to return to the UK.
Kris Harrison, a 52-year-old telecommunications executive, told authorities that the shooting was accidental. He said Lucy had asked to see his 9mm Glock, which he kept in his home, and the weapon discharged unintentionally. Police accepted his account in the immediate aftermath, and Harrison was never arrested. The investigation was closed as a tragic accident, and a grand jury later declined to bring charges.
However, Jane Coates and others involved in her quest for answers have expressed serious doubts about the thoroughness of the investigation. Coates traveled from the UK to Texas to seek meetings with prosecutors and law enforcement officials but was met with refusal and, according to her and her legal adviser, Radd Seiger, hostility. Seiger, who previously worked on high-profile cases involving cross-border incidents, has criticized the lead prosecutor, Bill Wirskye, for refusing to engage with Coates and for what he described as an aggressive refusal to meet. Wirskye has denied wrongdoing and defended the investigation as comprehensive.
Concerns about the investigation’s quality have been echoed by former law enforcement professionals familiar with homicide cases. Craig Miller, a former Dallas police chief, reviewed the case and suggested that the evidence might meet the criteria for criminally negligent homicide under Texas law. He highlighted serious procedural omissions, such as the failure to conduct blood alcohol testing despite indications that Harrison had been drinking, along with the absence of gunshot residue tests and delayed inquiries about home surveillance footage. Miller also noted inconsistencies in Harrison’s account and physical evidence, pointing to potential investigative shortcomings.
The Prosper Police Department’s inexperience with homicide cases may have contributed to lapses. Sources close to the investigation described the lead detective as relatively new to criminal homicide work, and the department as handling few murder cases annually. Prosper officials have declined to arrange meetings or comment extensively on the investigation but have stated they stand by the work of their officers and the Texas Rangers.
Lucy’s inquest in Cheshire earlier this year concluded that her death was unlawful, caused by gross negligence manslaughter. The coroner questioned key parts of Harrison’s account, finding that he had knowingly pulled the trigger and may have been “teasing” with the gun at the time. The inquest acknowledged the complicated, sometimes strained, relationship between father and daughter and Lucy’s known fear of firearms.
Despite the emotional and legal obstacles, Jane Coates remains determined to pursue further scrutiny of the case. Supported by Seiger and others, she has submitted a formal complaint about the prosecutor’s conduct to the Texas State Bar and plans to continue pressing for a more thorough investigation. A crowdfunding campaign has been launched to support her efforts.
The case continues to raise questions about investigative standards and transparency in fatal shooting inquiries, particularly when the suspect is a family member and the circumstances are contested. Jane Coates’s campaign highlights the challenges faced by grieving families seeking accountability across international borders.