District Attorney’s Office Issues Statement Following Death of Defendant in Danny Harris Case

Shelby County, TN. — The Shelby County District Attorney’s Office has been notified of the death of Sarah Lucas, who was scheduled for arraignment later this week.

Lucas had been extradited to Tennessee earlier this year in connection with the 2007 murder of Danny Harris. She was charged with facilitation of first-degree murder and perjury related to the case. In January, the DA’s Office said Hayes was wrongfully convicted and it was Riedel who helped her mother with the murder. Tammy Vance, her mother, died in prison while serving a sentence for the murder of Danny Harris.

The District Attorney’s Office released the following statement:

“Our office received word this morning from the Shelby County jail that Sarah Lucas has died. She was set for arraignment this week and prosecutors were prepared to start preparing her case for trial. Despite her passing, and due to the evidence collected by Stephen Harris, victim Danny Harris’ son, we do not anticipate that her passing should affect the exoneration of Andrew Hayes. We are grateful to Stephen Harris for his dedication to exposing the truth behind his father’s death.”

DA Mulroy also offered this statement:

“I’m sorry to hear Sarah Lucas Riedel has died, and I pray for all involved.  Any death is a tragedy, but this one denies the family of Danny Harris a chance for closure and justice. It also denies Andrew Hayes, who we believe was wrongfully convicted of this murder, a chance for further proof of his innocence.  While we won’t be able to prosecute Ms. Riedel, we will let the court know who we believe really killed Mr. Harris.”

The Shelby County District Attorney’s Office remains committed to ensuring that every case is guided by facts, evidence, and the pursuit of justice. The review process related to Andrew Hayes’ case will continue.