Lucy Harrison was shot and killed by her father, Kris Harrison, on January 10, 2025, at his home in Prosper, Texas, while she was on holiday with her boyfriend, Sam Littler. Despite an inquest concluding her death was unlawful, no charges were ever brought against her father. Now, her mother, Jane Coates, is campaigning for the case to be reopened, with support from Warrington South MP Sarah Hall, who raised the issue in Parliament.
Fatal Shooting and Inquest Findings
Lucy, 23, and Sam were due to fly back to the UK that day after visiting over Christmas and New Year. They had bought their first home together nine months earlier and hosted family for Christmas in Warrington before leaving. At the inquest on February 11, 2025, at Cheshire Coroner's Court, it was heard that Kris Harrison took Lucy by the hand into his bedroom shortly before driving them to the airport. About 15 seconds later, Sam heard a bang, and Mr. Harrison shouted his wife's name. Sam, Mrs. Harrison, her two daughters, and a neighbor ran to the downstairs bedroom and found Lucy on the floor just before 3 p.m.
Senior coroner Jacqueline Devonish described Mr. Harrison as a "functioning alcoholic" and highlighted his drinking before the incident. She concluded Lucy's death was unlawful. However, despite evidence of alcohol consumption, Mr. Harrison was not breathalyzed or blood-tested, and a grand jury in Texas decided in June 2025 there would be "no bill," meaning no prosecution.
Campaign for Justice
Jane Coates has submitted a formal complaint to Prosper Police Department and is urging people to write to them to reopen the case. She worked with MP Sarah Hall, who raised concerns in an end-of-term debate in the House of Commons on July 16, 2026. Ms. Hall said: "She was in her father’s home, somewhere she should have been safe." She also noted that Lucy's family did not receive adequate support from the Foreign Office, including information on the Texas legal system.
After Ms. Hall's speech, Jane Coates said: "Watching Sarah speak about Lucy in Parliament was incredibly emotional. She spoke about Lucy as the person we know and love. The inquest heard detailed evidence and reached a clear conclusion about how Lucy died. What we still do not know is whether all that evidence was properly considered by the grand jury in Texas. That is why we are asking for the case in the US to be reopened. We are asking for the findings of the inquest and the evidence heard in Cheshire to be looked at and considered in their entirety. Lucy cannot speak for herself, so we have to keep speaking for her. We will keep asking questions and we will keep pushing for her case to be reconsidered. I am grateful to Sarah for standing beside us and for making sure Lucy’s name was heard in Parliament. We have heard Lucy’s truth. Now we need justice for Lucy."
Questions Over Evidence
Questions remain about what evidence was presented to the grand jury. Sam Littler said: "Lucy and I were building a life together. We had our home, our plans and so much ahead of us. Losing her changed everything. Watching her story being told in Parliament was hard, but I was proud that people were hearing about Lucy as the person she was, not just what happened to her. The inquest reached a very clear conclusion. What we still don’t know is whether all of that evidence was properly considered by the grand jury in Texas. That is why we need the case to be looked at again. There are still questions that have not gone away, and Lucy deserves for those questions to be answered."
A spokesperson for Prosper Police Department said earlier: "After a thorough investigation related to the tragic incident that occurred on January 10, 2025, the Prosper Police Department referred this case to the Collin County District Attorney’s Office for review and any potential further action. As a standard practice, we do not comment once a case has been referred, due to the possibility of ongoing investigation or pending litigation."
