Christina Carlin-Kraft Philadelphia model allegedly strangled to death at the hands of Jonathan Wesley Harris during a drug deal gone wrong.
A 30 year old man accused of the strangulation death of a 36 year old model at her affluent Philadelphia area apartment has told of the pair fighting after she refused to pay for an one ounce worth of cocaine he had ’sold’ to her.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Jonathan Wesley Harris meeting Christina Carlin-Kraft earlier that evening and returning to her apartment just hours before her death in the early hours of August 22.
During a press brief on Friday during a preliminary hearing at Ardmore District Court, cops said there was no evidence the pair had ever likely met each before as they returned to Carlin-Kraft’s Ardmore apartment after the woman was seen on video surveillance leaving her home a few hours earlier only to return with Jonathan Harris in tow.
Jonathan Harris says he went to Christina Kraft’s condo to sell her cocaine. Police say he told them he killed her after she tried to keep cocaine saying sex was in lieu of $1200. He’s ordered held for trial on all charges including 1st degree murder. @KYWNewsradio pic.twitter.com/29wKU01sYC
— Jim Melwert (@JMelwert) October 5, 2018
Christina Carlin-Kraft alleged to have traded sex for $1200 ounce of coke:
Upon meeting the woman downtown, Harris claimed agreed to accompany the model back to her home (which was being paid for by her Wall st financier boyfriend) to sell her an ounce of coke for $1200. Upon returning, Harris said the pair drank several bottles of wine and had consensual sex.
It was only when Harris demanded he be paid the $1200 that matters escalated, with the woman refusing and hiding the drugs, leading to a ‘violent struggle’.
In police testimony, Harris told of Carlin-Kraft allegedly hitting him with a glass bottle, with him in turn slapping her, repeatedly punching her and tying her up before attempting to flee.
At some point, Harris gave the model the phone when Carlin-Kraft asked to speak to her father, only for the man to choke her when she tried to call 911.
Upon the model ceasing to resist, Harris told of fleeing, taking some clothing, taking the cocaine and jumping over the balcony. He told police he thought she was alive.
‘I panicked and was scared. I didn’t know what to do,’ Harris, said in a statement as read by Montgomery County Detective Todd Richard who’d interviewed the suspect.
Continued the statement, ‘I knew I was going to be in trouble’.
BREAKING: Warrant has been issued in murder of model Christina Carlin-Kraft. 30yo Jonathan Harris, who authorities say is the man seen in surveillance video from Phila with Kraft, is charged with murder. Harris is listed with address in Johnstown PA. @KYWNewsradio pic.twitter.com/RtKGZV3rJq
— Jim Melwert (@JMelwert) August 29, 2018
Jonathan Wesley Harris: A history of prior crime.
Harris has since been charged with first, second, and third degree murder, robbery, theft, receiving stolen property, and more in the death of the former Playboy model.
Murder committed during a robbery carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Offered Harris’ attorney, Charles Peruto Jr. ‘It really leaves a bad taste in my mouth to watch lawyers give press conference before a trial.’
Adding, ‘It shows your hand, and it’s not proper to give evidence before it’s heard in court.’
District Judge Michael Quinn held Harris on all charges and scheduled an arraignment for Nov. 28.
Harris was arrested by federal marshals Aug. 29 after he stepped off a bus in Pittsburgh. At the time, detectives noted at Friday’s hearing, he was wearing clothing he had taken from Carlin-Kraft’s apartment.
Harris, a native of Johnstown, had been released from State Correctional Institution Greene in July after serving a three-year sentence on robbery charges, according to court records.
Coincidence? Playboy model strangled to death in Philadelphia apartment arrest made
