EPISODE · Jul 7, 2026 · 11 MIN
The Captain Who Hired a Hitman The Harding Story
from 10 Minute Murder | Bingeable True Crime Stories · host Joe
The Captain Who Hired a Hitman: The Harding StoryOn September 26, 2022, the body of 53-year-old Sacramento HVAC contractor Michael Harding was discovered inside a vacant home for sale on Glasgow Road in Burkesville, Kentucky, shot four times. The investigation that followed led Kentucky State Police, FBI agents, and detectives across three states to California Highway Patrol Captain Julie Harding and her secret partner Thomas O'Donnell, a 60-year-old amateur hitman from Napa Valley, in one of the most disturbing murder-for-hire cases of the decade.This is a story about a 22-year law enforcement career that ended in a conspiracy, a $220,000 cash withdrawal nobody could trace, and 194 phone calls between two people who thought they had everything figured out. We follow Michael Harding from a quiet Sacramento neighborhood to an empty room in rural Kentucky where someone he had never met was waiting for him. We look at how a wiped phone, a Ring camera, a Netflix login, and one rambling call to a brand-new supervisor told investigators everything they needed to know. There is a verdict in this case. There is also a question no verdict could ever answer.🔔 Subscribe for True Crime Cases multiple times a weekNever miss a story. Subscribe to 10 Minute Murder for bite-sized true crime episodes delivered fresh every week.Get a weekly email from me about the upcoming cases and more: 10minutemurder.com/newsletter📱 Follow for Behind-the-Scenes Content Get exclusive case updates, research photos, and sneak peeks of upcoming episodes:Instagram: @10minutemurder on IGFacebook: 10 Minute Murder on FBTikTok: 10 Minute Murder on TikTok💬 Have a Case Suggestion? Know a fascinating case that deserves coverage? I love listener suggestions and feature the best ones in upcoming episodes. Email: [email protected] Website: 10minutemurder.com ⭐ Help Grow the True Crime CommunityRate & Review: Leave a 5-star review to help other true crime fans discover the showShare: Send this episode to fellow true crime enthusiastsJoin the Discussion: Tag us in your episode reactions on social media🎧 Want Even More True Crime? Check out True Crime Blueprint, also created and hosted by Joe.Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/43zuDpH01HtdIrH0ShCAid?si=86b2281063334139 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-blueprint/id1877878404 iHeartRadio: https://iheart.com/podcast/323307878Amazon Music/Audible: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b7d5eaae-9d27-40f9-8efb-6864c2af8055Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/show/1002664071Podcast Addict: https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/true-crime-blueprint/6785639Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/true-crime-blueprint-6381660Spreaker: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-blueprint--6879387Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/1113943Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/podcast/true-crime-blueprint/PC:1001113943Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/10-minute-murder-bingeable-true-crime-stories--4603604/support.
What this episode covers
The Captain Who Hired a Hitman: The Harding StoryOn September 26, 2022, the body of 53-year-old Sacramento HVAC contractor Michael Harding was discovered inside a vacant home for sale on Glasgow Road in Burkesville, Kentucky, shot four times. The investigation that followed led Kentucky State Police, FBI agents, and detectives across three states to California Highway Patrol Captain Julie Harding and her secret partner Thomas O'Donnell, a 60-year-old amateur hitman from Napa Valley, in one of the most disturbing murder-for-hire cases of the decade.This is a story about a 22-year law enforcement career that ended in a conspiracy, a $220,000 cash withdrawal nobody could trace, and 194 phone calls between two people who thought they had everything figured out. We follow Michael Harding from a quiet Sacramento neighborhood to an empty room in rural Kentucky where someone he had never met was waiting for him. We look at how a wiped phone, a Ring camera, a Netflix login, and one rambling call to a brand-new supervisor told investigators everything they needed to know. There is a verdict in this case. There is also a question no verdict could ever answer.🔔 Subscribe for True Crime Cases multiple times a weekNever miss a story. Subscribe to 10 Minute Murder for bite-sized true crime episodes delivered fresh every week.Get a weekly email from me about the upcoming cases and more: 10minutemurder.com/newsletter📱 Follow for Behind-the-Scenes Content Get exclusive case updates, research photos, and sneak peeks of upcoming episodes:Instagram: @10minutemurder on IGFacebook: 10 Minute Murder on FBTikTok: 10 Minute Murder on TikTok💬 Have a Case Suggestion? Know a fascinating case that deserves coverage? I love listener suggestions and feature the best ones in upcoming episodes. Email: [email protected] Website: 10minutemurder.com ⭐ Help Grow the True Crime CommunityRate & Review: Leave a 5-star review to help other true crime fans discover the showShare: Send this episode to fellow true crime enthusiastsJoin the Discussion: Tag us in your episode reactions on social media🎧 Want Even More True Crime? Check out True Crime Blueprint, also created and hosted by Joe.Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/43zuDpH01HtdIrH0ShCAid?si=86b2281063334139 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-blueprint/id1877878404 iHeartRadio: <a href="https://iheart.com/podcast/323307878"...
NOW PLAYING
The Captain Who Hired a Hitman The Harding Story
No transcript for this episode yet
Similar Episodes
Apr 22, 2026 ·87m
Apr 14, 2026 ·104m
Mar 17, 2026 ·83m
Mar 10, 2026 ·88m