Defense pounds away at credibility of state's star witness in OD death trial

Joe Lee peers toward the back of the courtroom just prior to the start of the afternoon session for his trial at Strafford County Superior Court on Thursday. (Lebanon Voice photos)

COPYRIGHT2017© DOVER - The prosecution's star witness recounted on Wednesday how she got the heroin that killed a Rochester man in 2014, but during cross-examination defense lawyers pounded away at her credibility, claiming she was doing it just to get time shaved off her own prison sentence in the man's death.

Joe Lee, 58, of 10 Church St., Gonic, the man prosecutors say sold the drug that killed 30-year-old Jason Danner, could face up to life in prison if convicted of the charge of acts prohibited-death resulting.

Jennifer Harriman, 34, who bought the heroin that killed Danner - allegedly from Lee - is already serving a 6- to 12-year prison stint in Goffstown.

Harriman, who began her prison stay last July after admitting guilt in a plea bargain, testified on Wednesday that she, Danner, his girlfriend, Melissa Bacon and another woman who drove, went to Northgate Apartments on Farmington Road in Rochester to get heroin from Lee on June 23, 2014.

Jennifer Harriman chokes up during tough cross-examination from defense attorney Thomas Reid.

Under questioning from Assistant County Attorney Tim Sullivan, she recounted that the morning of the day Danner overdosed, he called her and said he and Bacon wanted to get some heroin

She said just a few minutes later the four of them drove to Northgate Apartments where she went into a hallway of an apartment building and got the drugs from Lee, whom she identified in court.

She said she then returned to the car, distributed the heroin between herself, the driver, Bacon and Danner, after which they dropped her off back at her home on Flagg Street in Rochester.

Harriman said she found out Danner had died about a week later, but never reached out to Bacon or anyone else because "she was worried about getting caught."

Jason Danner/Courtesy photo

Danner remained in a coma almost a week after the overdose, dying on June 30, a day after he was taken of life support.

Under cross-examination, defense lawyer Thomas Reid characterized Harriman's testimony as purely a deal for a lighter sentence from the state and claimed much of the interviewing process with detectives consisted of them "feeding" her lines.

At one point he claimed a detective asked her to confirm a statement containing substantive facts in the case that he'd made only to have her reply, "I guess so."

Reid also pointed out an interview she had with police in which she said Northgate Apartments was "one of her sources (for heroin)," not the only one.

Lee, so buoyed by testimony in court Wednesday, muttered, "Case closed" after an afternoon recess was called around 3:30 p.m.

The jury trial in Strafford County Superior Court is expected to wrap up early next week.