Jean Harris, convicted of killing her lover, 'Scarsdale Diet' doctor, dies at age 89

foxnews.com ^ | 12/28/2012 | Associated Press

[massmike]

Jean Harris, who spent 12 years in prison for killing the "Scarsdale Diet" doctor in a lovers' quarrel, has died at age 89.

Her son James says Harris died Sunday at an assisted-living facility in New Haven, Conn.

Harris had claimed it was an accident when she shot her longtime lover, Dr. Herman Tarnower, in 1980. She said she had really intended to confront him over his womanizing and then kill herself.

But she was convicted of murder in 1981 and sentenced to 15 years to life. She was granted clemency in 1992 after suffering two heart attacks in prison.

She had been headmistress of the fashionable Madeira School for girls in Virginia. The 69-year-old Tarnower had developed the famous Scarsdale Diet of the 1970s and sold millions of books.

[massmike]

Jean Harris

[DogByte6RER]

She died just in time to avoid Obama’s increase in estate taxes (i.e., death taxes) taking effect in 2013.

[Albion Wilde]

I remember that case very well. It was a sensation and was made into several movies. Here is a redeeming nugget from the link:

While serving her sentence, Harris made it her mission to improve the education of female inmates in her facility. She began programs in which women could work toward obtaining their GEDs or college degrees while imprisoned. She also taught a parenting class to inmates and developed the in-prison nursery for babies born to inmates.

[Wiggins]

Now she faces the real judge.

[fatnotlazy]

Tarnower was purportedly an abusive man. Not physically, but mentally and emotionally. As I recall, there were some people who thought Jean Harris should have received a medal for killing him instead of prison.

[Psalm 73]

“Scarsdale Surprise” starring Raquel Welch......

[Calvin Locke]

Well, she lasted 20 more years then the life she cut short.

As for Tarnower, I liked The Scarsdale Diet.

I think it was a two week program that provided variety, but more importantly, it was enough to change eating habits for a while after the two weeks.

[Moonman62]

Did Harris swing her arms when she walked?

[o-n-money]

I heard after the shooting Tarnower lost a lot of weight.

[DesertRhino]

Emotionally and physically he was mean? So why couldn’t Cujo just walk away? She had a career, and wasn’t married to him. Since when does being insensitive to a psychotic deserve being murdered?

[Forgotten Amendments]

I remember that. The media sanctified her. Same with that Bobbit woman. Sick, sick, sick.