On the night of March 10, 1980, the life of Herman Tarnower, a 69-year-old male cardiologist, came to a violent end in his Purchase, New York, home. Known as the creator of the popular 'Scarsdale Diet,' Tarnower was shot and killed by his lover of 14 years, Jean Harris, the headmistress of the exclusive Madeira School for girls in Virginia. The catalyst for the fatal encounter was Tarnower's ongoing affair with a younger woman who worked as his secretary, Lynne Tryforos.
Harris, consumed
by jealousy, drove five hours from Virginia to Tarnower's estate with a. 32 caliber revolver in her possession. She let herself into the house and went to his bedroom, where an argument erupted after she discovered lingerie and other belongings of her rival. In the ensuing confrontation, Tarnower was shot four times at close range. Tarnower's housekeeper heard the gunshots and called the police. Harris drove away from the house but encountered police cars responding to the scene. She turned around and followed them back to the residence, where she was arrested for second-degree murder.
The subsequent trial, which began in November 1980, became a media sensation, lasting 14 weeks. Harris pleaded not guilty, maintaining that the shooting was a tragic accident. She testified that her intention was to take her own life in front of Tarnower and that he was shot as he struggled to get the gun away from her. The prosecution, however, painted a picture of a scorned woman who acted out of a homicidal rage. They argued that Harris intentionally shot Tarnower as he lay in his bed.
After eight days of deliberation, the jury rejected Jean Harris's account of the events. On February 24, 1981, they found her guilty of second-degree murder. The judge sentenced her to the minimum term of 15 years to life in prison. Harris served her time at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women, where she became a model inmate, dedicating herself to improving educational programs for fellow prisoners. After suffering two heart attacks in prison, Governor Mario Cuomo granted her clemency on December 29, 1992, as she was being prepared for heart surgery. She was paroled in 1993, having served nearly 12 years of her sentence.
