In the quiet town of Meridianville, Alabama, a welfare check on September 6, 2017, led to a grim discovery that shattered the community. Inside her home on Callaway Lane, 54-year-old Jana Harbin, a Caucasian female, was found deceased. The Madison County Sheriff's Office responded to the scene and immediately began investigating her death as a homicide.
Harbin was a beloved figure in her community, having retired from the Circuit Court Clerk's Office after 25 years of service and more recently working with the Meridianville Volunteer Fire Department since 2006, where she was considered a mother figure.
The investigation quickly zeroed in on a primary suspect: her son, 23-year-old Landon Lee Harbin. A warrant for murder was issued for his arrest, and authorities released his description to the public, cautioning that he should be considered armed and dangerous. He was reported to be driving a silver 2010 Toyota Corolla with an Alabama firefighter's license plate. The search for Landon Harbin soon became a multi-state affair as he fled Alabama.
A few days later, the chase came to a dramatic end in Michigan. Troopers on patrol identified a stolen vehicle, which turned out to be the one driven by Harbin. A traffic stop on I-94 escalated into an exchange of gunfire. After running out of ammunition, Landon Harbin surrendered to the authorities. It was only after his capture that Michigan State Police learned he was wanted for the murder of his mother in Alabama. He was taken into custody, leaving a grieving family and community to mourn the loss of Jana Harbin.
