Jacquelyn Harvey, a 66-year-old White female, was tragically killed in her Wichita, Kansas home on September 16, 2015. A beloved mother and grandmother, she was discovered by her son when he arrived to drop off his child for school, an arrangement they had for her to take her grandson to his classes. Authorities found that she had been fatally shot, and her purse and Jeep Cherokee were missing from the residence.
The investigation into her death quickly led police to two suspects, Jacob
Strouse, 21, and Brittany McDay, 22. It was determined that the pair had intended to rob a different house on the same block to collect a debt but mistakenly broke into Harvey's home. During the botched home invasion, a struggle ensued, and Harvey was shot in the thigh. Following the shooting, Strouse and McDay fled the scene in her vehicle and with her purse. McDay later attempted to use Harvey's debit card to purchase over $1,000 worth of merchandise from a Walmart.
Within weeks of the murder, both suspects were apprehended. Jacob Strouse was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery, theft, and weapons-related offenses. Brittany McDay was also arrested and faced charges of first-degree murder, aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery, theft, and criminal use of a financial card.
Ultimately, both Strouse and McDay entered into plea agreements. In 2016, Jacob Strouse, identified as the shooter, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and other charges and was sentenced to more than 32 years in prison. Brittany McDay pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, aggravated burglary, and attempted criminal use of a financial card, receiving a sentence of more than 21 years in prison. During the sentencing, prosecutors described the killing as "the epitome of a senseless act," and McDay offered a tearful apology to Harvey's family.
