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| Olivia Smith Murder: Where Is DeWayne Lee Harris Now? Inside the Seattle Killings. |
The murder of Olivia Smith became part of a disturbing investigation into three killings in Seattle, Washington, after investigators discovered connections between cases that had initially appeared unrelated. Her remains were found near Airport Way South and Royal Brougham Way in January 1998, but identifying her killer would lead detectives to an unexpected confession from a man already being held in custody.
That man was DeWayne Lee Harris, who eventually admitted responsibility for Olivia's death and two other murders. ID's Homicide Hunter: American Detective, in the episode 'Murder, Murder, Murder', revisits the investigation and the evidence that ultimately brought the three cases together. Nearly three decades later, questions about Harris's whereabouts and prison sentence remain central to the story.
Very little information about Olivia's personal life before her death has been made public. By 1998, she was reportedly experiencing a difficult period, struggling with drug and alcohol dependency while living on the streets of Seattle.
Her circumstances meant that communication with her family was sometimes limited, with relatives occasionally going extended periods without hearing from her. Sadly, those unanswered questions would eventually become part of an investigation into her disappearance and death.
On 10 January 1998, Olivia's remains were discovered at the bottom of an outdoor stairwell near Airport Way South and Royal Brougham Way. Investigators found that she had sustained multiple stab wounds and a serious injury to her throat. These injuries were subsequently identified as the cause of her death. However, detectives could not establish exactly when she had been killed, leaving an important part of the timeline unresolved.
Rather than treating Olivia's murder as an isolated incident, investigators began examining other unsolved killings in the surrounding area. It was a sensible move, as the similarities between the cases suggested that the same person might have been responsible. What initially appeared to be three separate investigations was gradually turning into something considerably bigger.
One of the cases involved Denise Marie Harris, whose remains had been discovered on 12 September 1997 in an area known locally as the 'Jungle'. The location was an undeveloped stretch of land beneath the Interstate 5 and Interstate 90 freeways in Seattle. Its isolated surroundings made it an important location for detectives investigating the earlier killing.
Investigators subsequently identified another possible connection involving Antoinette Jones, whose remains were discovered in the same general area on 1 February 1998. With three women killed in circumstances that raised similar questions, detectives began looking more closely at the possibility of a single perpetrator.
Despite the growing connections, the investigation did not immediately produce an arrest. The breakthrough came around April 1998, when a man named DeWayne Lee Harris was being held at King County Jail on an unrelated robbery charge. Instead of simply waiting for his existing case to progress, Harris contacted a Seattle detective and offered to help police locate what he described as the 'real' killer.
That offer quickly took an unexpected turn. During questioning, Harris confessed to all three murders, including the killing of Olivia Smith. His statements gave investigators a direct account of crimes they had been struggling to solve, although detectives still needed to establish the details and secure the evidence required for prosecution.
According to contemporary news reports, Harris described the killings as his 'hobby' and admitted that he experienced a thrill from committing them. His account of Olivia's murder centred on an argument between the pair over an alleged exchange involving drugs and sex. Harris said the disagreement escalated, leading him to stab Olivia.
Although his confession helped investigators understand what had happened, Olivia's exact date of death was never established. Her remains were discovered on 10 January, but the precise day she was killed remains unknown. It is one of the unresolved details that makes the case particularly difficult to reconstruct.
In May 1998, Harris was formally charged with three counts of first-degree murder. He was held on $5 million bail as the legal proceedings moved forward. The charges covered the deaths of Olivia Smith, Denise Marie Harris and Antoinette Jones, bringing the three investigations together under one prosecution.
The case eventually reached a conclusion in December 1998, when Harris was convicted of first-degree murder in Olivia's killing. He was also found guilty of the other two murders. For investigators and the victims' families, the convictions represented an important step towards justice after months of uncertainty.
However, the courtroom proceedings were reportedly far from uneventful. During the proceedings, Harris had an outburst that resulted in him being restrained to a chair. It was an extraordinary moment in an already serious case, although the central issue remained the three lives lost and the investigation that had finally identified the person responsible.
In January 1999, DeWayne Lee Harris received a 94-year prison sentence for the three murders. The lengthy sentence meant that he would spend the remainder of his life in prison under the terms reported at the time. His conviction also brought a formal conclusion to an investigation that had connected three separate killings in Seattle.
So, where is DeWayne Lee Harris now? According to the latest publicly reported information provided for this case, Harris is serving his sentence at Clallam Bay Corrections Center (CBCC) in Clallam County, Washington.
He is reported to be 63 years old in the available case information. There has been no publicly confirmed update establishing a release date, and his lengthy sentence makes an early return to society unlikely. Further details about his current prison circumstances have not been widely reported.
The case of Olivia Smith is a reminder that investigations sometimes require detectives to look beyond the boundaries of a single crime scene. The connections between her death and the murders of Denise Marie Harris and Antoinette Jones ultimately helped investigators identify a common perpetrator. Without those links, the cases might have remained separate investigations for much longer.
In my opinion, what makes this case particularly striking is how an investigation that began with the discovery of unidentified remains eventually exposed three connected murders. Harris contacting detectives and offering to identify the supposed real killer was an unexpected development, especially considering that he ultimately confessed to the crimes himself.
It also highlights why investigators should never dismiss similarities between unsolved cases, even when the victims' circumstances and backgrounds differ. The 94-year sentence brought a significant legal conclusion, but it cannot give the victims back the lives they lost or answer every question surrounding their final days.
Olivia's exact date of death, in particular, remains unknown. It is a sobering reminder that solving a case does not always mean every detail becomes clear. Sometimes, justice arrives with a few unanswered questions still attached.
Today, Olivia Smith's case remains an important part of Seattle's criminal investigation history, particularly because of the connections that helped solve three murders. Harris remains behind bars at Clallam Bay Corrections Center, while the available information about his potential release remains limited.
What do you think about the unusual way detectives uncovered his involvement? Did you watch 'Murder, Murder, Murder' on Homicide Hunter: American Detective? Share your thoughts and let us know which part of this investigation stood out to you most.