JACKSON COUNTY, MI — Though the case went cold, police never gave up on the 1984 disappearance of 13-year-old Kelly Jean Harris.

“A lot of work has been put into this case over the years by many detectives. We never stopped investigating,” Jackson County Undersheriff Jeremy Barnett said.

Harris’ stepfather, Leonard Hugall, was recently charged with murder, accused of raping and killing Harris under the guise of taking her to the 1984 Jackson County Fair. His extradition from Florida is in process and could take weeks.

The murder charge comes months after Harris, missing since Aug. 11, 1984, was declared legally dead and a medical examiner ruling her death a homicide, Barnett said.

Hugall, 74, was released on parole in September 2024 from a prison in Florida, where he had been serving a

See Full Page