Husband Torches Wife, Then Tries to Bury the Truth

And at some point before she took her. last breath, she said she was sorry and. said she shouldn't have said what she. said. >> Carrie Harden was gone. And instead of. calling for help, Kenneth Harden says he. panicked, dragging her body, trying to. burn it, and finally burying her in the. backyard. But how did he explain those. choices? Well, newly released. interrogation footage gives us an inside. look at Harden's chilling words. And we. are going to break it all down right. now. Welcome to Sidebar presented by Law. and Crime. I'm Jesse Weber.

Let me tell you about a case that shook. Faget County, Georgia. Started in August. of last year, 2024, when a man named. Kenneth Harden Jr. made a phone call. that would set off a nightmare. He. called his own father and confessed. something unthinkable. He said he had. killed his wife, Carrie. And right after. that call, Harden didn't stick around. He fled Georgia, leaving everything. behind. and his father reeling from this. confession immediately called the Faget.

County Sheriff's Office. So deputies. they rushed to the couple's home on. Merlin Court and what they found was. horrifying. After a search of the. property, they discovered Carrie. Harden's body and it was clear there had. been a desperate attempt to hide this. crime. She had been burned and then. buried in a shallow grave behind the. house. And meanwhile, the hunt for. Harden was on. It became a multi-state. manhunt. Law enforcement eventually are. able to track him down to Louisiana.

where he'd apparently just checked into. a hotel in the town of Covington. They. moved in. They arrested him without. incident and they brought him into. custody. But what happened inside that. house? Right? That's the question. What. led to such a brutal act? Well, I'll. tell you. For months, the details were a. mystery. That is until now because we. have obtained the chilling confession. that Harden gave to detectives out in. Louisiana. And in his own words, he lays. out his version of that violent night.

and the panicked coverup that followed. You're about to hear for yourself how he. described the fight that led to this. killing, or at least his version of. events. >> She had drank a little bit of it, but. then she gave it to me. It was down in. my office. on the day of the incident on Monday. in front of B. She had come down to the office and we. were celebrating a good day. I've been. having a lot of but the dichotomy of. this is typically the people who you are.

interviewing this position are not in my. lifestyle and I know that that provides. more questions and I know that leads. y'all to make like certain assumptions. that's probably not true but been. experiencing a lot of success like. everything that I'm touching with the. construction business has been panning. out and I had just closed a $20,000 deal. with a guy he lives right around he. lives 5 minutes from the house about. building a showroom garage and she had. heard that. So, she was excited. I was. excited. We were having a good time. And.

u she like, "Can I have my liquor?" And. I had lied and told her I had poured it. out, but she knew I was going to pour. our liquor out. So, I had it in my. bathroom cabinet. I went and got it. I. gave it to her. Um, and then there's a there's a gap there. I guess people ate dinner, that kind of. stuff. I know I did make some phone calls cuz I. came downstairs. I think I was talking. to the guy who gave her the liquor.

about the deal. and I fell asleep in my red chair. It was spun around. Uh she bust into the room. The camera stamp will tell you when that. was. I think it's about 8 or something. and asking me if I was going to come. upstairs. I'm like, "What's up with the tone?". Like, "You've been drinking." And she. hate when I ask her that. Like, if I say.

like, "You've been drinking.". And um. we started arguing and I might hear the. we go, you know. Um. I'm trying to think if I ate. I don't. remember if I ate or not. I don't remember if I ate or not. So, I'm sorry I can't provide that detail. I know that that conversation was uh. that argument was rough. She hit me in. the head with it's a metal.

stud thing. that's in my office. And I had a pretty. decent sized knot. It's gone down now. So, um. I pushed her off of me. at one point. I was holding her hands. and she was saying, "Let me go. Let me. go. Let me go. I'mma up. Let me go." And. I'm like, "You got to calm down." And by. the way, I know that's not typical for. most married couples. It's typical for.

us. They they have said we toxic or. whatever. Um, I let her up. She said a lot of, but she went. upstairs. >> So, to start it off, this was Kenneth. Harding setting the scene. describing a. fight that he claims that he says began. after they had been drinking. But then. this is where the story takes a dark and. deadly turn because he claims his wife. Carrie left, came back later that night, and the argument escalated in the.

bedroom. By the way, talking videos like. this, you may know this, but we here at. Sidebar, we produce so many video clips. a day, and we use a platform called Opus. Clip. This may be of interest to you. An. all-in-one AI editor that makes it. easier and faster to cut, create, and. upload videos across all social media. platforms through the power of AI. Opus. Clip automatically generates B-roll. It. cleans up audio, and it refframes your. videos for any platform. OpusClip is so. easy to start using. Let me show you how. right now. All you have to do is go to.

opus.pro/sidebar, sign up, and then you upload a video. In. just a few minutes, you will have tons. of perfectly edited clips ready to go. So whether you're making videos for Tik. Tok or shorts or Instagram reels, Opus. Clip is your one-stop shop for getting. your best content seen by more viewers. across all these platforms with a press. of just one button. And if you're. wondering how good these AI edited. videos are from Opus Clip, just look at. our content here at Long Crime. Our. producers have used Opus to help us cut. and share clips of some of our biggest. trials, and we get them to you very fast. at Cybar. Look, we know our listeners.

have a lot of opinions and ideas to. share. And this is the most powerful. tool there is to help you edit like a. pro and grow your own audience. So, give. it a try for yourself. Go to. opus.pro/sidebar. to start creating your own videos today. And here's how he describes the moment. he shot her. >> She calls me. It's a quick conversation. at about 12:47 or so. and says that she's going to leave and. take the kids unless we have a. conversation. I did not immediately get up because I.

already knew this was so I calm myself, kept my self calm. I finished my drink. and then I went upstairs. When I went. upstairs, I should have just turned back. around and left because it was different. than what our normal toxic pipes was. Um because I saw her firearm. where it was sitting when you went in. the house is not where it was sitting. It was actually sitting on a bed, but I. saw it. So I'm like like what type of. game is we playing here? You know,

and we start arguing. She telling me she gonna take the kids. I told her, "You're not taking the kids. You taking the kids over my dead body. You not taking the kids have nothing. Like why do you keep bringing up the. kids?" That's why I said like, "What do. you keep bringing up the children for? They're not a part of what's going on.". And um. I don't see it that way. You got me. I'm. tired of you. I want a divorce. You can have a.

divorce. You can have whatever you want. to have. But you just not going to take. the kids in the way you think you going. to take the kids. You're not waking them. up out of their sleep like you did in. January of last year. You're not doing. all this with me, Carrie. I don't want. to do this with you no more. Like no, it's you. I'mma show you. And when she. went to grab towards her gun, I don't know that she got her hand on it. because when she did that, um,

I snapped. And when I realized what was happening, I had emptied out that entire. Smith and Wesson MP shield. 2.0. And I don't know if it was seven shots. in there or eight. But I know they was all empty. She got up off of the bed. and she walked and collapsed into the. sun room.

And at some point before she took her. last breath, she said she was sorry. and said she shouldn't have said what. she said. a claim of self-defense. followed by what he describes as an. apology from his dying wife. But what. happened next? That is where the story. becomes truly gruesome because instead. of calling for help, Harden describes. this state of panic he was in. He says. his first thought was his children and.

what he did next was to prevent them. from seeing their mother's body. And I. didn't deal with that because I started. panicking because I said, "I just shot. my gun in my house, my wife dead, and my. little boys are going to run down here. and see this.". Everything you see after that is that. it's not what you all were discussing on. camera. And I several times the way that. you guys were talking about it, I kind. of wanted to turn around and come back.

It was it was kind of annoying that you. all couldn't see why I had did what I. did. I didn't do what I did cuz I was. trying to hide something. You can't hide. what happened. It's impossible to hide. it. I did what I did because I was. trying to limit. what my kid is. and would see that would lead them to. understand what went on. I didn't tell. them what I what I did. I didn't tell. them what was happening. And I was. trying to clean things in a way where I.

did not want my like I didn't want my. sons to walk in their mother's blood. coming and knocking on my bedroom door. I didn't want them to see blood on the. door. I didn't want them to see blood in. the sun room. I didn't want them to see. blood on the carpet. But it was at the. point where I got to the carpet where. I'm like, I'm just making worse. And I. had been drinking. So I wasn't doing. things that I would have done if I was. sober. Um because you know I made it. appear like. like I'm trying to hide something and.

that wasn't really the case. I said what am I supposed to do with our. body? I'm like okay I'll drag it. outside. But then I left a blood stain coming all. the way outside everywhere I dragged it. So I'm like oh my god now I got to clean. it up cuz the boys are taking the dogs. out. He can see it where I'mma put the. body. put it in the woods. And I'm like, my. dogs are going to go down there. Elijah. is going to follow them. I need to get. rid of this. So, first I tried to burn. it. I ain't never did no like this. Uh,

I damn near killed myself. You saw my. gas can. Um, you know, when I poured. gasoline onto it, the fire came back and. damn near exploded the can. Thankfully, it's got that safety mechanism. I. hurried up and threw it down. And then I. took it and put it where you found it by. the trailer. Um, I eventually took that white bucket. that you found. I went and got water out. of the pool and stopped the fire and. just let it be what it was going to be. The fire had got so big. I'm like, at.

this point, my neighbors are going to. see. Came back in the house and I spent the. rest of the night just cleaning blood. out the sun room and out of the bedroom. Um, I took the kids to I took a shower. and then I took the children to the bus. stop. and them left while I was. in transit to prepare to either take. right after I took because I had an.

appointment they had to be at early. They left I I believe at around 6:50. a.m. bus picks him up at about 6:40. After was picked up um after he left for. his bus, he left at about 7:20. His bus. picks him up at 7:30. I went back to. cleaning and then I said to myself, I stood out on the deck and I said, "From here, I can see her. So, I gotta.

do something about this. Like, I can't. let these boys see it. That's the only. motivation. So, then first I tried to. dig a hole and I never done that before. And I'm like, this is hard. So, what's. the next move? I'm like, there's all. this debris down here. I'm just. put it there. Um, I realize what I'm. telling you is a crime, but I need you. to understand it's just me who did this. Nobody my boys, nobody else did any of. this. I took her. I put wood on top of. her, dirt that I could find.

Um, tried to keep from throwing up. And then. I put a vertical. um, stump there so that I could use that. as a marker so I could tell daddy where. to tell you all to find a body. So when. I talked to Daddy in the jail yesterday. and he said that you all told him that. you couldn't find a body, I was like I'm. confounded by that. But then now it.

makes sense why your actions are what. your actions are cuz you're thinking. that I have her somewhere or something. That's not the case. She's exactly where. I told my father that she was behind the. dog kennels under a pile of wood with a. vertical log sitting there. So once I. completed that, I finished cleaning what. I felt needed to be cleaned so that I. could close the door to the master. bedroom. I did try and see if I could steam clean. the blood. on the floor. I was like, "Nope, can't. do that.".

And then I sat down and faced the. reality of what I had done. >> It is a shocking admission. Dragging her. body, trying to burn it, finally burying. her under a pile of wood. But why? Throughout his confession, Harden. returned again and again to his reasons, painting a picture of a deeply troubled. marriage that was filled with resentment. and infidelity. And we will get to that. But after killing his wife and spending. a day covering it up, Harden knew he had. to confess. But he didn't call the.

police. No. What did he do instead? He. flies his father into Georgia, meets him. at a bank, hands him over financial. paperwork, essentially giving him power. of attorney, and then he finally tells. his father the truth. And here's how he. describes that moment and the specific. instruction he gave before taking off. >> And then I said, "I'm about to tell you. something.". And when I get to telling you, you must. dial 911. before you leave this lot. That's.

exactly what I said to him. I helped him. get into the sprinter. He sat in the. Sprinter. I never stood inside the. sprinter. M. >> I looked up through the portal and I. told at this point what I need for you. to do is just earnestly listen to what. is about to be said. >> and you're going to be questioned about. it and I want you to tell the truth. >> Mhm. >> Tell the truth about what you did. That. you picked up Mr. Harden Senior from the. airport that you took him to get. something to eat that you took him to a. hotel that you picked him up from that. same hotel the next morning that you.

took him to PNC Bank and that you just. took him to UPS and now I'm going to. tell you something file. >> Mhm. And then I told him what happened. He broke down crying. And his immediate thing was, "What are. you going to do?". >> Mhm. >> And I said, "Dad, you you cannot focus. on that right now. You got to focus on our children. >> You got to focus on my boys. You cannot. focus on me. Do not focus on me and her.

Focus on the children. That's the only. thing that's important at this point. And I thought I had him in a place where. he was going to be able to continue. talking to me, but I abruptly ended the. conversation cuz he the man broke out. crying. It was so bad that got out of. the driver's seat and came and got in. the back with him and started hugging. him. He had strang, you know. >> Mhm. >> And I couldn't look at that. So I just. turned around. I closed the door to the. sprinter. And as I was closing it, I. said, >> "Make sure that he dials 911.

the second that he can talk." Mhm. >> And he said, "Okay." And I closed the. door, got in my car, and pulled it off. >> You don't remember about what time that. was? >> No, I do. It was about 10:00 in the. morning. >> Okay. >> We were at the bank until about 9:47. >> We didn't we didn't get the call till. after 11. >> Yeah. Reason. >> Uh about 10:00 in the morning. Maybe he. sat there for 30 minutes to an hour. >> Just check. >> No, we will. We will. We will. >> I told you where exactly. Like I said,

some of the things you're saying. Yes. And it and it it helps out to cooperate. that if you tell me we're at the UPS. store and I don't know a time frame, then I got to look at all of it where if. you say I think we're there around 10, I. can start my search. >> more focused. You see what I'm saying? >> Yeah, I get what you're saying. I know. what you got to do with that. >> Was Was the trip west. was the idea just to get like to Mexico, keep riding? Were you going to go to.

California? >> I wasn't sure what I wanted. >> I didn't have no plan. >> I just knew that. >> I didn't know what I wanted to do. And. until I found out my head was spinning. and I hope you can understand that it's. a lot that I have done. >> Sure. >> You've seen my home. >> You've seen some of where my businesses. has going. >> What kind of guy. >> is in this situation? >> That by itself is absurd, right? So, I'm. dealing with all of that. You've had a.

chance to, I think, at least see a. picture or two of my boys. >> It's a good kiss. >> You talk to them. You see how you see. how they are. >> Yeah. >> All right. >> Come on, man. Keep our SRO's took them. took care of them yesterday. They they. you know, we didn't know what we don't. know you. We don't know what kind of. state you're in. So, they actually were. there. They had their own private. protection and they didn't know him.

>> And that was. >> and then they um. they were reunited with your father to. take care of. So they're being taken. care of. >> All right. It's a lot for a human being. to deal with. Like you had a bad. decision that you made. >> Mhm. >> And then you have the mess that he. caused. >> Mhm. And then you need to find a way, which I. think God created that, >> but you need to find a way or a higher. power if you don't believe in God. You.

need to find a way to take. accountability without anyone else. coming to harm. And that's a that's a. big thing. >> A clear direct order, call 911. But. Harden says that his father was so. overcome with grief that he couldn't. immediately make the call. And the. reason I was trying to GPS my way out of. Georgia is because I know as long as I. sit in Georgia, >> I'm being recorded. Cuz Georgia is a. state that records a awful lot. And I'm. like, whatever decision I make, I don't. want to make it here because I'm going. to be recorded and they're going to be.

upon me before I have decided. >> what I want to do. >> Mhm. Um, you know, actually I regret to a certain. degree even getting the plate because. that made me stop. and I got the plate and then now I'm. thinking something that's true that's. not true. I'm thinking I got time but I. don't have any time. You know, until you. make a decision, you got to continue to. move forward, >> right? >> And that's what I should have did.

because I knew AllstSar was going to be. my undoing. You can't rip the OnStar out. the car. So, I knew that that would be. my undoing, you know, and I knew as long. as I kept my gas trips to less than 5. minutes. >> and on mobile, it's unsafe for you all. to uh have OnStar to deactivate that. vehicle while it's in drive. So, that was my plan. I don't know what. I intended on doing. I talked about. potentially Mexico and then I'm like, well, that means I would have to walk. across the desert. and I don't know if I'm prepared to do. that. Can't passport my way in there,

right? Um, so I hadn't made a final decision on. that and I apologize that I don't have a. better answer for you. I didn't know. what I was going to do. >> But that is that is an answer. And to me. that sounds more honest than if you just. blankly say, "I want to see you talk." You know what. I mean? What you say in that situation. makes sense. someone who's going from. sad to mad to hysterical to sad to.

remembering something happy. I'm quite. certain all of those things were going. on. And in addition to all that, if I. get caught now, I can't figure out what. tomorrow is. So, if I keep moving, I'm going to be. able to try to play something out in my. head. That makes sense, >> right? It was the movement that was creating. the momentum. >> from a move. >> And I knew I made the right decision cuz.

I was monitoring. Like I didn't. understand why it took so damn long for. dad to get to the house. >> Mhm. >> I didn't understand why it took so long. for y'all to respond. >> Mhm. We were actually there pretty quick. from from the call to when we got there. >> Oh, okay. >> It was it was. >> So in my head, I'm working it from the. time that I left. I'm thinking the call. happened right then. So it's like why. didn't I see Fed County like pulling up. immediately. >> right? >> But then what confirmed that I had made. the correct decision. >> was when you all went to secure the home.

>> when you came in the triangle. I'm like. I made the right decision today. Cuz if. they had done that while I was here I. can't promise that I'd have been like. okay I'm coming out with my hands up. >> Sure. >> Cuz I'm not in that mindset at that. point cuz I'm in my castle now. You. you're invading in my my arena. you. know, this is my, you know, like I knew. that that was going to be in my. >> that it was going to be in me. I'm not. saying that I want to do something, but. I know that that would have been in me. That's why I wanted to get away from it, >> you know, and I told him not to go in. the house. >> Throughout his confession, Harden kept. returning to one central theme, the why.

And it seemed like he was building a. case, not just admitting a crime. That. he wanted the detectives to understand. that in his mind, the murder wasn't. coldblooded, but it was the tragic. endpoint of years of what he says was. infidelity and humiliation. And he. claims the trouble began years earlier. with this shooting at Magic City Strip. Club, a shooting that he claims left him. injured and he ended up meeting someone. there that he started an affair with. Eventually, he says his wife Carrie.

discovered what was going on. But he. also says that Carrie was cheating on. him as well. And this is how he. explained the deep-seated motives behind. his actions. >> I got shot in Medic City, taking her. family members out for the night. I chose a lot of other different places, but the reason we ended up in Magic City. because I was on the side dating a young. lady that works at the club. I ended up. in a relationship with this woman. because of some behaviors that Carrie. exhibited from the span of 2018 up until.

the present. That is the catalyst for most of our. arguments. It's either me talking to her. about the hurt that she caused me. It's. essentially like to witness and see and. then it's something that's made fun of. especially in light of my injury to my. penis. And then my reaction to that. where I had this relationship with this. young lady. and we were in a very volatile time. because she was doing this what she was.

doing in front of me and in front of. some of my family and so I felt it only. right to do the same. So it's a iPad in. my bathroom. The reason that iPad is. sitting there is because I had once upon. a time had my phone connected to that. So everything that took place on my. phone care we could see it. I know how. women are. They learn to get nosy and. investigate some stuff. And she would go. and look at that. She saw where I was. at. She knew that I was seeing this. young lady and she didn't say nothing. about it for months and months. And I.

felt kind of like I got judged. by um. getting shot. What was interesting is. after I got shot and Carrie had I'm at. the hospital and Carrie had my phone. and she had my Apple Watch. She went. through my Apple Watch and read a lot of. that was in my phone. When I woke up. from surgery, she was standing over me. with a look and I'm like, "Okay." So,

she knows now. And we came home and she. said, "I just want to know why." And I. told her, I said, "You've hurt me bad.". like. and she said, "Well, I didn't think it. was a problem because it's with another. woman." And I'm like, "No, it's still a. problem because it's not something you. and I mutually agreed to. I'm just. having to deal with it because you feel. like it's something that I like." And I. said, "I told you that it hurt me and. you continue to do it." And I said, "The. times that you did what you did at the.

club in front of my family members on. multiple occasions with pitches and all. this, it was beyond appeal. Well, why. don't you just leave me because I love. you and I'm forgiving you about it, but. I'm having trouble getting over it. Like, I don't want to leave you, but I. need you to know that it hurt me. >> So, you have this detailed story of. marital turmoil, jealousy, revenge. And. after laying out all of that as his. reason why, Kenneth Harden then made his. final plea. And it wasn't for. forgiveness, but it was for what he.

called clarity in the hopes that his. family wouldn't suffer further for his. crimes. >> I hope that this conversation. has helped to I'm not trying to paint. myself any kind of way, but I hope it. provides enough clarity to put some of. this suspicion about what I've done and. why to bed so that it doesn't bring. additional harm to my family members. So. Kenneth Harden was charged with felony. murder and he actually ended up pleading. guilty to that as well as other charges.

and he would later be sentenced to life. in prison without the possibility of. parole meaning he will die behind bars. But that wasn't all because he also. received an additional 10-year sentence. for concealing Carrie's death and a. 5-year sentence for possessing a firearm. during the commission of the felony. Just a really, really disturbing series. of events. It's all we have for you. right now here on Sidebar, everybody. Thank you so much for joining us and as. always, please subscribe on YouTube, Apple Podcast, Spotify, wherever you. should get your podcast. You can follow.

me on Instagram or X. I'm Jesse Weber. I'll see you next time. [Music].