Naman Shrestha
When a 29-year-old CEO named Jenea Harvison was killed alongside her brother, Donell McDonald, in April 2015, the entire community of Columbus, Ohio, was rattled to its core. The swift investigation uncovered dark familial secrets that eventually led the detectives to the cold-blooded killer. The episode titled ‘Double Take’ of Investigation Discovery’s ‘American Monster’ delves deep into the case and the confrontation of the authorities with the killer. The documentary also features exclusive interviews with the loved ones of the siblings and the officials involved in the investigation.
Jenea R. Harvison and Donell McDonald Were Fatally Ambushed Right Outside Their Workplace
Born on March 24, 1986, in Warren, Ohio, to Crystal D. Turner and Ramon E. Carson, Jenea Reshawn Harvison grew up alongside her brothers, Christopher D. McDonald, Josh, and Donell McDonald, and a sister named Tierney R. Logan. She attended Walnut Ridge High School before pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education at Ohio State University. Later, she expanded her family by marrying Roy Lee Harvison Sr., with whom she shared a son named Roy Lee Harvison Jr. and a daughter named Royce Janea Harvison. The ambitious woman had aspired to open a day-care center for low-income parents, a dream she achieved just a few months after her graduation in 2008 by establishing Success Kidz Childcare Center, where Donell was employed as the Finance Manager.
Donell Miller McDonald Jr. was born on February 2, 1992, in Warren, Ohio. Although he shared the same mother as Jenea, his father was Donell Miller McDonald Sr. Besides the siblings he shared with Jenea, he also had a brother named Landon Collinsworth and a sister named Deanna Thurman. Following the footsteps of Jenea, he also attended Ohio State University. Simultaneously, he worked at the childcare center as a Finance Manager, as mentioned above. Donell was looking forward to spending the rest of his life with his fiancée, Mary Thornton, and his son, Delon McDonald, when he suddenly met his demise along with his sister, Jenea, on April 1, 2015.
At the time, 29-year-old Jenea owned and operated five centers and was in line to receive the Small Business Administration’s Young Entrepreneur of the Year in central Ohio. As for 23-year-old Donnell, he was working hard to provide for his son and was contemplating purchasing a house for his family. On the fateful day of April 1, 2015, Jenea and Donell were returning from a staff training session at the Success Kidz center at 985 Parsons Avenue when they were killed suddenly in the parking lot. By the time the authorities arrived at the scene, the siblings were dead.
Jenea R. Harvison and Donell McDonald’s Killer Was Someone Known to Them
According to reports, Jenea R. Harvison and her husband, Roy Lee Harvison, had been going through a rough patch. In fact, the couple had become estranged for about a year. On top of that, in September 2014, Jenea had also reportedly filed for divorce. Despite her alleged support for him, Roy decided to ambush her and her brother outside the office of Success Kidz with a 9mm handgun. According to reports, the attacker first went to Donell and shot him inside a parked car. As he pointed his gun at Jenea, she tried to escape but collapsed on Kossuth Street. Roy shot her a few more times before returning to the car and shooting Donell once again.
The shootout caught the attention of nearby police officers, who exchanged gunfire with Roy. Ultimately, he was shot by Columbus police and was rushed to OhioHealth Grant Medical Center, where his injuries were treated. After he underwent surgery and recovered on April 6, the shooter was indicted for two unclassified counts of aggravated murder with specifications in connection with the deaths of his estranged wife and her brother. Despite his best efforts, Roy was denied bail and ordered to stay behind bars until his trial.
Roy Harvison is Currently Incarcerated at an Ohio Prison Facility
More than a couple of years later, in January 2018, Roy Lee Harvison pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated murder, both with gun specifications, in order to avoid the death penalty. Thus, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for at least 66 years. During the sentencing hearing, the killer didn’t provide any explanation for his crimes but offered an apology. He took the stand and stated, “I take full responsibility, but I could never explain my actions. I can’t sleep at night. I can’t cope at all … I can’t take away the pain that I brought my entire family. To my children, I don’t know how I will ever explain to them that I took their mother and their uncle. The only thing I could possibly do is get right with God and ask for forgiveness. As of today, Roy Harvison is serving his sentence at Mansfield Correctional Institution in Mansfield, Ohio. His parole board hearing scheduled for January 2081.
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