48 Hours - Jasmine Hartin’s Shot in the Dark

Episode Date: October 3, 2021

Socialite Jasmine Hartin admits killing a top police official in Belize. For the first time she tells her detailed story of what happened to "48 Hours" correspondent Peter Van Sant.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Wondery Plus subscribers can listen to this podcast ad-free right now. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app today. Even if you love the thrill of true crime stories as much as I do, there are times when you want to mix it up. And that's where Audible comes in, with all the genres you love and new ones to discover. Explore thousands of audiobooks, podcasts, and originals, with more added all the time. thousands of audiobooks, podcasts, and originals, with more added all the time. Listening to Audible can lead to positive change in your mood, your habits,

and even your overall well-being. And you can enjoy Audible anytime, while doing household chores, exercising, commuting, you name it. There's more to imagine when you listen. Sign up for a free 30-day Audible trial and your first audiobook is free. Visit audible.ca. In 2014, Laura Heavlin was in her home in Tennessee when she received a call from California. Her daughter, Erin Corwin, was missing. The young wife of a Marine had moved to the California desert

to a remote base near Joshua Tree National Park. They have to alert the military. And when they do, the NCIS gets involved. From CBS Studios and CBS News, this is 48 Hours NCIS. Listen to 48 Hours NCIS ad-free starting October 29th on Amazon Music. People perceive me as being a billionaireess. And this entitled, spoiled, rich girl. And this wild, crazy party girl that's hanging from rafters, that's not it at all. I'm a businesswoman, I'm a mother, I'm a friend, I'm a wife.

There are a few that think that I'm a murderer. Surely the crime of the young decade, a respected senior officer dead. the crime of the young decade. A respected senior officer dead. He was hoping to be promoted to senior superintendent, but the Lord our God wanted to promote him to become an angel. My brother. He was playful.

He was a very happy person. Henry Gemot, from everything we know, was a very jovial guy. He loved his family. He loved sports. He loved music. He go all the way for his friend. Henry was my friend. That was an accident, a terrible accident. It will haunt me for the rest of my life.

The shooting took place where? At that dock. These two people wind up on a lonely pier in the dark together. Why are they there? I remember saying, you really need your gun. We're going right here to the pier, and he's like, I always have my gun. And so he brought it with him. The moon was beautiful.

So we just wanted to come sit by the pier, put our feet in the water. Was there anyone else on that pier besides the two of you? No. Did you have a finger around the trigger? Not that I thought. I just remember trying to see. Next thing I know, the gun went off.

He fell on top of me and all I could feel was warmth. And I later then realized he was bleeding on me. She feels this warmth. You know, when we talk about warmth, we think about warm cookies or a blanket. We don't think about the warmth of death i didn't know if he was dead there's not a night that goes by i don't dream about that incident and relive it people are wondering was this an accident was this murder jasmine harden was arraigned in the san Pedro Magistrates Court on a single charge of manslaughter by negligence.

My brother was shot behind the ear. Execution style. She should be charged for murder. Murder. Murder. I'm not a murderer. That's ridiculous. Miss Hardin, do you have anything to say? My freedom is at stake. My relationship with my children is at stake. Why won't you let me see the kids, Andrew? She gave so many stories. So who knows when she's telling the truth? Thank you. I think a lot of people misjudge me.

Her name is Jasmine Harton. Seen by many as one of the most wealthy and controversial people. They don't see my wholesome side. In one of the most alluring places on earth. When I decided to come to Belize, I thought that I was moving from the cold north into a paradise. Belize is a tiny Central American tourist mecca that's also a haven for the super rich, where jet setters and beach combers rub elbows every day. And it's where Jasmine, 32, was raising twins with her partner Andrew Ashcroft, a real estate developer and son of a British billionaire.

A woman with one of the most prominent names on the island is at the police station. I've never had a story like this before. Charisse Halsall is a news reporter and anchor at Channel 7 in Belize and a CBS News consultant. She has been covering the case since it broke on May 28, 2021. Reports tonight are that Harton was flattered in the officer's blood. Authorities detained Jasmine Harton after finding her dazed and drenched in blood on a deserted pier near her exclusive beachfront resort home. It's a mystery for which the intrigue is escalating. In the water was police superintendent Henry Jamat,

with a fatal gunshot wound behind his right ear. A man beloved by his five children, and, says his sister Cherry, by the country he'd spent his life serving. He had done a great job for the country of Belize. We will purchase shoes for some of the needy kids within the villages around. With a respected police officer dead, and a wealthy, powerful woman in a concrete jail cell, there were rampant rumors about Jasmine Harton and Henry Jermott. Were drugs or infidelity involved?

The speculation was fueled by reports that Jasmine's account of that night had changed. According to Channel 7, the first account she told was the fatal shot may have come from a passing boat. Why would she have ever told such a wild story about a boat? After a jailhouse visit with a lawyer, Harton admitted she fired the fatal shot accidentally. Harton was charged with manslaughter by negligence and eventually released on bail. The things that are at stake right now is my relationship with my children, my freedom, my business, my money, my character, my reputation, and my life is at stake.

Tonight, for the first time, you will hear Jasmine Hartin tell her side of the story. It's a story that begins in her childhood. She insists she was never a spoiled rich kid. I think because I grew up the way I did, all of that has prepared me for what I've just endured. She says she grew up poor in Canada as one of nine siblings in a small farming community. Do you remember being hungry as a child? Of course, yeah, many times. Jasmine's mother, Candice Casleone, says food was in such short supply,

she'd trick a local donut shop to give her stale pastries to feed her kids. I went in and told them I was a pig farmer. I needed the doughnuts for my pigs. The kids thought it was awesome. She went to high school in a hardscrabble neighborhood of Kingston, Ontario, and set her sights on a career in dentistry, hoping to help the needy. I started to do dental missions. And Belize? I saw an opportunity to come down and do a mission here for dentistry. She arrived in Belize in 2014. She set up shop on an exclusive island called Ambergris Key

and made a splash on the social scene, acquiring a reputation as a party girl. And in 2015, she met someone who would change her life. By then, she was working as a realtor, and he was a potential client. There was something intriguing about his level of confidence. It was Andrew Ashcroft. I thought he was very clever, very funny, very witty. Andrew is a son of Lord Michael Ashcroft, a well-known conservative political figure in his native Great Britain,

who'd built a billion-dollar business empire with extensive holdings in Belize. They reportedly have included ownership stakes in the phone company, two of the biggest banks, a TV station, even the main port. Once you learned that Andrew Ashcroft is the son of a billionaire, how did that impact you in your relationship? So I was curious about it. Were you in any way attracted to his wallet? No. But the potential? I wanted to build something together. I wanted us to be partners.

They got engaged in 2016, and the next year had twins, Charlie and Ella. It was just months earlier at a brunch that Jasmine had met the other man who would become a central figure in her future, a high-ranking police official on the island, Henry Jamott. Henry's a lot of fun, and we would get together often with groups. Jasmine says he was on the island for about another year before being transferred, and they got to know each other well. He loved his food, loved my cooking, often came to the house for dinner.

She says Andrew Ashcroft already knew Henry, so Jamaat's name was on the invite list last May when the couple cut the ribbon on their professional dream. Thank you. A Marriott-branded resort worth millions. It was just weeks before the shooting. For Jasmine and I, it marks the fulfillment of a dream to create the Elia Resort. Jasmine Harten seemed to have it all.

Opulent lifestyle, lovely family, and links to a powerful dynasty. Her life may have looked perfect, but she says by then, behind the curtains of the five-bedroom beachfront condo she shared with Andrew and the children, there was trouble. Andrew and I have had a very rocky road. They tried to make it work, says Jasmine, though they never officially married. We weren't even sleeping in the same rooms. And she says they were essentially leading separate lives. So on a dark night last May, when Jasmine Harton suddenly found herself in trouble at a party,

she called her friend, Henry Jamat. I said, please come pick me up. This is bad. As a kid growing up in Chicago, there was one horror movie I was too scared to watch. It was called Candyman. The scary cult classic was set in the Chicago Housing Project. It was about this supernatural killer who'd attack his victims if they said his name five times into a bathroom mirror. Candyman. Candyman? Now, we all know chanting a name won't make a killer magically appear. But did you know that the movie Candyman was partly inspired by an actual murder? I was struck by both how spooky it was, but also how outrageous it was. We're

going to talk to the people who were there, and we're also going to uncover the larger story. My architect was shocked when he saw how this was created. Literally shocked. And we'll look at what the story tells us about injustice in America. If you really believed in tough on crime, then you wouldn't make it easy to crawl into medicine cabinets and kill our women. Listen to Candyman, the true story behind the bathroom mirror murder, early and ad-free on Wondery Plus and the Wondery app. Have you ever wondered who created that bottle of sriracha that's living in your fridge? Or why nearly every house in America has at least one game of Monopoly. Introducing the best idea yet,

a brand new podcast from Wondery and T-Boy about the surprising origin stories of the products you're obsessed with and the bold risk takers who brought them to life. Like, did you know that Super Mario, the best-selling video game character of all time, only exists because Nintendo couldn't get the rights to Popeye? Or Jack, that the idea for the McDonald's Happy Meal first came from a mom in Guatemala? From Pez dispensers to Levi's 501s to Air Jordans, discover the surprising stories of the most viral products. Plus, we guarantee that after listening, you're going to dominate your next dinner party. So follow The Best Idea Yet on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts.

You can listen to The Best Idea Yet early and ad-free right now by joining Wondery Plus. It's just the best idea yet. Set the scene for us. This is a very special place for you. Yeah, it used to be a very special place, but now brings back a lot of very sad, sad memories. This is Grand Colony. So that building in the back is where I lived.

At the glittering center of Jasmine Harten's world was a fantasy. The luxurious beachfront hotels of the Ashcroft Empire in San Pedro on Ambergris Key, Belize. San Pedro is where all that money comes in, rolls in, and rolls out. Here, accommodations can go for upwards of $1,000 a night. It is just a few barefoot steps across the sand, but a world away from everyday life in this Central American nation, where the average salary is around $800 a month. There's an element of race in that expats do not tend to socialize within the Black community.

But reporter Cherise Halsall says Jasmine Harton and Henry Jamot's life journeys cut a path that straddled both worlds. Henry Jamot is friends with a wide range of Belizean society. As at ease with the Ashcrofts and their enormous wealth as he was with the working class people he grew up with. You called him king. Yes. He's the king. Yes, he's the king. My parents named him king because he's one and only boy in the family. A king who followed in the footsteps of his sister Cherry. Yes, we are both police officers. And was your brother a good cop?

A very good cop. Very strict. We are trying to bridge the gap between the community and the police. Henry Dermott is an upstanding officer. And I believe that by... A senior police official and a family man. Dedicated father to four girls and a boy. Son, brother, friend to many, like Gene Lopez. He was a big fella, but he was friendly but stern.

Tell me about the Henry that you knew. He would assist anybody if they need assistance. He's a very good man, loved by many. He have extended his love beyond the family limits. Did you become good friends? Well, yes. The more I got to know him, we had a lot in common. There has been a lot of talk around Belize that you and Henry Jamal were more than friends, that you may have been lovers. That's not true. That's not true at all.

You guys never had a sexual relationship? No. Still, the nature of their relationship would become the heart of this story. And the question is, what was such a prominent man, prominent, yes, but working class, middle class, doing on a pair with someone who's from the 0.01% of wealthy expats. It just seemed like a mashup and a friendship that almost shouldn't exist. Whatever their relationship, it was Jasmine's reliance on the man known as King, that set in motion the final days of Henry Jemmott's life. It was May 22, 2021. Jasmine says she was at a party some 70 miles from home. A man followed me into the room and was quite aggressive with me.

Verbally, physically? Physically, in a sexual manner. So in that moment, I fought him off me. I called Jamut right away. The man Jasmine calls her protector didn't hesitate. He drove an hour to come pick me up, and he kept saying, we need to really work on getting your firearms license.

She says Henry Jamut wanted her to have a gun for protection. And you agreed to that? Yes. And when he had that conversation, did he. And you agreed to that? Yes. And when he had that conversation, did he show you his Glock pistol? Yes. He wanted me to handle it, to get a feel for it. This is what a Glock 17 looks like. When you got home, did you share what happened to you with Andrew? No, we weren't really sharing a lot with each other at all. And Henry Jamot posted on

Facebook that he was now single. He posted something about being single like after 14 years. And so some three days later, it was Jasmine's turn to help her friend. The next thing I know, I get a text message from Henry saying, hey, can you hook me up at Grand Colony? I need to come out there for a couple days and just blow off some steam. He checked in on Wednesday, May 26. Correct. The next day, Henry went fishing with his best friend,

Francisco Penny Arceo. He was happy as happy. I said, so what's up tonight? He said, well, I have a date. I said, who? He said, that one I'm taking into my grave. But he was smiling when he told me that. Were you that date? That's hard to say.

If he called me a date, he may have just been pulling their leg or exaggerating truth. I'm not sure. But I'm definitely not a date. She says Andrew was supposed to join them, but as a full moon settled over the tropical Caribbean night, Jasmine met Henry alone.

I had a police report that Superintendent Gemot had been killed on a pier in San Pedro. Just offshore from this pier, floating in the dark Caribbean sea, Henry Gemot shot dead. Next thing I know, the police are there. She had called the police herself. They took her into custody,

where Jasmine reportedly spun her first version of how Henry Jamat died. Her story is that a passing boat shot Jamat. And that story is from Jasmine herself? From Jasmine herself. I don't remember saying that like it was such a blur um you know and i think i was in shock were you intentionally trying to mislead police at that moment no to protect yourself no not at all later on the day of the shooting henry jimott's body was brought across the shimmering waters and home by his best friend, Panny.

In the same boat they'd been fishing in just a day before. And he said, can't be, cannot be. I'm still hurt, still bothered, still very hurt. You were crying. Yeah, of course. The king was dead. The woman with connections to a wealthy, powerful family sat in a cell at the police station. And then reportedly, that story she told about the bullet fired from the boat began to change. It's past midnight now.

At the end of the pier, what happens? There are only two people who know what happened on that pier on Ambergris Key. One is forever silenced, allegedly shot with his own gun. A Glock 17 like this one. 42-year-old superintendent of police Henry Jamot is dead. More than two days after being taken into police custody, the other person in this twisted drama, Jasmine Harton, made a startling admission. You have admitted shooting and killing Henry Jumat. Yes, so...

But let me just finish my question. Was it an accident or was it murder? It was absolutely not murder. Henry was my friend. That day changed everyone's lives. Documents from the cops, courts, and forensic experts in Jasmine Harton's case have not been made public. So much of her account of that night cannot be independently corroborated. She is telling her story in detail for the first time on TV. How did you and Henry Chamott end up on that pier? Well, we were sitting on the balcony of Unit 1, which is oceanfront.

She says they were drinking. Cinnamon whiskey, yeah. He took his like a shot, you know, I was sipping on mine. Then we went, it was a full moon. The stars were gorgeous. So we decided, let's go down and sit on the pier. We were sitting on the edge, our legs kind of dangling, just talking. As he'd done after rescuing her from that party, Jasmine says Henry Jamat again pulled out his 9mm Glock 17 and handed it to her.

I am not an expert with 9mm by any means. So Jasmine says Henry began teaching her how to eject and reload the magazine clip and bullets. He said, let's see if you can unload the clip, reload it. So he helped me get the clip out. I was unloading it. Then he took the bullets and put them beside him. I was under the impression that the gun was completely empty at that time. It doesn't make sense to people. Why are you doing this in the darkness? It just kind of happened in that moment.

Jasmine claims Henry was a little inebriated, but says she wasn't. I had had a few drinks. Yeah, I wasn't drunk. It's past midnight now. We're approaching 12.45 a.m. What happens? What unfolds? We're sitting on the end of the pier together. He makes the comment about how his shoulder's really stiff, and he's like, just rub my shoulder. So I kind of scooched back behind him. Jasmine says she agreed to give Henry Chamott a shoulder massage. And then...

Let's head inside, he said. So I said, okay. So he has the bullets to his left. He asked me to hand him the clip from the gun. And that's when I picked it up. I'm still kind of behind him a little bit. Like, he's sitting like this. I'm kind of sitting like this. Who's holding the gun at that point? Me. So I reached for the gun to take the magazine or the clip out because he was going to reload it.

He had the bullets there. And all of a sudden, it went off. And, yeah, he, it's hard to talk about this still. Take me through that moment by moment. So I lean over, I pick up the gun, and I'm trying to click out the magazine, and it's not working. So I'm holding it like this, and I'm trying to use the moonlight or whatever to see if I'm clicking the right button. trying to use the moonlight or whatever to see if I'm clicking the right button. Jasmine says the barrel of the gun was pointed to the left where Henry was sitting.

Next thing I know, the gun went off. And did you have a finger around the trigger? Not that I thought. Somehow you must have pulled the trigger. I don't know. I mean, it was an accident or the gun misfired, but consciously did I pull the trigger? No. She says Henry Jamat never made a sound. So the shot went off and he fell on top of me and all I could feel was warmth

and I later then realized he was bleeding on me. Jasmine says after the shot she struggled to get out from under Henry. I was shaking him. I didn't know what to do. As I'm trying to wiggle my way free to render aid, his body was slipping into the water from the dock. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know if he was dead. She says it took time to make sense of what had happened. It was a horrible accident. Taking Jasmine into custody,

authorities discovered she was carrying a small amount of cocaine. They didn't charge her with possession that night because it hadn't been tested yet. Had you used cocaine that evening? No. Do you use cocaine? Do you have a drug problem? I definitely do not have a drug problem at all. And I will say that the substance that they found was not mine. Whose was it then? I don't think I can say that. She said it wasn't hers. It's in her purse.

Cherry Jamat, the police officer who inspired her younger brother, King, to get his badge, isn't buying any of it. Do you believe that your brother, on a darkened night, at the end of a pier at 1245 in the morning was actually showing her how to use his Glock 9mm pistol? My brother would never do a thing like that when it comes to firearm. He is so skillful and he is so careful. You don't believe in any possible way this could have been an accident? Cherry is hopeful that when the ballistics report is revealed,

it will lead prosecutors to upgrade the charge. Either way, Jasmine Harton was about to run into a world of trouble a lot closer to home. War with the billionaire family she once called her own. Andrew is inside, hiding my kids inside. Why won't you let me see the kids, Andrew? Why won't you let me see the children? What do you make of Jasmine's account of what happened? Go inside the case at 48hours.com.

In the Pacific Ocean, halfway between Peru and New Zealand, lies a tiny volcanic island. It's a little-known British territory called Pitcairn, and it harboured a deep, dark scandal. There wouldn't be a girl on Pitcairn once they reach the age of 10 that would still a virgin. It just happens to all of them. I'm journalist Luke Jones and for almost two years I've been investigating a shocking story that has left deep scars on generations of women and girls from Pitcairn. When there's nobody watching, nobody going to report it, people will get away with what

they can get away with. In the Pitcairn Trials, I'll be uncovering a story of abuse and the fight for justice that has brought a unique, lonely Pacific island to the brink of extinction. Listen to the Pitcairn Trials exclusively on Wondery Plus. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Hot shot Australian attorney Nicola Gaba was born into legal royalty. Her specialty? Representing some of the city's most infamous gangland criminals.

However, while Nicola held the underworld's darkest secrets, the most dangerous secret was her own. She's going to all the major groups within Melbourne's underworld and she's informing on them all. I'm Marsha Clark, host of the new podcast, Informants Lawyer X. In my long career in criminal justice

as a prosecutor and defence attorney, I've seen some crazy cases, and this one belongs right at the top of the list. She was addicted to the game she had created. She just didn't know how to stop. Now, through dramatic interviews and access, I'll reveal the truth behind one of the world's most shocking legal scandals. Listen to Informant's Lawyer X exclusively on Wondery Plus. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts,

or Spotify, and listen to more Exhibit C true crime shows early and ad-free right now. From the swaying palms to the silent roads, journalist Cherise Halsall and I went looking for Henry Jamaat's hometown roots. Peter, this is the Hummingbird Highway in Belize, and it's the road to the culture capital, which is Dangriga. That's where Henry Jamat grew up, and where his family still lives. We followed the dusty, colorful streets of Dangriga.

Let's stop at that greenhouse there. I'm looking for where Henry Jamat used to live. And were led to Henry Jamemmott used to live. And were led to Henry Jemmott's nephew, Edel. This is it. He is clear on how his uncle died. Murder. And the whole family feels that way.

Everybody feels that way. But authorities charged Jasmine Harton with manslaughter, not murder. And publicly, investigators have never suggested any motive for her to have intentionally killed Henry. I had no motive to do that to my friend. But Henry's family believes the truth is revealed in how and where he was shot. My brother was shot behind the ear, execution style.

That shot echoed through a town famous for its music and drums. The beat Henry Germont loved, the heritage he was passing on to his children. We're getting close to the church where Henry Germont's funeral was held. As he had in life, the 42-year-old public servant united the people of Belize. Wherever he goes, wherever he did, he shared that love with all of us. But how to comfort sisters who lost the brother

they lovingly called king? And how to answer six-year-old Henry III's question. How come my dad haven't called me? While Henry Jamaat was mourned by a nation, Jasmine Harton was getting a different kind of attention. And, according to a prison official, the 32-year-old, who will be dealt with like any other untried prisoner, will become the only Caucasian among 1,041 inmates.

Still, the people of Belize couldn't help but wonder if Jasmine's race, stature and wealth might benefit her. Then she was locked up for 13 days. Myself was infested with cockroaches. Ms. Harton, do you have anything to see? When she finally made bail, roughly 15,000 U.S. dollars, it was paid for by an employee of the Ashcrofts. But Jasmine was already getting the feeling that her partner, Andrew, wanted her out of sight.

The day that I got out, I was expecting to be reunited with my children at home. But instead, I was sent to a house in the middle of nowhere by myself, without my children, without a phone. Andrew arranged for the house and for the twins to visit. But Jasmine claims he only allowed them to see her one time. Andrew claims Jasmine left the house before he could arrange another visit. And being apart from your children, what has that been like for you? That's one that will get me to cry. Two weeks after making bail, Jasmine tried to visit the twins herself.

My son and my daughter. At the Grand Colony, where she had lived with Andrew Ashcroft. It was then that chaos broke out. So this is me recording. This is part of the video Jasmine shot. Andrew's running so I can't see my children. Security is literally stopping me from seeing my children right now. In a statement, Andrew later wrote that Jasmine was shouting and cursing

and behaving aggressively toward the hotel staff. You've been instructed by Andrew to stop me from seeing my children. That's correct? He's just side-siding. Why won't you let me see the children? She is startled two days later when she's arrested again, this time for assaulting a hotel staff

member that day. All I did was try to collect my personal belongings and see my children. And authorities add a charge for cocaine possession from the night of the Henry Jamat shooting. This is absolutely ridiculous. Her bail is then revoked, and she's locked up again.

But not for long. Tonight, after four more nights behind bars... Jasmine was out again. Her bail restrictions mandated she check in with police every day. A four-hour round-trip drive across Belize from where she is staying. And so when you go in, what do you say? They ask me a series of questions, where I'm staying, my date of birth. But this day's check-in, just two weeks after the confrontation at the hotel...

Why are you keeping my children from me, Andrew? ...would prove anything but routine. Authorities hand her an order to appear at a custody hearing, reciting Andrew's allegations. For a reason that the mother of the children hardly spends any time with the children. First of all, I was in jail. Andrew Ashcroft seeks full custody of his children because Jasmine is charged with causing the death of a police officer by negligence,

as well as the assault of that hotel employee, and claims... She is addicted to non-prescription and illegal drugs and a habitual drunkard. It's a vividly different description of the woman Andrew once welcomed into his rarefied world. In my opinion, this is absolutely war. This is absolutely gloves are off. The war would be about the custody of the children, a powerful family, and a building international scandal. Money, power, image and reputation mean absolutely everything to that family. Next up in the war of the Ashcrofts, money. According to Jasmine, she's been cut off financially.

You didn't have a bank account, a trust fund, nothing that you could draw upon? Not at all. Andrew Ashcroft declined to speak with 48 Hours, and his attorney says with legal proceedings underway, it would be quite ill-advised to grant an interview. The wheels had come off Jasmine Harton's life in paradise, and she was running scared. I've been through what I would consider hell on earth. But the Jamaat family says they're the ones going through hell,

as they continue to mourn the kind, conscientious man they believe Jasmine murdered. She gave so many stories, so who knows when she's telling the truth. Central to Jasmine's story is that she knew very little about handguns and that Henry wanted to teach her. But recently, images have appeared of Jasmine in Belize with a shotgun. What does that video tell you? That video tell me that Jasmine is well-versed, have wide knowledge of bigger firearms.

This is you with a semi-automatic rifle. Yes. It has a magazine, a clip, so I'm guessing you know how to take out a magazine and reinsert it into a weapon. That picture was from 2012 when I was at a Las Vegas shooting range. They don't let you load your firearms. What the video doesn't show is that it really was probably my tenth attempt at the watermelon. I'm not very good with firearms.

Jasmine says she knew next to nothing about handguns. I do not know how to handle a 9mm properly at all, as we can tell. It would come down to this. Was the gun used to kill Henry Jamat fired by accident? We asked an expert Is it easy to accidentally fire this weapon? There's a lot riding on Jasmine Harton's account of Henry Jamat's shooting. So we wanted an expert opinion about whether her story lines up. What are you holding in your hand? This is a Glock 17 9mm pistol. It's the same type of weapon

that was used in the shooting incident that occurred in Belize. David Katz is a former DEA agent and a veteran firearms instructor who taught at the FBI DEA Academy in Quantico. If used properly, how safe is a Glock 17? These are extremely safe. Katz says Glock handguns are designed to withstand almost any amount of jostling without accidentally firing. I could bang it, I could drop it, it's not going to go off. But Katz says there's one notable exception, a potential key to understanding what happened on that pier. We showed him portions of my interview with Jasmine.

I'm trying to get the magazine out. As you can see from Jasmine's gestures, she says she was fumbling around to release the gun's magazine. If her finger was on the trigger and the trigger moved to the rear with five pounds of pressure, the gun's going to go bang. Pulling the trigger on Glock pistols can be easier than on some other handguns, says Katz. This is a Glock 40. And accidental trigger pulls could happen to anyone, even to veterans like this DEA agent who accidentally shot himself. Let me get a sense of how much force it'll take to fire this weapon. That feels pretty light to me. Yeah, it's 5.5 pounds. Consciously, did I pull the trigger? No. Even though Jasmine says she doesn't remember...

She had to have pulled the trigger. There's no doubt about it. She pulled the trigger. Kat says trigger accidents can result from something called sympathetic contraction, in which contracting one hand muscle triggers others too. Let's assume you put your finger on the trigger in this position. You squeeze the bottom fingers, your trigger finger is going to similarly squeeze as well. Another possible factor, alcohol. Jasmine says both she and Henry Chamott had been drinking that night.

There is no better way to get yourself hurt than by messing with firearms when you are impaired. I was under the impression that the gun was completely empty at that time. One or both of them could have unloaded the magazine, says Katz, forgetting there was a bullet ready to fire in the chamber. Based on what you've heard her say and what you know about the Glock 17, could this have been an accidental shooting? Yeah, it could have been. It's a troubling story from so many aspects, starting with why she's practicing in the dark, but then when she talks about where her hand was when the round went off,

could it have been an accidental discharge? Absolutely, yes. We don't know what forensics, ballistics, or other tests authorities have conducted. Prosecutors aren't saying. I have no idea what evidence they have against me because they haven't released any of it yet. But Jasmine says Henry's sister Cherry confronted her when the two women met by chance in July of 2021. I said, Jasmine, why did you kill my brother? Her response was, I'm sorry, it was an accident. I told her, Jasmine, you don't know what you have done to my family.

Do you believe you deserve any sort of legal punishment for what happened on that pier? I believe that it was an accident, and I do accept any punishment that comes my way. Her trial date hasn't been set. Under Belizean law, she could get as much as five years for negligent manslaughter, but also as little as a fine without any more jail time. It would be an injustice to the family.

Ever since his funeral, Henry Jamaat has watched over his family from a portrait on the wall. The children would sit on the sofa and they'd play with him up there. Jasmine gets supervised visits with her kids, as her video shows, alternating two Saturdays on, two Saturdays off. The custody case may not be decided for months. I want Mommy to come home now.

And given the enduring mystery of exactly what happened that night, Jasmine Hartin may forever live under a cloud of suspicion. It's haunting me. I think about how his poor kids must feel being without their dad. And I wish I could take it back.

Jasmine Hardin has not decided how she will plead to the negligent manslaughter charge. I'm Nora O'Donnell in our nation's capital. We're here at the White House with the President of the United States. Thanks for having me. Our exclusive access to the presidential platform. We will witness yet another moment in history. The CBS Evening News with Nora O'Donnell from Washington, D.C. If you like this podcast, you can listen ad-free right now by joining Wondery Plus in the Wondery app. Before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a quick survey at wondery.com slash survey.