Stephanie Harker
Stephanie Harker (nee Stevens) is the main antagonist from Law & Order, appearing in episode 9.09 "True North".
She was portrayed by Bellamy Young.
Backstory
Canadian-born Stephanie Stevens worked as a receptionist at her father's souvenir stand in Niagara Falls. She had dreams of leaving Niagara Falls and becoming rich by any means necessary, with the fantasies (as well as her conniving personality) triggered by being dumped by a rich boyfriend at an early age. Stephanie had various flings; one of them with used car salesman Pete Barnett. She used him to obtain possession of one of his cars, a red Ford Escort, which she later used to run over and kill Rhonda Harker, the first wife of wealthy Ron Harker.
Events
A year after killing Rhonda, Stephanie married Ron, and she wasted no time living off her husband's riches; often doing so to maintain her partying lifestyle. Having seen his wife as nothing more than a gold digger, Ron began filing for divorce. Knowing this, Stephanie confided in her friend, Doris Nichols, and another of her lovers, Gerald Petoskey. She later devised a plan to kill her husband, and she paid Doris $50,000 to kill not only Ron, but his daughter (and Stephanie's stepdaughter), Caitlin. Doris committed the murders at the Harker household, but later on, the evil Stephanie shot and killed Doris, mainly to keep her quiet.
When Stephanie was found by Curtis and Briscoe, she portrayed herself as a victim of a violent and crazed Doris, claiming that she had to kill Doris out of self-defense. She also made claims that Doris was Ron's mistress, but when interviewing Ron's friends, they all denied the claim. Stephanie attempted to flee back to her native Canada, but she was successfully indicted and arrested for all of the murders, after learning of her involvement in the death of Ron's first wife.
During testimony, Stephanie denied all of the charges against her, but while being cross-examined by Jack McCoy, she revealed her true colors, accusing her husband's rich friends of looking down on her and also claiming that the wealthy women were jealous of her. Stephanie was later convicted in the murder-for-hire plot and for killing Doris Nichols, and was facing the death penalty. The villainess made one last plea for life, admitting to her various crimes and continuing to attempt to paint herself as a good person who made bad decisions. Despite this, Stephanie was sentenced to death, and was most likely executed.
Trivia
- Among many other villainous roles, Bellamy Young played another Law & Order franchise villain in the Los Angeles series, appearing as the evil Monica Jarrow.
