Jeff Harper Released from Chinese Jail; Charge over Man's Death Dropped

Former Iowa Wesleyan basketball player Jeff Harper was released from police custody in China last month after prosecutors decided against pursuing a charge of "causing death with negligence" for his alleged role in the death of a man in January. 

Randy Peterson of the Des Moines Register reported Thursday that Harper is back in the United States after waiting nearly three weeks for his exit visa to be processed.

Harper told Peterson he witnessed a man assaulting a woman while he was walking to a restaurant in Shenzhen, China. He went over to check on the woman and shoved the man, who fled the scene but was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.

His fiancee, Victoria Villareal, worked with American politicians and the U.S. Embassy in China to secure his release.

"They released me," Harper told Peterson on Wednesday night. "They told me I was free to go home. I couldn't believe it. I thought they were just transferring me, and my lawyer said, 'No, you're being released. You're free to go home.'"

He explained he wasn't immediately relieved of the tension after being forced to move several times while waiting for his exit visa because he was informed the victim's family was "looking for him." They are seeking financial compensation of around $300,000, per Peterson.

Harper, who was in China trying to attract contract offers, spent two years at Iowa Wesleyan after starting his collegiate career at Volunteer State Community College in Tennessee in 2007. He told the Des Moines Register his playing days are likely over.

"I'm absolutely finished with playing basketball—unless something crazy [an offer] comes along," he said. "I'm hanging it up. For me, it's now about the kids. It's the next generation. I want to do something to help kids, whether it's basketball or life. That's where my focus is."

A GoFundMe campaign started by Villareal in April to help pay legal fees and provide compensation to the man's family raised over $15,000.