COOPER HARRIS, 2, DIES IN HOT CAR: JUSTIN HARRIS CHARGED WITH MURDER

[ramseycat]

A dude here left his 22 month old in the car all day yesterday. He forgot to drop him off at daycare. On his way home from work he noticed the kid in the car pulled over and tried to revive him but it was too late. The dude was beside himself. Today he was charged with murder. People are commenting on both sides. It could happen to anyone. Or how the hell can you forget your child?

Now I have never EVER forgotten one of my children. I can understand being busy. Being distracted. But to forget your child? No. The father was beyond devastated and had to be physically restrained because he was having a breakdown. And why didn't daycare call one of the parents when the kid wasn't dropped off? Didn't the parents talk at all during the day?

Do you think the father should be charged with murder?

[Duchess]

This happens way to often. I'm curious to know why some are charged and others aren't.

I can't answer the question.

[ramseycat]

I think it depends on the state and their laws. One thing about GA, they don't fuck around.

[SIXFOOTERsez]

Wow, seems to happen way too often. I don't understand how anyone could bail out of the car and Not be aware theres a kid in there.
I get distracted all the time and drive past my exit, leave my laptop at home, forget this or that.
But, I just do not think I could forget a person in the fucking car!
I do see people all the time with absolutely no Spacial awareness about where they are, how close people are to them, whether they are standing in the way blocking an isle or whatever, so I know there are a Lot of Stupid people out there, but Jeesus

[Blindgreed1]

In Az. you can break a window to save a child but not a dog. Also, if you're stupid enough to leave your kid/pet in a car during the summer in Az. You deserve to be drawn and quartered. Within 10 minutes the interior reaches 140 degrees when it's 100 outside.

[crash]

People are stupid.

[Duchess]

In Az. you can break a window to save a child but not a dog.

I'd do it anyway and take my punishment.

[Blindgreed1]

In Az. you can break a window to save a child but not a dog.

I'd do it anyway and take my punishment.

I have a brick in my truck. If anyone asks, I thought it was a baby

[ramseycat]

In Az. you can break a window to save a child but not a dog.

I'd do it anyway and take my punishment.

Me too.

There's some big investigation going on about this case. It almost seems like the authorities think there is more to the story than he forgot the kid in the car.

[Tammy75]

I can't believe he is being charged with murder. I can't believe he woke up and thought to himself that he was going to kill his kid. The guy was going to work, not a bar.

He is already in a worser prison than any of us can ever image.

[SIXFOOTERsez]

The Worser part is he shouldn't have had kids in the first place

[ramseycat]

I'm sure the guilt he is feeling is beyond anything the authorities can do to him. But I just cannot fathom forgetting one of my kids. And the wife didn't call and make sure the drop off went ok? I'm assuming he didn't normally drop his son off in the mornings. If he did and forgot that is REALLY questionable. How do you forget when you do it every day? Everyday the news is filled with warnings about the heat and not to leave pets or kids in the car even if it's just for a few minutes.

[crash]

I can't believe he is being charged with murder. I can't believe he woke up and thought to himself that he was going to kill his kid. The guy was going to work, not a bar.

He is already in a worser prison than any of us can ever image.

So what? He failed that child. He failed his first fundamental role as a parent; to care for and protect his child. How is it different to somebody that leaves a loaded gun on the table in the living room and junior eats a bullet, or someone who gets high and neglects to watch their child and it walks into the traffic and gets squashed or falls into an unfenced pool and drowns. Oh, hang on..

Stupid should not be a viable defense and calling it an accident is a cop out..

[Duchess]

Here's the story -

A Georgia father was booked on murder charges early Thursday after leaving his son all day in a hot car.

Justin Ross Harris, 33, of Marietta, Ga., went to work at around 9 a.m. Wednesday with his 22-month-old son in the back seat of his sport utility vehicle, forgetting to drop him off at day care, said Sgt. Dana Pierce of Cobb County Police. As he was driving home around 4 p.m., he noticed that his son was still in his child seat, unresponsive.

He pulled over at a shopping center parking lot and tried to perform cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, but the child, whose name was not released, was pronounced dead at the scene.

"It is a very fine line sometimes between neglect and negligence ... and whether that negligence reaches the level of criminal prosecution," Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal said Thursday.

Police had to restrain Harris because he was so distraught and took him into custody for questioning then.

...and here's another one. I can't help but notice the differences in how it's being handled.

The toddler's death was the second this week of a child in a hot car. On Monday, a 9-month-old girl died in Rockledge, Fla., after her father forgot to drop her off at her grandmother's house, leaving her in the back seat of his pickup truck for several hours as he worked at his job as a telephone solicitor for the Fraternal Order of Police.

As of Thursday, no charges had been filed against Steven Lillie, 31, of Cocoa, Fla. Rockledge Police say they still are investigating the death and allowing Lillie and his girlfriend, the child's mother, to grieve the loss.

"She's been in the car for hours, and I absolutely forgot about her," Lillie said during a 9-1-1 call Monday to police dispatchers. "She's not alive."

Story

[Midwest Spy]

To me, murder implies intent.

Negligent homicide, manslaughter, etc, would seem more appropriate here, unless the police know more about this dad than they're revealing.

[Cutz]

Guys, these parents aren't really responsible. Clearly the actual criminal here is heat. The authorities really need to get that true culprit behind bars ASAP, heat has been killing people dating back to Pompeii.

[crash]

No no no! Heat is only doing the dirty work of the Sun. It's the Sun that needs to be locked away. But the Sun will probably argue that it didn't intend to kill all those people, didn't even intend to burn them, it only meant to keep them warm.

[ramseycat]

The father was denied bond. Something is up here.

[Blindgreed1]

There's a dude being sentenced today for leaving his kid in the car in Phoenix while he went into the sports bar to drink and smoke weed (he confessed to both being drunk and high as part of his plea).

[HairOfTheDog]

There's some big investigation going on about this case. It almost seems like the authorities think there is more to the story than he forgot the kid in the car.

I think you're right and LE has probably gathered information indicating this might not have been an accident, as the dad claims.

Don't think LE in any state would have been successful in securing an arrest warrant on the will/intent-based charges of felony murder and cruelty to a child without there being specific indications that Cooper may not have been "accidentally" left in the car all day. So far, they've searched his office, interviewed other Home Depot employees (and those at the company's on-site daycare where Cooper was supposed to be dropped off), are continuing to interview the baby's mother...

Wonder if the Home Depot Daycare center called dad to inquire about Cooper when he wasn't dropped off, and that's why LE backed off their initial "accident" statement? Something like that would justify the current charges, for now (as would previous neglect/abuse allegations, marital/custodial problems and threats...).

Anyway, LE sure doesn't want Justin Harris released while they investigate, that's clear. I'm glad they're putting the victim, Cooper, first and thoroughly investigating. If their investigation doesn't turn up evidence to effectively counter the dad's claims of "forgetting" the child in the car, they can lower the charges. But, looks like Justin Harris is staying put at least until the next bond hearing on July 15.


-------------------------------RIP Cooper Harris