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

[ramseycat]

It's sickening. I want to smash his fat face in.

[Duchess]

Selfishly, I can't watch, it mind fucks me. It's easier to get updated here.

[ramseycat]

It's riveting and disgusting at the same time. After hearing about his sexting and sending women pics of his erect penis during work hours I want to believe he is guilty. But that only proves he is a pig. I just can't believe he forgot about his son in the three minute drive from Chick Filet to work.

[ramseycat]

The ONLY excuse I can think of is this guy was so excited to get to work and start sexting g his lady friends that he forgot his son. But it's not like he was in the car for awhile. The daycare was 2 minutes away. And he dropped him off everyday. The wife gets to daycare to pick Cooper up. They say he isn't there. She immediately jumps to Cooper was left in the car and is dead. Then when the wife talks to her husband she says did you say too much?

The defense attorney presents a good theory that the father just got distracted and forgot to go to daycare. He didn't act in an unusual manner around his friends at lunch. He let his friend drive him up his vehicle after lunch a he could throw the lightbulbs he purchased in the car. Some people just might buy it.

The lead detective testified that the vehicle had a strong odor of death and decomp. How cound the father not notice that? I am fairly certain this guy did this intentionally. But if he did forget because he was so eager to sext, then he is a fucking pig and deserves to go to prison for putti g himself before his son. But then again, who doesn't think about their child during the day? He got a group email from the daycare that afternoon, he didn't think about his son? He switched from a front facing car seat to a rear facing seat two weeks before this happened. The boy was too big for a rear facing seat so why switch? Too many things don't add up.

Judge finds there is probable cause for a trial on the charges presented.

Now they are considering bond.

[ramseycat]

Bond denied. Judge said due to the murder 1 charge and 30 year mandatory sentence and possible death penalty.

[HairOfTheDog]

It's riveting and disgusting at the same time. After hearing about his sexting and sending women pics of his erect penis during work hours I want to believe he is guilty. But that only proves he is a pig. I just can't believe he forgot about his son in the three minute drive from Chick Filet to work.

If that was the only thing (not that it's insignificant), I wouldn't be convinced of guilt/intent already. I usually wait until trial and all of the evidence from both sides to feel confident about that, and sometimes, even then, can't be sure.

But, the circumstantial evidence presented today, in its totality, is overwhelming and makes the desire to freely pursue women look like a strong possible motive.

IF Leanna has only been standing by her man and wasn't involved in Cooper's death, she'd better sit her ass down and start thinking about her dead son and her future.

P.s. How'd you like to be one of the character witnesses for Justin (or "Ross", as he goes by)? They didn't get to hear any of the evidence before they took the stand. They had some pretty surprised looks on their faces when the prosecutor cross-examined and told them about what Ross was really doing all day.

[Midwest Spy]

I hate to sound like a genius AGAIN, but I had a feeling something to do with other women would come out.

Hope he gets what's coming.

[QueenBee]

In an article I read, was going to post here, but HOTD beat me to it , they said at least one girl was underage.

[Duchess]

Can't believe I'm saying this but I might tune in to that shrew Nancy Grace and watch the show she puts on. I'd rather think about nailing her with a brick than dead babies.

Why is it that so many people kill their kids when there are other options? I always think of the people who would love to be blessed with a child to raise.

[blueberryhill]

Just read on my computer that there were 2 life insurance policies on the boy. One, I think was for $19,000 and more recently a $2,000 policy. Not really a lot of money, but why take out policy just before his death. Very strange! Some parents do kill their children for the insurance money and when someone gets insurance on a child, it should be a red flag.

[HairOfTheDog]

FYI: Since probable cause for felony murder was established today and the case is going to a grand jury, this thread was moved from the "Discussions" into LC's Cell Block.

[HairOfTheDog]

Can't believe I'm saying this but I might tune in to that shrew Nancy Grace and watch the show she puts on. I'd rather think about nailing her with a brick than dead babies.

I haven't watched Nancy in a long time. She's gonna be all over this case like white on rice! Hoping I get to catch her show tonight too.

Why is it that so many people kill their kids when there are other options? I always think of the people who would love to be blessed with a child to raise.

I think effed-up people kill their kids for all kinds of reasons, almost all of them rooted in narcissism and selfishness; they're the same kind of people who kill their spouses rather than get a divorce.

In this case, one possible motive is that Ross Harris wanted to live a lifestyle free of parental responsibilities without looking like the kind of guy who would walk away from his "little buddy" -- he's a fraud -- and without having to pay child support. If Leanna was involved, he may have convinced her that Cooper's death would save their marriage or accomplish some other "greater good" -- she doesn't seem like the brightest of gum-chompers.

If the wife was bright, whether she was involved in Cooper's death or not, she'd be wondering if she was next.

[ramseycat]

Most parents go have life insurance on their children. Usually to cover funeral costs in the case of the worst happening. A lot of people get it thru their employers as well.

I hate this guy. Even if by some slim chance he really did forget his son, he's guilty. He was too caught up on his sexting to think about his child.

It was good when the prosecutor said who throws light bulbs? The defense was trying to say the father just opened the car door and threw the bulbs in without leaning in. The prosecutor is blowing holes in the defense.

[HairOfTheDog]

The $2,000 life insurance policy on Cooper was through work. The $25,000 policy was purchased in Nov. 2012. No way to know how long Harris was thinking of killing his son. But, if he'd purchased it closer to Cooper's death, it would be more of a smoking gun, I agree.

For me, the smoking gun from today's hearing was the decomp stench that was present in that car (of course, that was a smoking gun for everyone but the jury in the Casey Anthony case too). It would have been around 115 degrees in his car and the baby would have been dead for at least 5 hours before Justin Ross Harris drove away from work that day. There is no way possible that he could not have smelled the decomp (unless his nose, like his one ear, is dysfunctional).

LE doesn't think this was a death of negligence; they think it was a death of malice. But, it was smart of the DA to drop the cruelty charge down to negligence before the hearing so they didn't have to show as much of their hand to meet the burden for probable cause.

I'm curious as to whether the family had a dog. Harris reportedly watched a video of dogs dying in a hot car, twice. But, the defense didn't try to explain that away by claiming that he researched it because he was concerned that his dog might die in a hot car.

And, I really wanna know more about the wife.

[Duchess]

I watched a little of Nancy Grace. I feel like the wife was aware of what was going down and that she was part of it. I don't understand why she would immediately jump to the conclusion that Cooper had been left in the car when she was told he wasn't at daycare. It reminded me of Maytee thinking Johnny was dead when he didn't answer his phone.

The father visited a website catering to child free living or something to that effect. I also thought it strange that he would want to watch people dying which is what he did on another website.

These are not intelligent people, not by any stretch of the imagination. I think it's only a matter of time before we see news of the wife being arrested.

[ramseycat]

I agree Duchess. The wife standing by her man is odd to be too. Especially after what we heard about his activities yesterday. I feel sorry for their families. In addition to losing Cooper, all this embarrassing stuff is coming out. Insult up injury.

[Duchess]

This is neither here nor there but I cringed to see her chewing gum.

[ramseycat]

That's pretty tacky in court.

[HairOfTheDog]

This time line is also in a new sticky thread for the case, at the top of LC's Crime Block, for future reference.

TIME LINE OF EVENTS SURROUNDING THE DEATH OF COOPER HARRIS

June 18^th 2014

7:15 a.m.: Leanna Harris, mother of victim Cooper and wife of suspect Ross, leaves the family’s rented Marietta-area condo for business. She is a dietician.

8:30 a.m.: Ross and Cooper Harris leave the condo and head to Chick-fil-A for breakfast.

8:55 a.m.: After eating, Harris puts the 22-month-old into his rear-facing car seat in the middle of the backseat of his 2011 Hyundai Tucson. In later police interviews, Harris tells investigators that he kissed his son and told him “daddy loves you” when he placed him in the car seat, in case they got into a car accident and Cooper died.

Police indicate that the boy had outgrown the car seat and his head was only six inches from his fathers and protruding between the driver and passenger seats.

Harris then drives less than a mile (under 3 minute drive) to the “Treehouse” Home Depot office, where he works. His son’s daycare center, where he was supposed to drop off Cooper as part of the daily routine, was about 2 miles away at corporate headquarters. (Harris later claims he forgot about Cooper this particular day because the boy fell asleep.).

9:00 a.m.: Harris backs into a parking spot, requiring him to turn around and use his mirrors to look behind him. He grabs his briefcase from the backseat near Cooper. Harris goes in to work, leaving Cooper in the backseat.

Lunchtime: Harris goes to lunch at Publix with two colleagues/friends, James Alex Hall and Winston Milng. He purchases vanity light bulbs at Home Depot during this lunch break. Upon returning to the office building, Harris asks Miling (the driver) to stop in the parking lot near his SUV. Harris quickly opens the vehicle door and tosses the light bulbs inside (where Cooper Harris has now been sweltering in temperatures over 110F for several hours).

1:30 p.m.: Harris receives an email from a group leader at Cooper’s Home Depot corporate daycare center – the Little Apron (HOTD: not clear as of 7/3/14 whether the email was read or what it was about).

3:16 p.m.: Harris claims that he texted his wife, “when are you going to get my buddy?” (HOTD: As of 7/3/14, police have no record of that text.)

4:00 p.m. approx.: Harris receives a phone call from his wife, Leanna. He's misses it, he calls her back and she misses it, and he calls her a third time and actually gets through to her. And they have about a minute -- little over a minute phone call, phone conversation.

4:16 p.m.: Harris leaves his office, located at 2600 Cumberland Blvd., near Smyrna and Cumberland Mall. He had made plans to meet his friends for a 5 p.m. movie at a theater approximately 10 minutes from his office.

4:23 p.m.: Harris turns onto Akers Mill Road and makes a right turn into the parking lot of a shopping center. He then makes an abrupt right turn, stops the SUV and quickly gets out, leaving the driver’s side door open as he gets his son out of the car.

4:24 p.m.: Witnesses at the shopping center watch as a Harris apparently tries to revive the boy, whose color is off and doesn’t appear to be breathing. Harris is screaming “What have I done? What have I done?” as bystanders start CPR on the boy, who is on the ground of the parking lot. Cooper’s lifeless body is still in a sitting position, witnesses said. Police, already patrolling the area, and firefighters, arrive at the scene within seconds of a 911 call placed by someone at the scene.

Police officers ask Harris to get off of his cell phone. Harris tells one to “shut up” and tells another “fuck you”. He is cuffed and placed into police custody in the police car.

Harris’ phone records show during this time, he tried to reach his wife and someone at his Home Depot office, then called the Home Depot's daycare where Cooper attended and was on the line for 6 minutes (HOTD: edited for clarity 7/6/14).

4:51 p.m.: Leanna Harris arrives at the daycare center to pick up Cooper. She was told that Cooper never came in that day. According to police, her first words to daycare workers were: "Ross must have left him in the car." When a daycare worker told Leanna Harris there were a "million" other reasons why Cooper never showed up, Leanna Harris immediately said, "No." She didn't show any emotion, police said, but did say it was her "worst nightmare."

Police said she never asked to see Cooper, but did ask to see her husband. She called her mother, who screamed and cried loudly and asked Leanna Harris why she wasn't crying. Leanna Harris' reply was, "I must be in shock."

4:58 p.m.: Cobb County police spokesman Officer Mike Bowman confirms to the press that Cooper Harris, 22 months, has been pronounced dead.

5:45 p.m.: Just steps away from the little boy’s body, Sgt. Dana Pierce tells reporters Harris told police he went to work, worked 7 hours, then left work and realized he had forgotten to take the child to daycare.

Between 5:45 p.m. and 10 p.m.: Justin Ross Harris is questioned by police. He reportedly uses “cop talk” in his communications – he previously worked as a police dispatcher. Leanna Harris is allowed to visit her husband; police observe and listen in. Neither parent is emotional, according to police (who have videotapes). Ross Harris is reportedly focused on how his arrest might affect his life and his job. Leanna Harris never asks to see her son.

10 p.m.: Justin Ross Harris is arrested and charged with first degree child cruelty and felony murder*. He reportedly asks police how he can be charged when there was no “malicious intent”. Harris is booked into the Cobb County jail.

*Prior to the probable cause hearing of July 3^rd 2014, charges were changed to gross negligence and felony murder. At the hearing, the judge ruled that probable cause existed, denied Harris bond, and commented that this could ultimately become a death penalty case.

<Sources: HOTD compilation -- media reports, warrants, probable cause hearing testimony.>

Edit: 7/6/14 added 4 p.m. phone call -- confirmed via probable cause hearing transcript.

[Midwest Spy]

To think that this pig went through his day knowing his son, his child who loved, trusted and depended on him, was being slowly cooked to death, gives me such a nauseating feeling.

He could have pulled the plug on his plan many, many times that morning, but chose not to.

There are times when special circumstances require that we, the citizens of this country, mete out punishment to truly fit the crime.

This is one of those times.