Georgia toddler dies in hot car, father to be charged with murder

[RavenSky]

On the morning of June 18, Cooper and his father stopped for breakfast at a Chick-fil-A restaurant near his office in suburban Atlanta. Afterward, Harris put his son into the rear-facing car seat for the half-mile drive to the office. Instead of taking Cooper inside to the day care at his office, police say Harris left the boy strapped into his car seat and went inside to work.

According to police, he came out and opened the driver side door and put something inside at lunchtime. He left the office at 4:16 p.m., stopping a few miles later in a shopping center parking lot, where he called for help, screaming, "What have I done?"

http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/28/us/georgia-toddler-death-questions/index.html

In a lot of these types of cases, I can understand how it might have happened and think that the loss of their child is punishment enough for the accidental death. This case is pinging my suspicions though, even without the Internet searches prior.

First red flag to me is that he took his son to breakfast first. In every other case I've read about, the parent is usually half-asleep and/or distracted. The fact that this father stopped and had breakfast first indicates, to me, a greater level of alertness than usual

Second red flag is that the child's day care is on-site at the Father's workplace. This suggests a routine of the father taking the boy to day care. It suggests a routine of taking the child out of the car in the office parking lot. In every other case, a contributing cause was a change of routine. Dad normally doesn't take the child to day care, or mom had to make an extra stop on her way to work. In no case that I've heard of was the child's day care at the same site as the parent's office. If this Father's normal routine was to take his son to his own office complex, I have a harder time believing that he forgot.

Third red flag, the father went out to the car at lunch-time. He claims he didn't see his son, and perhaps that is possible, but he had to see the car seat. Even assuming the child wasn't conscious and making noise, if the father truly forgot it seems to me that the sight of the car seat would have triggered some sort of recall.

ETA: one of the people in the comments section brough up an excellent red flag that I over-looked - why didn't the father try to pick up his son at the day care on his way out of the office building?

 

[Loren Pechtel]

On the morning of June 18, Cooper and his father stopped for breakfast at a Chick-fil-A restaurant near his office in suburban Atlanta. Afterward, Harris put his son into the rear-facing car seat for the half-mile drive to the office. Instead of taking Cooper inside to the day care at his office, police say Harris left the boy strapped into his car seat and went inside to work.

According to police, he came out and opened the driver side door and put something inside at lunchtime. He left the office at 4:16 p.m., stopping a few miles later in a shopping center parking lot, where he called for help, screaming, "What have I done?"

http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/28/us/georgia-toddler-death-questions/index.html

In a lot of these types of cases, I can understand how it might have happened and think that the loss of their child is punishment enough for the accidental death. This case is pinging my suspicions though, even without the Internet searches prior.

First red flag to me is that he took his son to breakfast first. In every other case I've read about, the parent is usually half-asleep and/or distracted. The fact that this father stopped and had breakfast first indicates, to me, a greater level of alertness than usual

Second red flag is that the child's day care is on-site at the Father's workplace. This suggests a routine of the father taking the boy to day care. It suggests a routine of taking the child out of the car in the office parking lot. In every other case, a contributing cause was a change of routine. Dad normally doesn't take the child to day care, or mom had to make an extra stop on her way to work. In no case that I've heard of was the child's day care at the same site as the parent's office. If this Father's normal routine was to take his son to his own office complex, I have a harder time believing that he forgot.

Third red flag, the father went out to the car at lunch-time. He claims he didn't see his son, and perhaps that is possible, but he had to see the car seat. Even assuming the child wasn't conscious and making noise, if the father truly forgot it seems to me that the sight of the car seat would have triggered some sort of recall.

ETA: one of the people in the comments section brough up an excellent red flag that I over-looked - why didn't the father try to pick up his son at the day care on his way out of the office building?

Another red flag: The real cases almost always involve the disruption of routine. The person leaving the kid in the car mistakenly followed their normal routine when something was different that day. (Say, she normally takes the kid to day care. She's away on a business trip, he does it--but then drives to work instead of the day care.)

 

[Playball40]

On the morning of June 18, Cooper and his father stopped for breakfast at a Chick-fil-A restaurant near his office in suburban Atlanta. Afterward, Harris put his son into the rear-facing car seat for the half-mile drive to the office. Instead of taking Cooper inside to the day care at his office, police say Harris left the boy strapped into his car seat and went inside to work.

According to police, he came out and opened the driver side door and put something inside at lunchtime. He left the office at 4:16 p.m., stopping a few miles later in a shopping center parking lot, where he called for help, screaming, "What have I done?"

http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/28/us/georgia-toddler-death-questions/index.html

In a lot of these types of cases, I can understand how it might have happened and think that the loss of their child is punishment enough for the accidental death. This case is pinging my suspicions though, even without the Internet searches prior.

First red flag to me is that he took his son to breakfast first. In every other case I've read about, the parent is usually half-asleep and/or distracted. The fact that this father stopped and had breakfast first indicates, to me, a greater level of alertness than usual

Second red flag is that the child's day care is on-site at the Father's workplace. This suggests a routine of the father taking the boy to day care. It suggests a routine of taking the child out of the car in the office parking lot. In every other case, a contributing cause was a change of routine. Dad normally doesn't take the child to day care, or mom had to make an extra stop on her way to work. In no case that I've heard of was the child's day care at the same site as the parent's office. If this Father's normal routine was to take his son to his own office complex, I have a harder time believing that he forgot.

Third red flag, the father went out to the car at lunch-time. He claims he didn't see his son, and perhaps that is possible, but he had to see the car seat. Even assuming the child wasn't conscious and making noise, if the father truly forgot it seems to me that the sight of the car seat would have triggered some sort of recall.

ETA: one of the people in the comments section brough up an excellent red flag that I over-looked - why didn't the father try to pick up his son at the day care on his way out of the office building?

I agree with your thoughts. But, damn, what a horrific way to murder your child. It's beyond comprehension.

 

[GenesisNemesis]

Another reason to hate Chick-fil-A.

 

[Celldweller]

4th red flag- both the mother and father had been researching "temperature at which a child may die if left in a car" (or some such variation) prior to their son's death.

 

[Celldweller]

ATLANTA - The father of a Georgia toddler who died in a hot SUV told authorities that he did an online search about children dying in vehicles because he was afraid it could happen.

Justin Ross Harris faces charges of murder and second-degree child cruelty in 22-month-old Cooper Harris' death.

Search warrants released Saturday by Cobb County Police Department say Harris told police that he researched what temperature can cause a child's death in a car.

The warrants say police were looking for a laptop, electronic devices and evidence of child neglect or abuse at the family's Marietta home. Harris' phone and car were included.

http://http://www.cbsnews.com/news/dad-who-left-tot-in-back-seat-researched-heat-deaths/

 

[braces_for_impact]

His wife did similar searches, and there was a search for how to survive prison. Also, he recently visited a subreddit called "Child free". They had financial troubles, and 2 (small) life insurance policies on the little boy. I think he and his wife decided to do this together. I can't even imagine...

 

[Rhea]

I can't imagine either. So many people would adopt. Maybe even pay them as much as that policy were for.

 

[credoconsolans]

Sick fucks some people are.

 

[Angry Floof]

My first thought on hearing about this was, "An honest mistake with tragic consequences." But that was before reading about the web searches, the reddit group, the questionable behavior at the scene when he cried for help, the life insurance polices, and the mother going to the daycare and somehow "knowing" why her child was not there.

If they are indeed innocent, it looks like it will be pretty damn hard to prove.

 

[Underseer]

Another reason to hate Chick-fil-A.

Well, they do tend to attract "family values" types, which could explain this.

- - - Updated - - -

His wife did similar searches, and there was a search for how to survive prison. Also, he recently visited a subreddit called "Child free". They had financial troubles, and 2 (small) life insurance policies on the little boy. I think he and his wife decided to do this together. I can't even imagine...

Source?

If this is valid, I have nothing but hatred for this couple. To kill an infant for the life insurance money because you're in a bind is something I simply can't wrap my head around.

 

[beero1000]

Well, they do tend to attract "family values" types, which could explain this.

- - - Updated - - -

His wife did similar searches, and there was a search for how to survive prison. Also, he recently visited a subreddit called "Child free". They had financial troubles, and 2 (small) life insurance policies on the little boy. I think he and his wife decided to do this together. I can't even imagine...

Source?

If this is valid, I have nothing but hatred for this couple. To kill an infant for the life insurance money because you're in a bind is something I simply can't wrap my head around.

The detective on the case is quoted on CNN as saying they had two policies, one for $2000 and one for $25000. The parents are looking more and more like scum.

 

[RavenSky]

...and the mother going to the daycare and somehow "knowing" why her child was not there.

Where did you read this? Through the afternoon I heard everything that Braces mentioned, plus that the father was sexting with two or three other women (including a 17-year old). That, combined with an off-hand comment by the wife about the husband being the "leader" in their home had me thinking she was trying to cover for her husband regarding the Internet searches and was really clueless as to everything.

But if she went to the daycare as part of a cover-up, I may have to change my opinion.

 

[Angry Floof]

...and the mother going to the daycare and somehow "knowing" why her child was not there.

Where did you read this? Through the afternoon I heard everything that Braces mentioned, plus that the father was sexting with two or three other women (including a 17-year old). That, combined with an off-hand comment by the wife about the husband being the "leader" in their home had me thinking she was trying to cover for her husband regarding the Internet searches and was really clueless as to everything.

But if she went to the daycare as part of a cover-up, I may have to change my opinion.

http://gawker.com/hot-car-dad-sexte..._source=gawker_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

When Leanna Harris went to pick up her son from daycare, she was told he had never been dropped off, and seemed to immediately realize what had happened.

"Ross must have left him in the car," she replied, according to Stoddard. Witnesses said they tried to tell her many other things could have happened, but Leanna Harris insisted that Ross Harris must have left him in the car, Stoddard said.

 

[bilby]

My first thought on hearing about this was, "An honest mistake with tragic consequences." But that was before reading about the web searches, the reddit group, the questionable behavior at the scene when he cried for help, the life insurance polices, and the mother going to the daycare and somehow "knowing" why her child was not there.

If they are indeed innocent, it looks like it will be pretty damn hard to prove.

If they are innocent, they don't have to prove anything. It is up to the prosecutor to prove that they are guilty. Which, if the evidence presented in this thread is substantiated, should not be very hard to do.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Wow. I wish criminals were smarter and realize that their ridiculous plan is not only malicious, but they couldn't possibly get away with it.

Who the fuck searches to find out the fatal temperature in a car. Now, perhaps you hear from someone that leaving a child in the car when it is 50 or 60 out can be dangerous, so this piques your interest. But in the summer? There are so many red flags in this story with virtually no investigation, that I swear we are out in a mine field.

No punishment is good enough for these two people.

 

[Angry Floof]

My first thought on hearing about this was, "An honest mistake with tragic consequences." But that was before reading about the web searches, the reddit group, the questionable behavior at the scene when he cried for help, the life insurance polices, and the mother going to the daycare and somehow "knowing" why her child was not there.

If they are indeed innocent, it looks like it will be pretty damn hard to prove.

If they are innocent, they don't have to prove anything. It is up to the prosecutor to prove that they are guilty. Which, if the evidence presented in this thread is substantiated, should not be very hard to do.

Good point. I meant that if all this is true, it will be a miracle if they manage to avoid prison.

 

[Derec]

Where did you read this? Through the afternoon I heard everything that Braces mentioned, plus that the father was sexting with two or three other women (including a 17-year old).

Why should that matter? It serves only one purpose - to inflame the public, the judge and the jury (both grand and petit) against him. Therefore it is prejudicial and not probative and should not have been allowed in the hearing. As far as his guilt (which seems very likely given what we know so far) it does not matter if he was sexting or praying in his local Southern Baptist church while his son was roasting.

The fact that one of the girls is 17 does not matter either as age of consent is 16 in Georgia anyway. Also I don't think she was a prisoner either.

 

[Arctish]

Evidence of the father sexting women at work is directly related to the crime. It goes to motive.

Also, the judge at the hearing cited another red flag:

"For him to enter the car ... when the child had been dead and rigor mortis had set in, and the testimony is the stench in the car was overwhelming at that point in time, that he -- in spite of that -- got in the car and drove it for some distance before he took any action to check on the welfare of his child, I find there is probable cause for the two charges contained in the warrant," Cox told a packed courtroom.

 

[braces_for_impact]

Well, they do tend to attract "family values" types, which could explain this.

- - - Updated - - -



Source?

If this is valid, I have nothing but hatred for this couple. To kill an infant for the life insurance money because you're in a bind is something I simply can't wrap my head around.

The detective on the case is quoted on CNN as saying they had two policies, one for $2000 and one for $25000. The parents are looking more and more like scum.

Yes, it was CNN.