GA - Suspicion over heat death of Cooper, 22 mo., Cobb County, June 2014, #1

[CrazytownUSA]

A lot of the comments have lead the public to believe foul play is involved then they turn around and say its an on going investigation.

I will say for me personally, I never considered foul play until the charge became felony murder. Prior to that, I honestly thought it was exactly how initially reported.

 

[Judicious1]

Thank you so much. I had not heard of these before. This puts it in better perspective for me.

No problem. All these stories were on kidsandcars.org. Its a tough site to read through FYI

 

[CHICANA]

I'm just curious. Have any of you ever heard of someone getting in their car and driving away before they discover a child in the backseat dead? I don't think I've ever heard that before. I personally have only heard of cases where it's discovered at the time the parent returns to the car after work etc or a passerby discovers it.

Even if it was a van with two back seats and the child was in the last seat I would notice it and I'm pretty absent minded. However I always make it a point to look in my car before I get in anyway.

Strange, this situation is strange to me.

My area...

http://www.kshb.com/news/region-mis...-car-dies-how-this-could-happen-to-any-parent

 

[Judicious1]

IF this child was in the car when Dad arrived at work- he would certainly have succumbed by noon. Right?

Now, from my experience as an RN- I know that when persons die, their bladder and bowels empty involuntarily most of the time- esp. if this child is sitting upright- gravity just takes over. (Sorry to be so blunt- I'm trying to make a point)

Next, imagine the smell of just a single wet diaper left in a car for seven or eight hours on a blisteringly hot day.

And yet, we are to believe he drove TWO MILES before 'noticing' anything?

Preposterous!

I thought about this also. I have a newborn and some of those diapers are rank after a couple of minutes. Depending on the age and health of a child they say death can over take them in as little as 30 mins. That being said, as I stated up thread, some of the parents who did the same thing drove all the way home or to the daycare and didn't smell anything so it wouldn't be the first time.

 

[Judicious1]

I will say for me personally, I never considered foul play until the charge became felony murder. Prior to that, I honestly thought it was exactly how initially reported.

Agreed! And I'm still surprised it happened as fast as it did and before the COD was determined. How can you charge someone for murder without knowing that? I you don't always need a body to charge but in this case they do but why the rush....

 

[CrazytownUSA]

We also don't know what made him leave work at that time. Maybe he was under the weather? He didnt look as clean shaven in the mugshot as he did in other pictures. Clearly he was off his game if he did in fact leave the child in the car. The mother typically picked Cooper up. She worked part time. He might just have been thinking I want to get home to my bed. You just never know. Its hard to speculate given the little facts we have. What I cling to is the fact that not one bad thing can be found in this man's past. They even said that on HLN. Nothing in his past and friends and family have nothing but glowing statements about both he and his wife.

I know, and I hope they are wrong. A story unfolded here this morning... a day care had been operating in the home of a convicted sex offender. Turned out, it was a child *advertiser censored* operation. One of the individuals arrested is VERY well known in the area... a tech for a well known local band, plays in the local church band, very active in the church community... every post on Facebook is about his faith in Christ... everyone is SHOCKED and saying the same things I am hearing echoed about this man (Ross). He led the life of a simple Christian man, and he was having sex with children, on tape. We live in a sick world, a world where you truly don't know who you are dealing with on a day to day basis. Like I said, I HOPE that the police are mistaken, and I hope it turns out he didn't do this on purpose, or kill that baby intentionally... I do hope they are wrong.

 

[gngr~snap]

No telling what they found at his office. What if it was a note?
Perhaps he had another plan and couldn't do it.
I'm not sure I want to know! For someone on the force that long... it had to be BAD.
I know the area where they family lived. It's off the same road as my in-laws. Actually about 2 miles IF that. I read somewhere that they had moved in 2 months ago.
I need to find that article. It didn't jive with what the landlord said.

moo

All posts are my opinion only. Sent via Tapatalk

 

[newone]

No telling what they found at his office. What if it was a note?
Perhaps he had another plan and couldn't do it.
I'm not sure I want to know! For someone on the force that long... it had to be BAD.
I know the area where they family lived. It's off the same road as my in-laws. Actually about 2 miles IF that. I read somewhere that they had moved in 2 months ago.
I need to find that article. It didn't jive with what the landlord said.

moo

All posts are my opinion only. Sent via Tapatalk

I was wondering if it was his phone log.......

Like many may only have cell phone at home.

 

[gngr~snap]

Which is it? Two years ago or
recently? Is two years recent?

"The Harris family moved to their condo two years ago from Alabama, when Harris got his job at Home Depot. It rests in a neighborhood filled with crisp taupe and white garden-style units built in the early 1980s, perfect for professional singles and young couples starting a family."

http://mdjonline.com/view/full_stor...d-in-toddler-son-s-death?instance=home_viewed
-----------------------
"He and his wife, Leanna Harris, live in a condominium complex called Wynne’s Ridge near Delk Road."

"S R, the property’s manager, said he believed the couple had recently moved in to their condo, which they were renting."


http://hosted2.ap.org/RIPRJ/3762489...014-06-19/id-740442b2c6408699d4eec51eef816280

I actually had friends in high school that lived in these condos. Most with a divorced parent.
It was brand new back then!


All posts are my opinion only. Sent via Tapatalk

 

[rob]

No telling what they found at his office. What if it was a note?
Perhaps he had another plan and couldn't do it.
I'm not sure I want to know! For someone on the force that long... it had to be BAD.
I know the area where they family lived. It's off the same road as my in-laws. Actually about 2 miles IF that. I read somewhere that they had moved in 2 months ago.
I need to find that article. It didn't jive with what the landlord said.

moo

All posts are my opinion only. Sent via Tapatalk

Maybe he was googling other cases like this, maybe he had just bought a large life ins policy on the child, maybe, maybe, maybe, I just feel they found something to cause them to act so quickly and arrest him.

 

[murphy3k]

No telling what they found at his office. What if it was a note?
Perhaps he had another plan and couldn't do it.
I'm not sure I want to know! For someone on the force that long... it had to be BAD.
I know the area where they family lived. It's off the same road as my in-laws. Actually about 2 miles IF that. I read somewhere that they had moved in 2 months ago.
I need to find that article. It didn't jive with what the landlord said.

moo

All posts are my opinion only. Sent via Tapatalk

I was thinking along the lines of something found on his computer at work. Maybe a search dealing with the manner of death? Or whether he could be criminally charged if the child was found deceased due to being left in a hot vehicle? JMO.

 

[*LD*]

Agreed! And I'm still surprised it happened as fast as it did and before the COD was determined. How can you charge someone for murder without knowing that? I you don't always need a body to charge but in this case they do but why the rush....

'

Maybe the appearance of the body told police that the boy did not die in that car in last 7 hours. I feel like they immediately knew that something was off to start questioning and obtain a search warrant for his office.

 

[CClark]

I hope I am on topic (first post)
Cobb County is the only county of 159 in GA that do not have a coroner or a certified ME. Brian Frist, the current ME is embattled , to say the least. That may
Explain why he is being so careful. His job is on the line. The County Commissioners were scheduled to vote on firing him (or not) in July. Not sure if I am allowed to post a link here to the background site, but will post if allowed.

Basically, he has made mistakes and high-profile cases before. Mistakes that cost lives.

 

[chlban]

IF this child was in the car when Dad arrived at work- he would certainly have succumbed by noon. Right?

Now, from my experience as an RN- I know that when persons die, their bladder and bowels empty involuntarily most of the time- esp. if this child is sitting upright- gravity just takes over. (Sorry to be so blunt- I'm trying to make a point)

Next, imagine the smell of just a single wet diaper left in a car for seven or eight hours on a blisteringly hot day.

And yet, we are to believe he drove TWO MILES before 'noticing' anything?

Preposterous!

I was thinking along these same lines, if in less detail. It would seem to me that even if all the rest of the story tracks, the driving two miles without noticing is really hard to believe. In fact, getting into your car without noticing a child in the back seat is just not believable to me.

I also find it hard to believe no one in the parking lot noticed the child but I guess that is possible.

 

[momshrink]

I hope I am on topic (first post)
Cobb County is the only county of 159 in GA that do not have a coroner or a certified ME. Brian Frist, the current ME is embattled , to say the least. That may
Explain why he is being so careful. His job is on the line. The County Commissioners were scheduled to vote on firing him (or not) in July. Not sure if I am allowed to post a link here to the background site, but will post if allowed.

Basically, he has made mistakes and high-profile cases before. Mistakes that cost lives.

:welcome6::welcome6:

 

[CClark]

http://www.cobbme.com/home.html

Or, just search his name (Brian Frist) and "Cobb county" for all the recent articles on him.
I am glad that he is taking his time and discussing with the PD.
If he comes back with "accident" charges will be dropped. I don't care one way or the other, I just want it to be accurate. accurate not exactly his specialty.

 

[Judicious1]

I know, and I hope they are wrong. A story unfolded here this morning... a day care had been operating in the home of a convicted sex offender. Turned out, it was a child *advertiser censored* operation. One of the individuals arrested is VERY well known in the area... a tech for a well known local band, plays in the local church band, very active in the church community... every post on Facebook is about his faith in Christ... everyone is SHOCKED and saying the same things I am hearing echoed about this man (Ross). He led the life of a simple Christian man, and he was having sex with children, on tape. We live in a sick world, a world where you truly don't know who you are dealing with on a day to day basis. Like I said, I HOPE that the police are mistaken, and I hope it turns out he didn't do this on purpose, or kill that baby intentionally... I do hope they are wrong.

.

Yikes, that's awful!! Crazy it took so long to realize it was a home of a
Reg sex offender! I get what you are saying I really do. We never know how people are in private. I agree some stuff doesn't add up currently I just also think how could it when we don't have all the information. Just don't want to rush to judgement until I have more info. On one hand if his was a cover up because something else happened to the child I would think an educated man like this would know an autopsy would be preformed and any other cause of death discovered. Are we also then to assume the wife had previous knowledge? Just seems odd that no one who works with the couple has come forward and said anything about their demeanor that day while at work.

 

[Judicious1]

http://www.cobbme.com/home.html

Or, just search his name (Brian Frist) and "Cobb county" for all the recent articles on him.
I am glad that he is taking his time and discussing with the PD.
If he comes back with "accident" charges will be dropped. I don't care one way or the other, I just want it to be accurate. accurate not exactly his specialty.

Great... Well hopefully this guy can get it right this time around. If he is let go could the autopsy be thrown out at trial? If this was my child I would hire a private medical examiner for second opinion.

I would think if there were any dangerous looking bruises on Cooper the teacher would have noticed the day before. Toxicology wasn't in (and still isn't available ) so that couldn't have lead to the arrest. I'm not 100% sure if the heat increases the rate of decomposition process but I believe I read in a previous case that it does. I'm thinking they may have arrested this father based solely on what was found at his office or on his person. They didnt wait long enough for the ME report or questions. He was arrested in the early hours the following day. I can't imagine and IT guy left incriminating evidence on his work computer especially if this was planned. So much doesn't add up for both scenarios.

 

[Judicious1]

New article from our Atlanta paper.

http://m.ajc.com/news/news/breaking-news/cops-cobb-toddlers-death-investigation-continues-t/ngRfn/

Doesn't say much but confirms some of the issues discussed here. He is IT for Home Depot etc

 

[LayzeeDayzee]

But DNA does not prevent a COD/ autopsy result from being completed.

But pending tox reports don't necessarily have to delay a COD determination either. If the COD is very clearly due to an injury or trauma to the body (eg: cerebral hemorrhage due to blunt force trauma to head, etc), then the ME can still state this even of tox results pending.