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

[blue22]

Daycare is onsite at one HD local but he worked in a different satilite office so he would have had to stop, park and drop Cooper then get back in his car. Drive a short distance and park to go into work. I feel this fact has gotten lost in the shuffle. I've read it reported both ways

Yes, thank you! I had read that it was onsite daycare provided by home depot.
I wonder which one we can trust to be true?

 

[CrazytownUSA]

I had read that it's daycare providing by his work, is what I mean by "onsite." Is that wrong? I read that a few days ago, so the information could be updated by now.

No, it is provided by Home Depot, he just didn't work at the location that has it onsite, he worked up the road apparently...

This information however, was provided in the comments section of the article I posted yesterday. So I don't know it to be a fact.

 

[tiredblondy]

Here is a map that I created so that we can see the locations in a better view.

It is incredible that this all took place in such a small area.

So sad.

Justin Harris Route

Sorry if this has been explained but where is the Daycare Center located? Thanks in advance. I don't know if the name and location has been published.

Daycare is Not at his office...it's in the map above...called Home Depot Treehouse... I can't find the article that the info was in but it was one of the first few articles.

 

[LisaB]

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

No, but if they are looking for a "motive" and the child turns out to be another man's, they'd have another reason to suspect the purported "Dad".

 

[x_files]

BBM. I have done that. I saw a puppy in a parked car at a local grocery store and it was 90 degrees outside. I called 911, got my flashlight out of my car and smashed the window. (furthest away from the pup). He was extremely lethargic and close to death. I wasn't waiting for anyone.

LE had the store page the owner of the car (license plate) and when he came outside he wanted ME charged with vandalism. LE laughed and cuffed him.

The pup was saved and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Thank god! I was told you CANNOT break in another person's car even to save an animal or child. What bad advice I was given.

 

[Oblio]

I wonder which side of the back seat the child's car seat was? It would seem logical to me, given that Dad is a bigger guy, that child's rear-facing seat would be on the passenger side.......so that Dad could move his seat back further (more room) and easier reach-access to the child by whomever in the driver's seat. Are there any pics or confirmations from LE re: which side car seat was situated in?

I don't know the make and model of the vehicle involved, but I would think the child was in the center. Especially if he was a youngest or only child. People generally try to put babies in the center. With my oldest I drove a compact car, had him in the center, and one of the largest seats on the market at the time(britax marathon). My seat went all the way back just fine.

 

[CrazytownUSA]

Thank god! I was told you CANNOT break in another person's car even to save an animal or child. What bad advice I was given.

I guess it depends on the state you are in. Here in NC a law was recently passed allowing law enforcement and rescue workers to break windows for pets that were in hot cars (I'm pretty sure same goes for children), but I don't think a civilian would be free of facing any charges the car owner brought against them. However, I don't care about facing charges... I keep a nice device in my car for that very reason. If it comes down to me being sued or arrested to save the life of a child or pet, I will choose life every time.

 

[gngr~snap]

We don't know if he did in fact have a BM, though, and it isn't obvious that Harris got inside the car.

I'm not trying to be argumentative or petty here. I don't think a 22 month old's BM would be overpowering - especially if you have a toddler and would be relatively desensitized to it.

Who knows what his car smells like to begin with.

I know everyone says well he SHOULD have been able to know this, but I think it's quite possible that he didn't, "shoulds" aside.

From working in the "toddler room" as a teenager for several summers, and being a peds nurse 18+ years, I am pretty sure every single almost 2 yr old has a dirty diaper every single morning. Many of them showed up in the morning at daycare with a dirty diaper.
As a nurse just walking into the waiting room, I knew if someone was sitting in there in stinky pants.
From the time dad left the house and took the baby to Chik-Fila feeds him breakfast, puts baby back in the car and heads to work. (We know he didn't change him when he got to work...) chances are he was already soiled.

Unless he changed the boy at breakfast.
IMO dirty diaper is almost certain, but not 100%.
I am sure that they made note of it at the scene and at the autopsy. They will also know if the child was put in a fresh diaper after waking that morning. I am curious if the baby was dressed or still in his pj's.
We had many parents that brought the kids to daycare in their pj's and we would dress them after breakfast, but breakfast was at 7:00am.


***
(My first time viewing an autopsy in nursing school was a 9 month old boy.)
It was noted approximately how long the diaper had been on the child prior to his death.
It was obvious that the baby I saw hadn't been changed for a very long time prior to his death.

Jmo and wondering about that baby's morning.

All posts are my opinion only. Sent via Tapatalk

 

[JeannaT]

I guess it depends on the state you are in. Here in NC a law was recently passed allowing law enforcement and rescue workers to break windows for pets that were in hot cars (I'm pretty sure same goes for children), but I don't think a civilian would be free of facing any charges the car owner brought against them. However, I don't care about facing charges... I keep a nice device in my car for that very reason. If it comes down to me being sued or arrested to save the life of a child or pet, I will choose life every time.

My guess is, a person who left a child in a hot car with the windows rolled up would face charges - and I guess could attempt to sue in small claims court for the cost of the windows but I don't think that would go far.

 

[JLSChook]

Yes, I was looking for an approx area - do you have one? Thanks!

All I can find is

Harris, his wife and toddler were renting a condo off Terrell Mill Road

 

[LisaB]

Thank you. Informative link. It says that infants and young children often don't display rigor mortis, which I found interesting. But it sounds like there are distinct stages and patterns to rigor mortis, so that probably would be very helpful for forensic investigators to determine the time of death and also possibly the location of death (i.e. if the body had been moved).

The witnesses claimed the boy was soaked with sweat, looking as if he had been pulled from a swimming pool. This implies that he DID die in the car of the heat. I know heat produces lethargy and he may NOT have put up a fuss, even if anyone passed by the vehicle. But to suggest he was dead when placed in the car that morning is inconsistent with him still being damp with perspiration.

 

[blue22]

I am actually sitting in my car waiting for the rain to suside. Do we know how tall he is? I am quite short (Probably 5 foot 2) and as I walked to the front seat and opened the car, I could see my nephew. I would think that would be easier for a taller person.

By the way, the warrant says he has a 2011 Hyundai Tucson. I have a 2012

 

[LayzeeDayzee]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifes...e0fe3a-f580-11e3-a3a5-42be35962a52_story.html

I guess it does happen to others who have had the same thing happen.

I really think that even with a full diaper, if the child is fully clothed, totally still and in a carseat it's not going to produce the odor you think it would.

When we're done changing a diaper, we wrap it up and tape it shut with the diaper tape, once the room clears, there is again no odor coming from the diaper.

Just because it sadly does happen to an unbiased, broad scope of parents doesn't make it any more acceptable/understandable/forgivable or less negligent. How would the stats compare to 25 yrs ago? Is this sadly a byproduct of a more materialistic society in which there are less families with stay at home moms, opting instead to be dual-parent working families out of choice *or* necessity due to a greater desire to keep up with the Jones.........to be able to afford the fancy house, the fancy vehicles, the summer cottage, the high-end home furnishings and designer decor?..........at the expense of children who therefore spend much of their early childhood being cared for and raised by strangers in daycares?

Yes I realize that there are many cases where both parents MUST work in order to survive and put a roof over the heads of their children and food on the table.......but not all cases. In many cases it's a total lifestyle choice and sadly we're seeing some of the tragic manifestations of this. IMO.

 

[blue22]

The witnesses claimed the boy was soaked with sweat, looking as if he had been pulled from a swimming pool. This implies that he DID die in the car of the heat. I know heat produces lethargy and he may NOT have put up a fuss, even if anyone passed by the vehicle. But to suggest he was dead when placed in the car that morning is inconsistent with him still being damp with perspiration.

I agree. I'm sure they have confirmed through eye witness and video footage that they went into chikfila that morning. If he was there eating, obviously he was alive.

 

[LietKynes]

Really do not want to judge this man, Justin, as guilty before it is proven... and I have certainly been wrong before.
But if he was out to drop something off in his car around his lunch break is very troubling to me. He should have noticed his son then.
And if they ate breakfast somewhere....he knew Cooper was with him !
It would be interesting (although maybe not in a court of law) to know what he said to Cooper's mom that made the cop tell him to watch his language, or whatever the cop said.
Someone mentioned upthread (forgot who it was but I can try to locate the post) that people can have another side to them. Doubt there's few people who would disagree about that.
MOO

 

[tangelo]

The Silence from the wife in support of her husband tells me a lot!

I think you're onto something.

I'll go you one further. He killed the boy to get back at her for something, via the forgotten child in hot car syndrome thing which, as his many supporters show, renders him completely blameless.

 

[EGirl]

Here is a map that I created so that we can see the locations in a better view.

It is incredible that this all took place in such a small area.

So sad.

Justin Harris Route

Can you mark the general location of the home? I'm curious as to why the route home was not the same as the route to work. (I know they went to CFA) but I was under the impression CFA was near the house.

 

[LietKynes]

No, but if they are looking for a "motive" and the child turns out to be another man's, they'd have another reason to suspect the purported "Dad".

RSBM

Well, that's another angle. Maybe they should do a paternity test on the poor little one's remains ?
I hope they have competent people running this investigation !
:moo:

 

[x_files]

Yes. And we don't know what exactly cued him in to knowing the baby was in the back seat. Maybe a memory?

At that point, he nearly caused a wreck yanking his car into the parking lot and pulling his baby out.

To me, that's a believable reaction to the realization that the child is in the car and had never been taken to day care, if his mind wandered to that direction and he suddenly realized it although he couldn't actually see the baby.

The smell of a sweaty baby and dirty diapers would have overwhelmed him when he opened the car door. Just stop and think about that for a second. Sorry for the graphic imagery but it would NOT be pleasant or avoidable. Just like CA driving around with a deceased Caylee in the trunk in the Florida heat and humidity.

 

[blue22]

The smell of a sweaty baby and dirty diapers would have overwhelmed him when he opened the car door. Just stop and think about that for a second. Sorry for the graphic imagery but it would NOT be pleasant or avoidable. Just like CA driving around with a deceased Caylee in the trunk in the Florida heat and humidity.

YES! If the smell of a half eaten banana sweltering in the heat for 4 hours can be nauseating, the smell of a human sweltering would be even worse. I do not buy that at noon, he smelled nothing and noticed nothing.