GA - Suspicion over heat death of Cooper, 22 mo., Cobb County, June 2014, #10

[InstantProof]

That quote from LH really had me reeling. Pure speculation, but to me that sounds like someone who not only knew what was going on but was in control. We know a lot about the searches that were done online, but what we don't know yet is who did them. I think there is still a lot to come on that. I would be really curious to know who came up with the idea of the hot car scenario.

When we find out who did their hot car search first, that parent probably told the other to "look into it".

 

[newone]

Could you direct me to the warrants, discussion of the warrants, or articles about them or whatever people are reading? Thanks

Warrants & Media sticky at the beginning pages of the forum

http://www.foxcarolina.com/story/259...rants-released

 

[InstantProof]

I thought I saw something about him being involved with a worker from the daycare...did I imagine that? If not, can someone fill me in?

That was speculated because he called the daycare for 6 mins after pulling his son out of the car. It would be great if he were involved with someone there, because then they probably would have texted him during the day asking why he did not show up.

 

[Oblio]

No he said that his head was visible. That is not the same thing. Even if his head was under the rim it would still have been visible in that seat as tall as JRH is.

The infant seats are made to be used until they are out grown the age does not matter. I know more than a few almost 3 yr olds that would still fit safely in an infant seat.

Not to mention they used a dummy to check visibility. I have a really hard time imagining that crafted a dummy with the exact same torso and head height to test the seat. My friends and I have kids that have been the same height at times, but never the same shape. We've always had to do minor adjusting when I've given her rides.

 

[RainCheck]

No he said that his head was visible. That is not the same thing. Even if his head was under the rim it would still have been visible in that seat as tall as JRH is.

The infant seats are made to be used until they are out grown the age does not matter. I know more than a few almost 3 yr olds that would still fit safely in an infant seat.

They said his head was above the carseat by a couple of inches and demonstrated with a dummy! If there are three year olds fitting in infant car seats then their parents need to have them checked for growth restriction issues since the height limit on most rearfacing only infant seats is 30".

 

[Cinnamon]

Im sorry do you have a link for this? Because I don't believe that to be true. He was not that big of a child. Just because he was taller than the seat allowed did not mean his head was above the shell, It most likely means his legs were longer. Torso height is what matters.

Det. Stoddard stated 3 inches in the hearing..., ok, so, I might be wrong about the number of inches, but he did state Cooper's head was visible by x number of inches over the top of the car seat. I plan to re-watch the hearing, just haven't had time yet, but I clearly remember this. HTH.

 

[laceandruffles]

Wouldn't he have seen him when he put on/took off his seat belt? (assuming he used it)

or when he grabbed his computer bag off the passenger seat!!!!!

 

[RainCheck]

Not to mention they used a dummy to check visibility. I have a really hard time imagining that crafted a dummy with the exact same torso and head height to test the seat. My friends and I have kids that have been the same height at times, but never the same shape. We've always had to do minor adjusting when I've given her rides.

They stated the dummy was shorter than Cooper. If anything the dummy didn't stick up as much. Even considering a live child being able to scrunch down I highly doubt Copper Harris was under 30" at nearly two years of age. I believe someone on here said the car seat they saw pictures of Cooper in was as a Chicco Keyfit 30. It's a very small car seat with a 30" height limit. Even if Cooper was a little guy, like my son, he would have been over 30" at 22 months.

 

[alsleuther]

No he said that his head was visible. That is not the same thing. Even if his head was under the rim it would still have been visible in that seat as tall as JRH is.

The infant seats are made to be used until they are out grown the age does not matter. I know more than a few almost 3 yr olds that would still fit safely in an infant seat.

Yes, these convertible seats are meant to be used until they are outgrown weight wise, their age doesn't matter. I just pulled an extra car seat from my garage, it's a Safety 1st Alpha Omega Elite. The straps are set to one location (the lowest) and I just put my 10 month old in it. He fits the car seat specs and fits him comfortably. Then I put my almost 4 year old, (very petite) daughter in it, without changing anything and she fits in it comfortably too, and her head does not go above the shell. She also fits into the online specs. Mine is a little different b/c you can slide the straps up and down without rethreading them at the top though.

I actually live in Marietta, not far from where this happened, and recently went to the Safety Village fire station where you speak with experts about car seat installation and safety and they actually recommend keeping your child rear facing, up to 2 years, even when their feet are all scrunched up in front of them.....So my point is that it's not really that bizarre that he was in this car seat, as it's quite likely it did fit him (but the placement of those upper straps was definitely wrong.

I wonder though about if the straps were put back to the lowest setting, if they were in fact at a higher setting earlier. That would be very suspicious. I have 3 kids and 5 car seats and rethreading those things is a pain. But I think it's possible that someone could have left it on the lowest setting since they bought the car seat (someone who wasn't the greatest parent), and the straps could have just gone up over his shoulders and back down and not have caused a child great discomfort.

I also think that LH is the mastermind behind all of this. That explains her comment at the jail, questioning whether or not he said too much. And why she referred to RH as the leader of the family at the funeral. She's trying to portray that he's the one in charge, once suspicions became so strong. She's probably building her case now....

 

[jennapuppy]

I

If you buy the policy before the illness is discovered, but once you know about the illness, its up to the insurance company. This happened with one of my nephews, who was born with a terminal illness, but wasn't diagnosed until months later. The parents were even told by the company, 'you better never let it lapse, there won't be any more.' But now under new Obamacare rules, I dont' know if that would effect life insurance or notl

Det. Stoddard did say that Cooper was a healthy, typically developed 22-month old, so I assume that means that he checked with his pediatrician.

 

[RainCheck]

Yes, these convertible seats are meant to be used until they are outgrown weight wise, their age doesn't matter. I just pulled an extra car seat from my garage, it's a Safety 1st Alpha Omega Elite. The straps are set to one location (the lowest) and I just put my 10 month old in it. He fits the car seat specs and fits him comfortably. Then I put my almost 4 year old, (very petite) daughter in it, without changing anything and she fits in it comfortably too, and her head does not go above the shell. She also fits into the online specs. Mine is a little different b/c you can slide the straps up and down without rethreading them at the top though.

I actually live in Marietta, not far from where this happened, and recently went to the Safety Village fire station where you speak with experts about car seat installation and safety and they actually recommend keeping your child rear facing, up to 2 years, even when their feet are all scrunched up in front of them.....So my point is that it's not really that bizarre that he was in this car seat, as it's quite likely it did fit him (but the placement of those upper straps was definitely wrong.

I wonder though about if the straps were put back to the lowest setting, if they were in fact at a higher setting earlier. That would be very suspicious. I have 3 kids and 5 car seats and rethreading those things is a pain. But I think it's possible that someone could have left it on the lowest setting since they bought the car seat (someone who wasn't the greatest parent), and the straps could have just gone up over his shoulders and back down and not have caused a child great discomfort.

I also think that LH is the mastermind behind all of this. That explains her comment at the jail, questioning whether or not he said too much. And why she referred to RH as the leader of the family at the funeral. She's trying to portray that he's the one in charge, once suspicions became so strong. She's probably building her case now....

Convertible car seats have much higher height limits than rear facing only infant seats. My son's Chicco next fit has a height limit of 50 inches! My son's infant seat a Safety 1st Onboard Air 35 has a height limit of 29" and a Chicco Keyfit 35 has a 30" height limit. Cooper was not in a convertible car seat, he was in his rearfacing infant seat. They had purchased a larger convertible car seat 6 weeks earlier, but he was not in it at the time of his death.

 

[New1]

The defense was trying to say the usual scenario is that he takes Cooper to DC first and then he goes to CFA and then to work. Taking Cooper to CFA with him is a special occasion and that when he left CFA, he thought he had already taken him to DC because that is his usual routine.

When he left CFA, he KNEW he hadn't taken Cooper to daycare already, because he had just put him back into his car seat.

 

[jnTexas]

But this seat is one of those infant carrier car seats that lock into a base in the car. I think the brand is Chicco. It's not one that is usually left in the car. I believe the Alpha Omega one you are referring to is a convertible seat that can be rear facing for newborn up and then changed to forward facing after height and weight requirements.

 

[Violet1820]

Yes, these convertible seats are meant to be used until they are outgrown weight wise, their age doesn't matter. I just pulled an extra car seat from my garage, it's a Safety 1st Alpha Omega Elite. The straps are set to one location (the lowest) and I just put my 10 month old in it. He fits the car seat specs and fits him comfortably. Then I put my almost 4 year old, (very petite) daughter in it, without changing anything and she fits in it comfortably too, and her head does not go above the shell. She also fits into the online specs. Mine is a little different b/c you can slide the straps up and down without rethreading them at the top though.

I actually live in Marietta, not far from where this happened, and recently went to the Safety Village fire station where you speak with experts about car seat installation and safety and they actually recommend keeping your child rear facing, up to 2 years, even when their feet are all scrunched up in front of them.....So my point is that it's not really that bizarre that he was in this car seat, as it's quite likely it did fit him (but the placement of those upper straps was definitely wrong.

I wonder though about if the straps were put back to the lowest setting, if they were in fact at a higher setting earlier. That would be very suspicious. I have 3 kids and 5 car seats and rethreading those things is a pain. But I think it's possible that someone could have left it on the lowest setting since they bought the car seat (someone who wasn't the greatest parent), and the straps could have just gone up over his shoulders and back down and not have caused a child great discomfort.

I also think that LH is the mastermind behind all of this. That explains her comment at the jail, questioning whether or not he said too much. And why she referred to RH as the leader of the family at the funeral. She's trying to portray that he's the one in charge, once suspicions became so strong. She's probably building her case now....

BBM I wonder how much she knew about RH's extra curriculars. That alone is helping her a lot already. Possible motive could be she knew at least something and wanted to leave and she did not want to be a single parent or a parent at all for that matter. What better than to play the supportive wife? A little too supportive if you ask me. :twocents:

 

[alsleuther]

oh wow....did not realize that! I have too many pages to catch up on. Yes that makes no sense at all if it was not a convertible seat. So previously, before buying the convertible seat they only had one car seat that had to be moved from car to car? Most working parents that share child transportation responsibilities would have two car seats....instead of buying fancy guitars.....

 

[cluciano63]

Also, to go out of his way to use that tightest setting when just going a short distance seems weird, but I am not a parent... I guess you use what you use, all the time.

 

[SStarr33]

When he left CFA, he KNEW he hadn't taken Cooper to daycare already, because he had just put him back into his car seat.

No, that is what the prosecution will say.

 

[RainCheck]

Yes, these convertible seats are meant to be used until they are outgrown weight wise, their age doesn't matter. I just pulled an extra car seat from my garage, it's a Safety 1st Alpha Omega Elite. The straps are set to one location (the lowest) and I just put my 10 month old in it. He fits the car seat specs and fits him comfortably. Then I put my almost 4 year old, (very petite) daughter in it, without changing anything and she fits in it comfortably too, and her head does not go above the shell. She also fits into the online specs. Mine is a little different b/c you can slide the straps up and down without rethreading them at the top though.

I actually live in Marietta, not far from where this happened, and recently went to the Safety Village fire station where you speak with experts about car seat installation and safety and they actually recommend keeping your child rear facing, up to 2 years, even when their feet are all scrunched up in front of them.....So my point is that it's not really that bizarre that he was in this car seat, as it's quite likely it did fit him (but the placement of those upper straps was definitely wrong.

I wonder though about if the straps were put back to the lowest setting, if they were in fact at a higher setting earlier. That would be very suspicious. I have 3 kids and 5 car seats and rethreading those things is a pain. But I think it's possible that someone could have left it on the lowest setting since they bought the car seat (someone who wasn't the greatest parent), and the straps could have just gone up over his shoulders and back down and not have caused a child great discomfort.

I also think that LH is the mastermind behind all of this. That explains her comment at the jail, questioning whether or not he said too much. And why she referred to RH as the leader of the family at the funeral. She's trying to portray that he's the one in charge, once suspicions became so strong. She's probably building her case now....

Here are the specs on your convertible carseat:

Fashion: Remington
Rear-facing Weight Range: 5-35 lbs
Rear-facing Height Range: Up to 32"
Forward-facing Weight Range: 22-50 lbs
Forward-facing Height Range: 34"-45"
Booster Weight Range: 40-100 lbs
Booster Height Range: 43"-52"
Side Impact Protection: Yes
Center Front Adjust Harness: Yes
LATCH Equipped: Yes

Cooper was not in a convertible carseat. He was in an infant, rearfacing carseat with a base. The specs on a Chicco Keyfit 30:

Weight 4 to 22 lbs
Height 30 inches or less

As you can see a convertible carseat and ab infant rearfacing carseat are very different products. You can look this information up yourself on the companies websites.

 

[chlban]

Really good question. Since I come in early, when the parking lot is relatively empty, and I am a creature of habit, I park in virtually the same spot every single day. If I go out for lunch or come in later I park very near "my" parking spot. The spot is close to the entrance, but away from trees (that mess up my car). If I suddenly parked my car in the back of the lot, it would be a very noticable event.

 

[alsleuther]

Thanks! I think I jumped in a couple of threads too late, and didn't see that it was a rear facing seat with a base. I cannot imagine a child of his age fitting into that seat at that lowest position.