GA - Suspicion over heat death of Cooper, 22 mo., Cobb County, June 2014, #13

[Lostinredtape]

seriously?!?!?

I hate people some days.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/...ent_n_5580337.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000063

Agreed

so do I more days than not.

http://www.kob.com/article/stories/S3498268.shtml?cat=516

area news link to that incident

 

[jmcgladr]

I admit that I'm a bit worried about using a Grand Jury to decide if this man goes to trial or not. The entire case could end with a "no true bill", thus no indictment. I've served for a year on a Grand Jury, as a foreman, and can tell you that sometimes jury members have a hard time finding a "true bill" when the parent is claiming they "forgot".

Could you please explain to the uninitiated what a "true bill" is? I have never heard that term before.

 

[CHERIE.T]

I've never understood that morning's activities.

Most toddlers who get up at 7 are going to want their breakfast before 9.

If RH was up at 7, why did he leave for work late?

If RH was late for work, why keep CFA on the schedule? Why wouldn't RH just make some toast or a PB&J sandwich or bagel with cream cheese for Cooper to eat in the car on the way to daycare?

And, actually, I would have been more likely to believe that RH forgot C in the car if he was late for work and had driven straight to work.

As mentioned before, some believe JH needed he and Cooper to be seen at CFA....it was part of the plan. Ahem loving dad seen eating bkfast with son. JH had to arrive at work late so no one saw him leave Cooper in the car.

 

[PigPong]

Check out this thread, might help:
http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?193885-Websleuths-Lingo

A 1,000 thank yous!

 

[matou]

Has it been determined that Ross was late for work that day?

 

[EvilSoup]

As mentioned before, some believe JH needed he and Cooper to be seen at CFA....it was part of the plan. Ahem loving dad seen eating bkfast with son. JH had to arrive at work late so no one saw him leave Cooper in the car.

I would believe that, but part of me thinks RH was a lazy-azz and being on-time was not a huge priority for him on most days.

Sorry, but I think that even had he not killed Cooper, if I actually met him I probably would have thought he was a huge Delta Bravo. My GOD, that hair! He is 33, not 18. Gross.

 

[PigPong]

Could you please explain to the uninitiated what a "true bill" is? I have never heard that term before.

A true bill is just the term to describe the decision of the Grand Jury that there is enough evidence a person probably committed a crime and thus should be indicted for it. No true bill simple means the GJ doesn't believe that that there is enough evidence for a case.

 

[PigPong]

I admit that I'm a bit worried about using a Grand Jury to decide if this man goes to trial or not. The entire case could end with a "no true bill", thus no indictment. I've served for a year on a Grand Jury, as a foreman, and can tell you that sometimes jury members have a hard time finding a "true bill" when the parent is claiming they "forgot".

It is what it is. There is nothing to be done about the grand jury. It's just how things are done here.

 

[PigPong]

Aha! That makes sense then. So when the acts were committed, the old law was still in effect, so those are the laws that will be used as the charged offenses.

New law would also be used if the grand jury indicts and the 1st charge is still the 2nd degree cruelty to children charge.

 

[Cinnamon]

A 1,000 thank yous!

You're welcome!

 

[jennapuppy]

WOW! I missed that somehow. He said that, really?!

Yes. RH told his dad that he had this dream shortly before Cooper's death, and his dad shared the story at the funeral. And in this dream, LH was in a nursey with many children and RH was playing a guitar.

 

[renarde]

Purely unobjective on my part, but if I put my lips to the lips of a dead baby and there is a "reeking" of decomp...I'm gonna hurl. Sorry to be graphic, but I am.

Rescue breathing isn't always necessary. Just doing chest compressions will often work just as well.

http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/...00728/studies-cpr-without-rescue-breathing-ok

 

[stmarysmead]

IMO some people to forget their child for a period of time but remember and rush back to the car.....something jogs their memory. In this case we are to believe his whole memory of his morning and Cooper was wiped out.

This is absolutely key! Thank you!

Sure, people forget and go through a traffic light but this is the equivalent of blasting through 5-6 traffic lights because you..."forgot."

RH forgot this child in seconds. Then he forgot him as he reached for his computer bag and exited the car. He forgot him when the Daycare sent an email. He forgot him when he dropped at the car after lunch. He forgot him when he asked..."When are you picking up my little buddy?" He forgot him when he got back in the car after work.

Is he brain dead? Nothing reminds him of his child or his responsibility? We are talking here of examples of papers being removed that triggered forgetfulness. No one removed this poor suffering child! He was there all the time...dying a horrendous death while NOT ONE THING.....ALL DAY LONG...brought him to his father's mind?

It infuriates me to even imagine this. If I were to believe that this was not deliberate, then I would have to assume that this child was worthless to him...meaningless...like trash thrown on the floor of the car...this child was so TOTALLY forgettable!

And even deciding the best angles for his penis pix...should have left one moment in the whole long day...when that Baby came into his mind.

This case infuriates me. It really does. I cannot stand the sight of this "man"....using the term loosely of course.

 

[PigPong]

Yeah, that's really too bad - unless the charges are upgraded to 1st degree cruelty, the defense is going to have a really good argument against felony murder and its penalties. I'm just wondering if they are going to have enough to prove intent though.

What would be the argument against the felony murder charge? The felony murder statute simply states that it is a death that occurs during the commission of a felony, irregardless of intent.

So, if the felony murder charge is what stays (and not the new 2nd degree murder charge), what would be the defense against it? Because intent isn't required for it to be felony murder.

I'd argue the DA would have an easier time NOT upgrading the charges (as they stand) because 2nd degree cruelty requires them only to prove criminal negligence (still a felony) and 1st degree cruelty requires the DA to prove intent for the cruelty (but not the murder). Does that make sense?

 

[TorisMom003]

This is absolutely key! Thank you!

Sure, people forget and go through a traffic light but this is the equivalent of blasting through 5-6 traffic lights because you forgot. RH forgot this child in seconds. Then he forgot him as he reached for his computer bag and exited the car. He forgot him when the Daycare sent an email. He forgot him when he dropped at the car after lunch. He forgot him when he asked..."When are you picking up my little buddy?" He forgot him when he got back in the car after work.

Is he brain dead? Nothing reminds him of his child or his responsibility? We are talking here of papers being removed that triggered forgetfulness. No one removed this poor suffering child! He was there all the time...dying a horrendous death while NOT ONE THING.....ALL DAY LONG...brought him to his father's mind?

It infuriates me to even imagine this. If I were to believe that this was not deliberate, then I would have to assume that this child was worthless to him...meaningless...like trash thrown on the floor of the car...this child was so TOTALLY forgettable!

And even deciding the best angles for his penis pix...should have left one moment in the whole long day...when that Baby came into his mind.

This case infuriates me. It really does. I cannot stand the sight of this "man"....using the term loosely of course.

:loveyou:

Add to all of that Leanna's behavior and it appears that she didn't love Cooper either. Either she decided that Harris was more important than her son and/or she was in on it.

MOO

 

[TorisMom003]

What would be the argument against the felony murder charge? The felony murder statute simply states that it is a death that occurs during the commission of a felony, irregardless of intent.

So, if the felony murder charge is what stays (and not the new 2nd degree murder charge), what would be the defense against it? Because intent isn't required for it to be felony murder.

I'd argue the DA would have an easier time NOT upgrading the charges (as they stand) because 2nd degree cruelty requires them only to prove criminal negligence (still a felony) and 1st degree cruelty requires the DA to prove intent for the cruelty (but not the murder). Does that make sense?

Isn't the Grand Jury only to decide if the murder charges are severe (for lack of a better word) enough to warrant a death penalty case? If the Grand Jury does not return with this case deserving to be a death penalty case, then the charges stay the same and a trial still goes forward?

Hopefully that makes sense.

 

[Baznme]

Yes, one too many signs....JMO

Playing a guitar no less. Another thought in the state of "death".

 

[RANCH]

I have to backtrack a bit on my first post about this case - my original thought after watching the PC hearing was that this guy is a monster and he conspired with his wife to kill Cooper and make it look like an accident. And that still may very well be the case...

However, since I watched the PC hearing I have read about several cases where parents did actually forget their child in a carseat while they worked all day. It has actually happened several times before, which is stunning to me! Since this is a thing that actually happens, and seems to happen to professional, well-educated and otherwise good parents, I have to consider that it is a possibility that RH really did forget his child in the car seat.

Not sure yet ...really anxious to see more evidence to see how strong the case is for an intentional murder.

And I'm sure that the defense will put on witness's will say that the very thing that JRH did has been done by other people and explain how it was an accident and not a premeditated act. JMO.

 

[eileenhawkeye]

It is hard to believe that anyone can be so absent-minded they could forget their own child but the intent in this case is pretty clear. This is someone who frequented a website called 'childfree' that used a term "lil' sizzlers" for children who are left to bake in the car. This site was pulled down when it became known in this case. That is just one of the many facts that are pointing at intent. I guess they have a thread for that, though.

NG is the only news source that claims "lil sizzlers" was used by Childfree. They made that claim after the site was made private, so how would they even know? There are thousands of comments, so how many said lil sizzlers? Was it just a sick joke by one member?

 

[MsMarple]

Yes. RH told his dad that he had this dream shortly before Cooper's death, and his dad shared the story at the funeral. And in this dream, LH was in a nursey with many children and RH was playing a guitar.

Oh, and don't forget that Cooper was sitting on Jesus' lap while all this was going on. Quite the coincidental premonition, eh?