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

[dlkutac]

I think you are absolutely right. He imagined being allowed to accompany Cooper in the ambulance and the police wouldn't think of questioning him until later, probably while still at the hospital, obviously something else he didn't think through.

Wonder if that would've happened if he had not been verbally abusive and belligerent.

 

[NancyA]

if this alleged medication causes stupidity or forgetfulness to the point of completely forgetting his child who he himself strapped in and kissed (in case he died) within 30 seconds of doing so then it was negligent IMO for him ever to have been in charge of his child unsupervised.

JMO. I do think if RH was on this drug, the defense may try to suggest it is relevant. My response if I was the prosecutor would be to then remind the court and thereby the jury that both RH and LH had researched hot car deaths and claimed this was their big fear. So if it is your fear AND you have reason to believe it could happen (drug side effect) then you DO SOMETHING to prevent it.

I agree, I think trying for a 'drug-related memory fail' defense will backfire on them big-style and similarly the hard of hearing defense, both would suggest to me that a responsible parent with those fears/impediments should take MORE steps to minimise the chances of putting their child at risk rather than do - NOTHING.

 

[Bratislava]

And why would they have the nerve to question him? There would be no reason, in his eyes. When mom asked to see him at the police station, her actions or lack of actions, were to me the most telling. What woman whose husband was in charge of their son and left him in the car all day, and he died, wouldn't start screaming, "What have you done?" "How could you do such a thing?" and a lot of other choice words, and being over come with emotion? My hands would be around my husband's neck, the detectives would have to come in and pry them off his neck.

BBM. A woman who has been abused or betrayed repeatedly. A woman who believes she deserves nothing in this world. A woman whose idea of marriage and family has been eviscerated by male privilege. A woman at the end of her rope?

 

[Bratislava]

Wow, that would be very odd behaviour on the part of those bystanders if that's the case, I would have thought someone or even several someones called 911 at some point in the 8-9 minutes it took those cops to arrive.

That's what I would assume as well.

Unless (and this is horrific to consider) CH was so obviously deceased that it didn't make sense to call for medical assistance. After all, you don't need an ambulance to drive a dead child to the hospital for an autopsy. This can be done in a car. Maybe?

 

[Sonya610]

BBM. I disagree.

I think medication will be involved in the defense. Specifically, testosterone supplementation, whether through gel or injection. JMO.

Yes, I think you are right. The defense is/will also turn one of the most damning bits of evidence, sexting with 6 women, into a defense strategy too.

Guessing they will play the angle of "the greatest weakness is our strength/path to reasonable doubt".

 

[Bratislava]

Yes, I think you are right. The defense is/will also turn one of the most damning bits of evidence, sexting with 6 women, into a defense strategy too.

Guessing they will play the angle of "the greatest weakness is our strength".

Exactly. I am in no way suggesting there is any merit to this defense strategy- or that I accept it as a reasonable explanation for CH's death- only that I think it will come up because it involves the hard science that courts prefer over anecdotes and narratives. JMO.

 

[Sonya610]

BBM. A woman who has been abused or betrayed repeatedly. A woman who believes she deserves nothing in this world. A woman whose idea of marriage and family has been eviscerated by male privilege. A woman at the end of her rope?

And that is what her defense attorney will claim if she is brought to trial.

I won't believe a single WORD of it! The fact some on this forum started making that case without any evidence does make me wonder....BUT....this will be a Southern Jury and they will have more common sense.

Many here were raised in Southern Baptist Churches, and no, the wives don't conspire to kill their kids because their husband thinks it is a good idea.

 

[dlkutac]

RH stated that he kissed his son and told him he loved him because "he might get into a car accident and die". Interesting that he didn't say, we might get into a car accident. How does a baby get into a car accident?

I think he meant himself. Could be taken either way. It's not clear if the detective was using "he" to relay what JRH had said or if he was quoting him verbatim.

 

[Bratislava]

And that is what her defense attorney will claim if she is brought to trial.

I won't believe a single WORD of it!

I don't know.... LH is a very insecure person. I can't imagine this being easy for her. I need more on LH before I can see her as culpable for what happened to Cooper.

Right now, all I can truly hold against her is a feeling that she doesn't care very much about life- a sort of existential despair and apathy. But I've seen this in rape victims and in abused women as well. It often makes them appear very "cool" and stoic when actually they are dead inside.

 

[NancyA]

And that is what her defense attorney will claim if she is brought to trial.

I won't believe a single WORD of it! The fact some on this forum started making that case without any evidence does make me wonder....BUT....this will be a Southern Jury and they will have more common sense.

It was just speculation among many other possible reasons as to why she was/is acting so weirdly detached but I fear you are right. As of yet there is no evidence or indication that she is a victim of domestic abuse so, should she be charged and then choose to raise that as a defense, we'd better be prepared for the Casey Anthony victim of child abuse defense strategy whereby counsel raises it during opening testimony then fails to produce any verification.

 

[leah]

BBM. A woman who has been abused or betrayed repeatedly. A woman who believes she deserves nothing in this world. A woman whose idea of marriage and family has been eviscerated by male privilege. A woman at the end of her rope?

She may be, but for me she doesn't come across that way, she looks calculating and cold.

 

[CCmakes3]

And who does that? You call the landlord when there is a problem with the property.

In fact if there was a death (or arrest) in the family who on earth would even THINK of calling the landlord??? Unless it was thought out ahead of time that they could delay or avoid paying rent etc...

Is it possible Cooper had to die "now" because they were not going to be able to make rent the next month, and they needed the life insurance/donations?? Idk....I wouldn't be surprised to hear this man had a gambling problem on top of all of his other compulsive behaviors.

 

[Kensie]

She may be, but for me she doesn't come across that way, she looks calculating and cold.

How does a person that has been verbally, emotionally and maybe sexually abused look? If RH is a full blown narcissist, her life has been a living hell and she feels worthless. Not defending LH but pointing out that living with a narcissist is not easy.

 

[TorisMom003]

Leanna's actions after the funeral for Cooper, during the probable cause/bond hearing, and after that hearing tell me that she is/was not an abused woman.

Leanna showed no concern for Cooper during that hearing. No tears when hearing what Cooper went through, how he looked, when hearing that he had clawed at his own face and banged his head on the seat trying to get out of the car......nothing but her smacking on her gum. The tears only came when Harris was denied bond.

After the hearing she goes to visit Harris in jail. Then she decides that it is best that she go to Alabama to be with family. However, she goes to HIS family.

A woman that is abused may see no way out when the male is still there. Leanna knew that Harris could NOT get out of jail since bond was denied. Yet she still keeps the connection with him even going so far as to leave the State of Georgia to go be with HIS family.

Those things do not add up to an abused woman.

MOO

 

[Sonya610]

It was just speculation among many other possible reasons as to why she was/is acting so weirdly detached but I fear you are right. As of yet there is no evidence or indication that she is a victim of domestic abuse so, should she be charged and then choose to raise that as a defense, we'd better be prepared for the Casey Anthony victim of child abuse defense strategy whereby counsel raises it during opening testimony then fails to produce any verification.

I think she will cut a plea deal....8-10 years or so...WHEN she flips on RH. And RH will likely go away for life. RH doesn't have the gonads to go up against the death penalty (pun intended).

 

[leah]

How does a person that has been verbally, emotionally and maybe sexually abused look? If RH is a full blown narcissist, her life has been a living hell and she feels worthless. Not defending LH but pointing out that living with a narcissist is not easy.

We have no idea if she has been abused. I'm just saying she comes across to me as a cold person.

 

[Sonya610]

Not defending LH but pointing out that living with a narcissist is not easy.

No, it isn't easy....BUT the reason people DO get involved and live with narcissists is because initially they feel so darn good. They stay so they can keep feeling good, even if only sometimes.

The victims get off on the "charge" that the narcissist provides, but after a while it is mostly negative and not positive anymore.

 

[tlcya]

I think he meant himself. Could be taken either way. It's not clear if the detective was using "he" to relay what JRH had said or if he was quoting him verbatim.

UNIDENTIFIED PROSECUTOR: Let's talk about that. You stated that at a Chick-Fil-A, he was active, talking, walking, waving to people. Did the defendant tell you how he secured the child back into that car seat and what happened when he did that at the Chick-Fil-A?

STODDARD: He did. Justin took Cooper out to the car. He went into the backseat where the car seat was situated. It's a rear ff facing car seat so Cooper's head would be in between or almost in between the two front seats. He put Cooper in the vehicle, he stated he strapped him in tight, he went through a lilt spiel about how he'd watched youtube videos about car seat regulations and stuff and he knew this was the right car seat and the right way of doing it and he straps him in tight and Cooper gives him a kiss and he gives him a kiss back and he says he always gives him a kiss in case they get into a car accident and he dies. He wanted Cooper -- his last memory, Cooper to remember that he loved and that his daddy loved him.

UNIDENTIFIED PROSECUTOR: So he straps him in before driving away and he's kissing him, his son is kissing him back and they're having a conversation? http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1407/03/wolf.02.html

lots of "he"s and IMO a bit fuzzy but I think the intent was to convey that RH described a habit of kissing one another because RH as the adult wanted to make sure if anything happened (accident) and either of them died he wanted Cooper's last memory to be that daddy loves him (barf)

 

[renarde]

Leanna's actions after the funeral for Cooper, during the probable cause/bond hearing, and after that hearing tell me that she is/was not an abused woman.

Leanna showed no concern for Cooper during that hearing. No tears when hearing what Cooper went through, how he looked, when hearing that he had clawed at his own face and banged his head on the seat trying to get out of the car......nothing but her smacking on her gum. The tears only came when Harris was denied bond.

After the hearing she goes to visit Harris in jail. Then she decides that it is best that she go to Alabama to be with family. However, she goes to HIS family.

A woman that is abused may see no way out when the male is still there. Leanna knew that Harris could NOT get out of jail since bond was denied. Yet she still keeps the connection with him even going so far as to leave the State of Georgia to go be with HIS family.

Those things do not add up to an abused woman.

MOO

She is with his family? How strange.

 

[jennapuppy]

Yes - I did become hyper vigilant after that happened. I was absolutely mortified with my forgetfulness. I apologized to my baby girl repeatedly even though she had no idea what just happened. I cried over it many times. My post though was not in defense of the Harris's, because I believe they are 100% guilty, but in response to those who can't believe it is possible to innocently forget about your baby in the car unless you are a moron or a bad parent. I am neither and I left my newborn sleeping in the truck.

And as soon as you saw the truck in the parking lot, it jogged your memory. There were several things that should have jogged RH's memory over the course of 7 hrs, yet nothing did. That is one of the major differences between this incident and those that have happened accidentally. IMO