GA - Suspicion over heat death of Cooper, 22 mo., Cobb County, June 2014, #2

[blue22]

Glassdoor for Home Depot shows the position of IT Developer 1 making @$61k, IT Developer 2 @69K and Sr Developer at @$87K. Now, that's a national average, but I would guess he wasn't doing too bad.

I wonder how that compares to cost of living and real estate prices. I have never been there and have absolutely no idea what it's like to live and work there.

That would not be considered very much here...but that's not saying much really.

 

[newone]

Hi everyone...been a while since I have chimed in on anything but I just had to make the one observation that keeps going around and around in my mind....I have raised 3 boys and now have a 3 year old granddaughter, from the moment they all started chattering and then talking they never hushed in the car unless it was nap time which was not before 9 am. I just cannot imagine the child being so quiet that dad forgot him. Of course he could have fell asleep but in the few minutes from Chik Fila to work I say no way. Such another tragic story of a child dying at the hands of one that should love him the most! lease:lease:

Bingo!! Quiet ride = very rare!!

 

[CHERIE.T]

Something else that has been mentioned, but not discussed -

I read on here that LE said he needed to call his wife and let her know what was going on. Is this the process in Atlanta? Would this be done by phone call? Wouldn't LE have gone to the house, told her, and driven her to the police station, or hospital? If she had no knowledge, the shock of the call about her baby could be dangerous to her, and, if she drove herself somewhere, to everyone on the road. Plus, wouldn't they want to try and gauge her reaction?

I'm not saying I think she knew. I'm just wondering about that phone call. I know if I got a phone call like that, I'd pass out cold.

imo that's another thing that set off LE suspicions. Who would call their spouse and say such a thing?

 

[CrazytownUSA]

I wonder how that compares to cost of living and real estate prices. I have never been there and have absolutely no idea what it's like to live and work there.

That would not be considered very much here...but that's not saying much really.

Since he would be considered Atlanta Metro, and worked at the headquarters, his salary is probably higher than the national average... I don't know the price range or rental price of the townhome they were renting, so I can't speak to that. I'm also not sure what his wife does for a living (part time living). From everything I have seen, at least in pictures, they seemed to be your average middle class family... but who knows.

 

[CrazytownUSA]

imo that's another thing that set off LE suspicions. Who would call their spouse and say such a thing?

I'm pretty sure from witness accounts, it was LE that told him he should call his wife

 

[who knew?]

Are you aware that LE doesn't think this was a "plan" - but rather, horribly neglectful thought processing that ended in a death for neglectful care?

I haven't seen this referenced before. Did they actually say that?

 

[tlcya]

Juries don't determine manner of death.

I think this sort of complex dual charge one hinging on another depends on exactly that even though the law seems aligned to circumvent that.

That said, I do think evidence suggests this was no oops that technically falls under a charge that then creates another charge for no reason. Shrug

 

[Lorne Malvo]

Are you aware that LE doesn't think this was a "plan" - but rather, horribly neglectful thought processing that ended in a death for neglectful care?

Based on info released by Cobb Police and media it appears overwhelmingly, that he planned or did this on purpose. His odd behavior and angry outbursts toward police don't jive with a person who neglected to remember his child was in auto seat. Eyewitness accounts said he acted oddly too. People who forget their child don't google 'time it takes to kills animals in hot cars'.


MOO. JMO. KIRWC. :scared:

 

[tlcya]

My point, laws are driving charges. Charges are laid. Juries decide innocence or guilt of those charges.

This will be a very interesting, stressful no matter where you land case to follow. Mark my words.

all just a case of diarrhea of the fingertips and :cow:

 

[gngr~snap]

6 months ago was Christmas. So why would one search in winter? That would raise a huge flag for me.

5 months ago was snow jam Atlanta 2014. No one was thinking about hot ANYTHING! Everyone was frozen in gridlock.
just saying.... brrr....

All posts are my opinion only. Sent via Tapatalk

 

[Judicious1]

I'm still unsure regarding the intent issue and I don't think they have evidence to support it. Doesn't add up. Other than an Internet search that they don't know (as of now) when it was entered, there is nothing to imply his actions were calculated or premeditated as far as causing his sons death. Taking him to breakfast just to kill him? And taking him inside the restaurant to be seen with him to boot. Now if they hadn't paid the daycare bill and couldn't afford to pay it so Ross decided to keep in the car and he fed him to keep him happy and leave him to sleep thinking he would be ok that would almost make more sense. Everything just seems so senseless and far removed from this man's known character. I just keep thinking it had to have been an accident and like a fool he didnt want to admit to people he left the kid in the car and that he died on his watch. If the child is already dead and you are the only one who knows you can try to convince yourself of anything. Clearly he wouldn't have been in his right mind. His actions at the scene at the very least reflect a desperate man filled with fear,anger and at times sorrow. I think he should go to jail I just can't get on board with him setting out to purposely kill his child. If this was a man with a plan I highly doubt he would be flipping out on police to the point of them having to cuff him and out him in a car for close to 90 mins ( as reported I believe on JVM). I think there are dozens of ways he could have harmed Cooper if he was set on doing so that would have been less traumatic and severe than this.

 

[JeannaT]

I haven't seen this referenced before. Did they actually say that?

It's indicated in the charges. They've reduced the charges to indicate felony neglectful care that resulted in death, instead of a charge that required intent to murder as the charge was originally announced.

 

[JeannaT]

Hi everyone...been a while since I have chimed in on anything but I just had to make the one observation that keeps going around and around in my mind....I have raised 3 boys and now have a 3 year old granddaughter, from the moment they all started chattering and then talking they never hushed in the car unless it was nap time which was not before 9 am. I just cannot imagine the child being so quiet that dad forgot him. Of course he could have fell asleep but in the few minutes from Chik Fila to work I say no way. Such another tragic story of a child dying at the hands of one that should love him the most! lease:lease:

Looks to me that he DID love him the most. He just had a really, really difficult to explain brain process of forgetting his destination. And I think that's backed up by the new lesser charges he's facing.

 

[CHERIE.T]

The PIO answered that specifically at the press conference saying homicide meaning death caused by another.

Thanks! I wasn't able to watch the presser.

 

[CrazytownUSA]

I'm still unsure regarding the intent issue and I don't think they have evidence to support it. Doesn't add up. Other than an Internet search that they don't know (as of now) when it was entered, there is nothing to imply his actions were calculated or premeditated as far as causing his sons death. Taking him to breakfast just to kill him? And taking him inside the restaurant to be seen with him to boot. Now if they hadn't paid the daycare bill and couldn't afford to pay it so Ross decided to keep in the car and he fed him to keep him happy and leave him to sleep thinking he would be ok that would almost make more sense. Everything just seems so senseless and far removed from this man's known character. I just keep thinking it had to have been an accident and like a fool he didnt want to admit to people he left the kid in the car and that he died on his watch. If the child is already dead and you are the only one who knows you can try to convince yourself of anything. Clearly he wouldn't have been in his right mind. His actions at the scene at the very least reflect a desperate man filled with fear,anger and at times sorrow. I think he should go to jail I just can't get on board with him setting out to purposely kill his child. If this was a man with a plan I highly doubt he would be flipping out on police to the point of them having to cuff him and out him in a car for close to 90 mins ( as reported I believe on JVM). I think there are dozens of ways he could have harmed Cooper if he was set on doing so that would have been less traumatic and severe than this.

It's confusing me to. I find it very hard to believe he forgot he had a baby with him in the few minutes it took for him to get to work from CFA... but I guess stranger things have happened. I DO think that he knew when he went to his car at lunchtime... and I think he drove to a public place that afternoon, to draw attention and make it seem like he just found his baby... I'm not convinced that he planned to kill his baby. I think that his actions have made everything suspect. Had he actually called 911 when he found his son, I think I would feel much differently. When you have nothing to hide, and it truly is an accident, you don't need to stage a scene...

 

[gngr~snap]

Not necessary, I believe that it says that. I'm simply saying that if he didn't have HTML, CSS, Javascript, etc experience, he wouldn't have gotten the job of web developer. What the website says is one thing, but a corporation like Home Depot isn't teaching people how to become developers and how to write scripts. I was only saying that just because a job doesn't require a high school diploma doesn't mean it is entry level. The only requirement we have of our engineers is based on real world experience and references, and they make anywhere between $52K and $80K a year... while we may not require a certain education level, being able to perform the job is crucial. And most kids out of high school aren't writing complex scripts.

ETA-I just saw your edit, and I'm not familiar with how HD runs their in house development, so that very well may be the case. But in this economy, he probably took what he could find. I highly doubt the position pays minimum wage... and would imagine he probably does pretty well. I don't know many web developers that don't make a decent wage.

Keep in mind he is also listed as working as a high school football referee. I don't know where, if it was Cobb County schools or for the church or if he volunteered. It sorta sounded like a 2nd part time job. IDK
moo

All posts are my opinion only. Sent via Tapatalk

 

[Chewy]

But I think he could have figured that Cooper would be dead by 4, so why not just wait until work is over, and then discover him? Why would he need to look it up to confirm he would be dead? It seems logical that he would be. Also, would he really still be alive after 3 hours or so? Perhaps he didn't discover him at lunch b/c no one was around.

He shouldn't be alive but he may have been seizing. He had just had breakfast so perhaps the sustenance kept him alive longer. The "choking" that he mentions later could have been what he heard at that time and he threw it into the story to try to make it seem more valid.

It seems to me that it might be a situation where he wanted to find the child with a lot of people around. Perhaps everyone congregated in a certain area around lunch time (smoke breaks and what not ) and he intended it to be seen then. Waiting for 4 pm would raise the whole "how could you not know for HOURS" deal, and perhaps his wife would have called etc and it would look more suspicious in his mind. 9-12 should have killed him. But it didn't .

His story was " I totally forgot and then when I went to put something in the car I found him there!!!!" but then the boy wasn't dead yet. So he pretends he doesn't see him AGAIN and leaves to wait. This might ALSO be why he drove away from that area to do the discovery somewhere else. He knew they would likely check the security videos on the camera if he did the discovery right then and there and that they'd see him coming there earlier.

 

[CrazytownUSA]

Looks to me that he DID love him the most. He just had a really, really difficult to explain brain process of forgetting his destination. And I think that's backed up by the new lesser charges he's facing.

Regardless of whether he intentionally killed him or not, he managed to forget about him in less than a 5 minute span of time. I think that speaks volumes. the VAST majority of parents, no matter the distraction, don't forget their babies in any amount of time, much less minutes.

 

[ATasteOfHoney]

Ok, I have no facts and am merely asking hypothetical questions here:

Was there evidence of prior physical child abuse on this toddler (i.e. cigarette burns, bruises) noted at the crime scene?

Was there insurance on this child and are the parents in debt?

Is there a girlfriend in the picture or any talk of divorce between the parents?

Was there any sort of odd, criminal, or deviant behavior in this Dad's youth (torturing cats, runaway, starting fires, etc)?

Does the Dad have gambling debts or drug addiction?


I truly hope this was negligence on the Dad's part and not something more nefarious. But the alarms are gently buzzing, iykwim? :scared:

Prayers to the family and may this toddler rest with the angels.

 

[JeannaT]

It's confusing me to. I find it very hard to believe he forgot he had a baby with him in the few minutes it took for him to get to work from CFA... but I guess stranger things have happened. I DO think that he knew when he went to his car at lunchtime... and I think he drove to a public place that afternoon, to draw attention and make it seem like he just found his baby... I'm not convinced that he planned to kill his baby. I think that his actions have made everything suspect. Had he actually called 911 when he found his son, I think I would feel much differently. When you have nothing to hide, and it truly is an accident, you don't need to stage a scene...

Are you aware that the Red Cross teaches you to do that? To say to the crowd, "call 911" while you attempt to deal with the emergency?

I don't know why he didn't notice anything at noon - but it's likely it didn't smell that bad at that time. I think we all remember in the Scott Peterson trial, one cop said the house reeked of bleach and the others didn't notice it. I wonder what the other witnesses would say about how the car smelled. I also remember in the CoralRose Fullwood case some cops described the house as filthy and unlivable, and others didn't agree.

Although sometimes it appears people would have to notice something, that's not always the case.