GA - Suspicion over heat death of Cooper, 22 mo., Cobb County, June 2014, #4

[gxm]

As much as I hate to say it I believe he decided Father's Day weekend that he didn't care much for being a father.

3 days later it's done.
The timing again sympathy play.
moo

Yep. Because being a parent means putting your child's needs ahead of yours. And from what I've read of this man, he is incredibly self-centered and self-absorbed, and I don't think his ego could tolerate even a pretense of parental responsibility.

 

[katydid23]

Was this the older man who they has adopted a child from overseas?

I remember a story a lot like the one you related and it was devastating. I do believe that accidental forgettings happen, and I have a lot of compassion for the parents it happens to. I never like to see them charged. They will suffer in their own living hell as punishment far worse than any jail cell.

And when it does happen, they are devastated, genuinely. You can hear it in the 911 calls, in the descriptions the witnesses give of what happens at the scene, etc.

This though... Unbelievable. No one rational, normal would want to see or know of a living creature dying like this. It's monstrous. :furious:



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It might have been. That sounds familiar.

I agree. Usually the devastation of the loss is plenty of punishment. We had a case of a father backing over his 3 yr old baby girl in the driveway. Both parents felt so much guilt because the mom had not closed the front door all of the way and went to kitchen, and the girl ran out to ask to go with dad. Both of them felt so horribly devastated. I cannot find any blame because 'there but for the grace of god go I.'

It just seems different in this case. I cannot understand how someone can 'forget' their child is in the car within 3 minutes time. It is not like he drove 45 minutes through rush hour and the baby was sound asleep and silent.

 

[CCmakes3]

I'm afraid with the right jury, this guy could get off.

Deleted as post was found offensive to another member. I am so sorry.

 

[tlcya]

There was a 2 year old who died in a car on May 14. About 30 minutes away from where they live. (Clarkston, GA.) Surely that was in the news. It was deemed accidental, no charges.

Different circumstances, but did it get the wheels turning, I wonder?

defense will argue that THAT case made him worry and do the recent searches

 

[gngr~snap]

You are not suggesting he should have adopted a child to kill, are you?

No! I think the poster meant the father should have suggested Cooper be put up for adoption if he didn't want to be a dad.

There were fertility problems.
Maybe he was ok with it and then she got pregnant.
How could a husband ask a wife such a thing?

I have seen it done...
Usually the people couldn't afford another child, already had a houseful.
moo

 

[Linda7NJ]

http://abcnews.go.com/US/dad-toddle...hild-deaths/story?id=24348787&partner=skygrid







This quote makes my blood run cold. The ME only gives info about the body. It's no surprise that the COD was hyperthermia. But it would take more than that (IMO) for the ME to indicate that homocide is likely. It seems like there must have been other evidence on the body that led him to believe this was more than a tragic accident.



JMHO

Why?
The ME also considers the circumstances...


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[RaeL]

:welcome: to WS. Great first post. :fireworks:


Here is a tip. Write your post in text edit or Word, then paste it into the ws box. saves lost posts .

Thank you! And I will try to remember that!

 

[T4Tide]

you are not the only one confused.....black was never worn by guests at a wedding....now it is 'fashionable'

clapping at a funeral....yikes I haven't seen that before....I hope I never do

I'm 38 and old school. Dark colors for funerals, never white to a wedding, and no white shoes before Easter. There are very few traditions still alive, and this Southern girl is doing her part keeping them alive.

I've attended funerals with clapping, but it's usually been in response to something said by a speaker in reference to the deceased, and the applause was agreement with the statement/sentiment.

 

[blue22]

defense will argue that THAT case made him worry and do the recent searches

It was not a parent who left the child in a hot car, though. It was a child who climbed into the car when children were playing. However, I could see how a story where a child dies and no one is charged (and in fact thought of as victims) got his wheels turning. I am very curious if he went to actual news stories of children dying in cars.

 

[newone]

Monday onday June 16th Florida 9 mo old girl

"She's been in the car for hours, and I absolutely forgot about her," said Steven Lillie, the child's father. "She's not alive."
http://www.floridatoday.com/story/n...d-girl-found-dead-rockledge-vehicle/10653437/

two main differences so far


he rushed out right away and hollered for help

he wasn't googling how long does it take etc.

 

[blue22]

No! I think the poster meant the father should have suggested Cooper be put up for adoption if he didn't want to be a dad.

There were fertility problems.
Maybe he was ok with it and then she got pregnant.
How could a husband ask a wife such a thing?

I have seen it done...
Usually the people couldn't afford another child, already had a houseful.
moo

And we know his views on abortion now...

 

[*JMO*]

So somebody calls 911 and very quickly both LE and ambulance arrive. I don't think RH expected the LE. I think the plan was that ambulance would come, CPR would continue to no avail, and he'd go to ER as victim.
He'd get his wife all to himself again , get a bit of freedom, and everyone would perceive him as a victim of horrible circumstances.

Not sure why he led with the choking story, but apparently he quickly changed that to accidentally left in car. When LE began questioning him, I think he was surprised and angry. I think he saw their doubt and he threw out the story of internet search to try and gain sympathy. This backfired on him.

When he called his wife I don't think he expected LE to be hovering over him and I think he was ticked off by this. When told by LE to "watch your language" I
I believe he became irate. He realized he was not in control of the situation.

Great post!

I have wondered about what he said that caused the officer to tell him to "watch your mouth!" (according to witness) and then immediately cuff him. The witness made it sound that this was transpiring either while he was speaking with his wife or shortly after. If this is accurate then it may be telling about his temper and coping skills. I also wondered if his comment that the officer was warning about was directed at the wife on the phone or the officer himself.

Either way, it doesn't match with the picture of the conservative, highly religious person that his public life seems to depict him as...even taking into account the stress of finding his child deceased.

 

[popsicle]

Bumping myself, because I didn't finish my thoughts. I don't know if I can actually link to information about this case. I really got me thinking. It's a month and a few days later. What if he saw this on the news and thought about it all month. What if a another tragedy, caused him to realize that he could create an accident? I am so emotionally charged in this case, I don't know if I'm being rational. Like I said, circumstances are different, but it's a month earlier and it would be on the local news. I can't shake that!

I looked it up and I don't think it is what spurred his thoughts. Usually these reports are covered widely on news shows though and there were a couple already this year that better fit what he did.

 

[RaeL]

It's not about the agony, it's about a death that is deemed accidental in most cases, and does not reveal foul play in autopsy. I wonder if any other children have died in a car near their city recently nd the parents were looked at as victims in a tragic accident?

Yep. I also wonder if, when he was a dispatcher, he had any calls related to this. Maybe gave him the idea.

 

[Gardenlady]

It might have been. That sounds familiar.



I agree. Usually the devastation of the loss is plenty of punishment. We had a case of a father backing over his 3 yr old baby girl in the driveway. Both parents felt so much guilt because the mom had not closed the front door all of the way and went to kitchen, and the girl ran out to ask to go with dad. Both of them felt so horribly devastated. I cannot find any blame because 'there but for the grace of god go I.'



It just seems different in this case. I cannot understand how someone can 'forget' their child is in the car within 3 minutes time. It is not like he drove 45 minutes through rush hour and the baby was sound asleep and silent.

It's that damn three minute trip that gets me too. He wasn't spending a half hour commute tying to put out various fires on the phone, he wasn't doing something out of the usual routine and he certainly had NO TIME at all to get absorbed in anything else so deeply that he could so completely forget the child he just ate breakfast with three minutes ago! :furious:




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[CHERIE.T]

I just wonder whose idea all of this was? Think about it - they had to make arrangements for the phone to be attached to some sort of microphone - arrange for him to be able to call from jail at just the right time, etc.,etc.

Anyone else suspect that his Defense attorney had a hand in getting this set-up?

Absolutely orchestrated, IMO.

 

[gxm]

I'm afraid with the right jury, this guy could get off.

I agree. And I hate it. We've seen it happen before and if this case goes to trial, it has the potential to be a complete heart breaker.

 

[Linda7NJ]

Yep. Because being a parent means putting your child's needs ahead of yours. And from what I've read of this man, he is incredibly self-centered and self-absorbed, and I don't think his ego could tolerate even a pretense of parental responsibility.

Great photo prop though...."look at me, look at me, ain't I a great dad?"


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[jjenny]

defense will argue that THAT case made him worry and do the recent searches

If he was so concerned and worried, how did his child end up dead?
So I don't think it will fly.

 

[blue22]

Great post!

I have wondered about what he said that caused the officer to tell him to "watch your mouth!" (according to witness) and then immediately cuff him. The witness made it sound that this was transpiring either while he was speaking with his wife or shortly after. If this is accurate then it may be telling about his temper and coping skills. I also wondered if his comment that the officer was warning about was directed at the wife on the phone or the officer himself.

Either way, it doesn't match with the picture of the conservative, highly religious person that his public life seems to depict him as...even taking into account the stress of finding his child deceased.

IMO, they didn't cuff him, because of whatever comment he made.

"Rodney says Harris was then handcuffed by police officers after he became irate during a heart-breaking phone call to his wife Leanna during which he told her ‘our baby is dead’.

Rodney said: ‘He was going crazy and the police cuffed him."