GA - Suspicion over heat death of Cooper, 22 mo., Cobb County, June 2014, #5

[mrsu]

I haven't checked in here for awhile but have been following this case via news articles. I'm still on the fence and am eagerly awaiting more info to be released.

While I agree that not a lot of what the father did makes sense, I have absolutely no idea how I would react if something that horrific truly happened and I knew I was directly responsible for it.

I believe things like this could happen. I forgot my baby in her infant carrier once - no, it wasn't in a hot car, but it does happen. My dd was in the NICU for a long time and had several appointments after we brought her home. One day I loaded up the kids for a dr. appt and made it half way to the dr. office before my 3yo reminded me that we had forgotten the baby!!! Holy sleep deprivation! Drove back home and there she was sleeping perfectly in her carseat in our mudroom. :/ THINGS HAPPEN.

I personally don't put too much into the internet searches. I'd like to hear a little more about what exactly was searched and when. With a similar case local to them, I would not find it strange that someone be looking up that sort of thing on the internet. So many of us have said here that if anyone close to us came up "missing" we would be concerned about some of our own internet searches. I imagine they could be a big problem for some of us. I know I read about the woman who poisoned her husband with Visine. I had never heard of it - never knew it was even remotely poisonous so I searched it and read more about it. I read about the mother who poisoned her child by giving her too much salt (in a feeding tube I think it was?)...again, was complete curiosity. I would hate to think what would happen to me if something happened to my husband or kids - and just because of internet searches.

I am so so sad for this little boy though - how horrific. If it was premeditated, there is a special place in he!! for this awful person.

 

[Starry Night]

If you lived somewhere like that, your toddler would probably be strapped to your back or your hip while you walked, and very likely slept in the same bed as you.

People here who do not live like that do the same thing. A child is a child is a gift.
The whole world over.

 

[blue22]

I just wanted to thank you for this post. We all forget sometimes -- like you said, grocery list, or drive-thru meals. These are one-of's. I even forget to pick up the mail at least once a week because it's just not that high on my priority list.

However, my son has always been my #1 priority (even though he's a snarky 17 year old now).

The fact that Harris made several oopsies in a short span of time bothers me; especially not giving Cooper a single thought all day. And why did he go all the way to the strip mall, when it was posted in the last thread that he had to pass a gas station.

IMHO, if this was an accident, he would have known so the second he opened the door to his car. Nevermind starting the car, nevermind probably having to look back to reverse out of the parking space, and the stench. How does he explain away not noticing the stench? Instead he drives several miles (2 I believe) before he stops and "asks for help". The 911 call should have been made by him at his place of employment the moment he opened that door.

All the other nonsense (oh, God what have I done) was a show, a sick little show, IMHO.

This is only my opinion and belief. Thanks.

Melanie

Yep.

1. Forgot about him after breakfast
2. Forgot about him at lunch
3. Forgot about at him when he got in his car

I looked for a case, ANY case where a parent did not remember a child during the day, when they were given the opportunity. I could not find one. He had THREE opportunities (in the least) to remember Cooper.

 

[tlcya]

I'm not sure about this ABC report.



While "willfully deprives the child necessary sustenance" is part of the first degree child cruelty statute it's not the only requirement. Here's the statute for first degree.



Section (a) talks about "sustenance" while section (b) talks about maliciously causing physical or mental pain.

I wonder what the real reason is for LE reducing the charges? Is it because they can't show malice?

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/warrant-ga-man-returned-car-son-inside-24297276

http://law.onecle.com/georgia/16/16-5-70.html

this is my belief. At this time they cannot count on proving malice. I think they believe it was there but I think they are a ways from proving it. If the computer forensics or something else comes along evidentiary to help further illustrate it they can bump them back up but for now the 2nd degree gets them where they want to be.

This is just my own. I have discovered via this case that GA law differs from my state law quite a bit. on things like murder.

 

[IHAVENOCLUE]

Well, playing devils advocate and seeing the defense already being laid out at the funeral service....I'll say... He did sleep in his parents bed the two nights prior. Everyone was sleep deprived....he was cutting teeth..sick...something.
He didn't hear his son, because he's deaf in his right ear. ) bottle rocket mishap)

You'll be hearing that at trial.. Bank on it. IMO

How he's going to get around that foreshadowing float to his father about seeing Cooper on Jesus's lap.... Well, I hope ALL the jurors are smart enough to know psychics don't exist.

all IMO

All IMO


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Regarding the bottle rocket incidence... I wonder if there will also be a "brain damage" defense move , too...

:waitasec:

 

[cavvy]

At his point, I hope it to be. I can only hope they have said nothing and, because how do you explain away leaving that tidbit from police?

I hear ya - I hope so too.

 

[octobermoon]

Regarding the bottle rocket incidence... I wonder if there will also be a "brain damage" defense move , too...

:waitasec:

I missed the bottle rocket story, can you fill me in? TIA

 

[sorrell skye]

What child is choking? He did not know he had a child in the car. Oh whoopsie.

Dad starts screaming he killed his child because he left the child in the car.

So which is it?

Hi Human! :seeya:

I know, right?

I don't believe for a single second that this so-called "father" thought his baby was choking.

At that point, he KNEW Cooper had been in the hot car all day.

I think he was acting, and very poorly, at that, according to bystanders who've given statements to the media.

 

[Nana46]

I missed the bottle rocket story, can you fill me in? TIA

I went there but did not read it. Some folks read his Reddit account and he had stated something about losing partial hearing in his ear due to a bottle rocket accident....(paraphrased here.) HTH

I read some of his stuff but missed this one.

 

[octobermoon]

I went there but did not read it. Some folks read his Reddit account and he had stated something about losing partial hearing in his ear due to a bottle rocket accident....(paraphrased here.) HTH

Thank you

 

[RANCH]

this is my belief. At this time they cannot count on proving malice. I think they believe it was there but I think they are a ways from proving it. If the computer forensics or something else comes along evidentiary to help further illustrate it they can bump them back up but for now the 2nd degree gets them where they want to be.

This is just my own. I have discovered via this case that GA law differs from my state law quite a bit. on things like murder.

I wonder why they charged first degree child cruelty at the very beginning and then downgraded it to second degree? You would think that they would have gone with second degree at the beginning and upgraded to first degree after further investigation garnered more evidence to support it. Like you say, second degree gets them where they want to be for now.

I don't know. It just seems a bit strange to me.

 

[IHAVENOCLUE]

One more post...things I would like to know...if he forgot he was in the car...then why didn't he leave work in the direction of the daycare? If he wasn't suppose to pick him up then what time was mom picking him up...if it was earlier then this says a lot...where did he park that day...I've asked that though...what was item placed in car? He's a big guy in a smaller car...would he be rather close to baby? Would his positioning in car give a different viewing advantage to rear view into back seat? I'm short 5'1...would I see same view? What happens to body during hypothermia? Would he vomit? And so on...so many more questions.


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All VERY good questions....

and ones I hope we get answers to!

:seeya:

 

[JLSChook]

Regarding the bottle rocket incidence... I wonder if there will also be a "brain damage" defense move , too...

:waitasec:

Don't give them any ideas. :slap:

 

[blue22]

Has LE mentioned how long toxicology could take? Thanks!

 

[IHAVENOCLUE]

We also have just a taste of the case-just enough to get the warrants. They popped bio dad right away after his interview. LE was shocked and distressed. Little man appears to have been in full rigor and was undoubtedly soiled after such a distressing, cruel death.

The cherry for me is the self serving (jmo) phone call into the funeral. The service should have been about Cooper and dad should have had enough self control not to deflect from that. But he made himself a centerpiece. And then he told the story of the dream he had prior to Coopers death.

We will see how this unfolds, but so far it is enough for me to believe that they should be holding tight to dad.

I agree with your points here...

But... IIRC... It was Dock Taylor, LH's dad, who shared the "dream story" at the funeral... Though... JRH would have had to tell him first, of course...

someone correct me if I am wrong...

TIA...:seeya:

 

[blue22]

I wonder why they charged first degree child cruelty at the very beginning and then downgraded it to second degree? You would think that they would have gone with second degree at the beginning and upgraded to first degree after further investigation garnered more evidence to support it. Like you say, second degree gets them where they want to be for now.

I don't know. It just seems a bit strange to me.

I will try to find any links, but I believe the magistrate reduced the charge, based upon the evidence available at that moment.

 

[newone]

I must admit I have considered this possiblity but the thing is, while tox is not back COD was physiologically determined at autopsy to have been hyperthermia, death by extreme heat.

MOD is homicide or not but COD was determined without doubt to have been hyperthermia. So when did Cooper die in the hot car if not that day? If he was met by mom at CFA to hand over a dead child to place in the car seat when did he die? Because autopsy supports he died that day in that car?

what if mom brought a ''sleeping'' baby to the vehicle/restaurant ((looked like he was sleeping ''at last'' after a tough night )KWIM tox screen will sure be interesting possibly MOOO

 

[RANCH]

Regarding the bottle rocket incidence... I wonder if there will also be a "brain damage" defense move , too...

:waitasec:

I haven't read about a bottle rocket. I doubt a bottle rocket would cause brain damage.

 

[IHAVENOCLUE]

Oh linask it's been ruff on this thread. We've been food fighting with that groom cake. Lol

ciao

:cake: >>>>>>> bride

:cake4u: >>>>>groom

:snowball: >>>>> WS food fight

 

[Irisha]

Still that pesky afternoon visit to his car...


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Could he have put an outside thermometer or some kind of paper air freshener in the afternoon walkout to his car then threw them out of the window when he left? Just a thought.