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

[RANCH]

Hi Ranch:
Could you explain this a little more for me please? I am just not getting it.
Thanks

"Maliciously causing excessive physical or mental pain" means the state would have to show that the defendant used malice.

Malice

The intentional commission of a wrongful act, absent justification, with the intent to cause harm to others; conscious violation of the law that injures another individual; a mental state indicating a disposition in disregard of social duty and a tendency toward malfeasance.

By reducing the charge against JRH to second degree child cruelty, the state doesn't have to show malice.

JMO.

http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/malice

 

[Linda7NJ]

Ughhh. Your right, the small muscles stiffen first and witnesses said his legs were already stiff. His tongue/face/neck would be rigid, and a stranger was performing CPR on him. I know folks sometimes do that when they find "very" deceased love ones but that seems so freaky to me, especially a stranger being willing to do it.

IMO it could have been simply a few chest compressions.


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[IHAVENOCLUE]

They should have cited him for whatever and then waited to arrest him until they had a case. I can not believe he has not gotten bail yet.

What bothers me most in cases is when I feel like there is a rush to judgment or arrest and all the facts are not in yet.

I am not accusing anyone if being in a conspiracy here. Don't know where that came from.

Wait for a case to be completed? I am sorry but I do not understand...

sometimes it takes a year or more to get a case developed ready for trial...

:waitasec:

 

[Synaptic Cliff]

I see what you are saying...

but the fact that there is the POSSIBILITY of JRH being able to see his child in the car seat may diminish the "I couldn't see my son from my drivers seat" defense...

In fact... Wouldn't it be dangerous to have car seats where the parents CANNOT see their child when driving?

silent choking, checking on welfare of child, etc... Comes to my mind... :waitasec:

JMO

I found this inability to see the child in the rear facing car seat incredibly frustrating when my children were in them. I even pulled over from time to time just to check on the baby in the back because I hadn't heard him/her make noise in a few minutes. It's amazing I ever got anyplace! :scared:

 

[Spice]

Georgia Child Cruelty in Degrees:

Under Georgia law, a person can be convicted of cruelty to children in the first, second, or third degree. In order to be charged with cruelty to children, the person must be a parent, guardian, or other person supervising the welfare of or having immediate charge or custody of a child under the age of eighteen.

Child Cruelty 1st Degree: First degree cruelty to children occurs when any person maliciously causes a child cruel or excessive physical or mental pain or deprives the child of necessary sustenance to the extent that the child's health or well-being is jeopardized.

Child Cruelty 2nd Degree: Cruelty to children in the second degree occurs when any person causes a child excessive physical or mental pain through that person's criminal negligence.

Child Cruelty 3rd Degree: Cruelty to children in the third degree occurs when the primary aggressor in a forcible felony, battery, or family violence battery intentionally allows a child to witness the crime or knowingly commits the crime when a child is present and the child sees or hears the act.

http://www.millerbrownlaw.com/Cruelty_to_Children.php

 

[gngr~snap]

Has it been confirmed that leanna worked and if so why? TIA

bbm Where not why

No it has not and I do not think we are allowed to discuss. If it is released in msm the I guess it could be discussed.
She did graduate from college. I think that much has been stated.

"Leanna Harris is a 2002 graduate of Demopolis Academy in Alabama, and attended the University of Alabama where she studied food and nutrition. The couple now lives in Marietta."
http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2014/06/wife_of_justin_ross_harris_als.html

 

[Chewy]

thank you for this (sad) information...

I imagine the prosecution will use similar slides/photos/information in the trial to let the jurors understand just how agonizing this type of death is...

JMO

As the duration of exposure increases, endothelial damage occurs to the microvasculature and children may develop cutaneous signs of coagulopathy, including petechiae and purpura. Terminal hyperthermia results in cardiac arrhythmias and deep gasping.6-8 In a series of autopsies of children who died from vehicular hyperthermia, the most consistent finding was intrathoracic petechiae, presumed to be due to deep gasping.9 Although victims of heat stroke may progress to cerebral edema, multiorgan hemorrhage, and necrosis or rhabdomyolysis, these injuries are not believed to be present during acute heat stroke.9

"choking"

 

[jennapuppy]

My dog had a pinched nerve in his neck and was in a lot of pain from it. After he recovered and enough time had passed per the vet, I took him back to Doggie daycare which he loves. I not only informed them and asked that they keep any eye on any excessive activity, Yep, I called mid-day to check on him.

That was my dog.

A caring parent would have informed the daycare, upon arrival, that the child had been sick and ask them to keep an eye on him and call if there were a problem.

Cooper should have been on his mind even more than usual, just because he had been ill!

 

[keeponsearching]

I found this inability to see the child in the rear facing car seat incredibly frustrating when my children were in them. I even pulled over from time to time just to check on the baby in the back because I hadn't heard him/her make noise in a few minutes. It's amazing I ever got anyplace! :scared:

I would have the hardest time keeping them rear faced, even though it is safer. I was lucky to have my son a few years older and he would tell me what his sister was doing. I would probably stop a lot more today if they were still babies. I would invest in safety mirrors.

 

[Hamsterdance]

Ughhh. Your right, the small muscles stiffen first and witnesses said his legs were already stiff. His tongue/face/neck would be rigid, and a stranger was performing CPR on him. I know folks sometimes do that when they find "very" deceased love ones but that seems so freaky to me, especially a stranger being willing to do it.

The CPR involved may have just been chest compressions.

edited to add...Oops, didn't see your post till after, Linda.

IMO it could have been simply a few chest compressions.


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[Hamsterdance]

That also struck me. I almost wondered if she was projecting. Was she a late bloomer and her own high school years ones that she felt sad and tormented? Were there more reasons that she would feel his life would not have been one of dreams fulfilled?

Speaking as a parent who has raised her children, when mine were babies and toddlers I looked toward their future years with rose colored glasses. They would be smart, successful, handsome with so much to look forward to.

As those years came along, of course reality set in. There were the teenage sassy mouths, the bad grade, the groundings, lol. We survived it all and they are happy, well adjusted adults. But when they were babies, I only had visions of the years ahead as perfect as their little fingers and toes.

My point is that I think most young first time parents would dream of their child discovering the cure for cancer, or being the star quarterback, or going to Harvard, or becoming president..all things are possible with that perfect, most wonderful child ever to grace this earth!

Instead, she had a pessimistic, depressing outlook on what the future held for this child. It seemed very unusual to me that what would normally be a celebration of his life that was full of hope and promise was instead given such a downer of what his future years would have been.

Yet in another breath she mentions future children with her husband!

 

[LisaB]

The state will have to prove that he was aware and the defense will try and show that he wasn't aware. I'm not sure he was aware at this point.

JMO.

He googled it. She googled it. How could they NOT be aware?

 

[Spice]

No it has not and I do not think we are allowed to discuss. If it is released in msm the I guess it could be discussed.
She did graduate from college. I think that much has been stated.
I better look for a link!
brb

I do think early on, that it was stated in MSM that Mom worked part-time which was why she was in charge of picking Cooper up from Daycare because her hours were shorter. Dad was in charge of dropping off because he worked full time.

They never mentioned where she worked. Just what I wrote above.

 

[tangelo]

I have been trying to think how I would react if I had been in Harris's position. I THINK I would have stopped as soon as I realized my child was there - even if it was the middle of the road. I would probably grab the child out of the car, and then just collapsed after realizing it was too late. I don't think I would be on my phone, walking around, asking for help.... I realize we don't know until it happens to us, but I can see being passed out cold on the ground, and if not, I'd be crying hysterically. I just don't think I'd have the presence of mind to be able to make conversation, dial a phone, or walk in circles. My mug shot would be of a devastated, red eyed woman - there would be no defiance on my face - just sorrow. I wouldn't forgive myself.

I know there is no normal in these situations. I think one of my huge perceptions in this case is the mug shot. IMO, Harris looks defiant.

His defense is , he should look defiant. His child just died in a tragic accident & he's been arrested. He was counting on the outpouring of sympathy and hugs that usually come when a parent straps a kid in a car and leaves him there until he dies. Check out carsandkids org, it only happens to good parents. It's a gross injustice to think it a crime. He's a victim then, like the mother.

 

[chlban]

That also struck me. I almost wondered if she was projecting. Was she a late bloomer and her own high school years ones that she felt sad and tormented? Were there more reasons that she would feel his life would not have been one of dreams fulfilled?

Speaking as a parent who has raised her children, when mine were babies and toddlers I looked toward their future years with rose colored glasses. They would be smart, successful, handsome with so much to look forward to.

As those years came along, of course reality set in. There were the teenage sassy mouths, the bad grade, the groundings, lol. We survived it all and they are happy, well adjusted adults. But when they were babies, I only had visions of the years ahead as perfect as their little fingers and toes.

My point is that I think most young first time parents would dream of their child discovering the cure for cancer, or being the star quarterback, or going to Harvard, or becoming president..all things are possible with that perfect, most wonderful child ever to grace this earth!

Instead, she had a pessimistic, depressing outlook on what the future held for this child. It seemed very unusual to me that what would normally be a celebration of his life that was full of hope and promise was instead given such a downer of what his future years would have been.

This. You said it better than I did, but this is really what struck me about her comments.

Yes, I think your rose colored glasses are the norm. Sure, realistically. we knpw there will be disappointments and the inevitable first broken heart. But we all survived that and we expect that our children, being the best and brightest ever created, will have an easier time.

Her outlook is really wierd and creepy, IMO.

 

[RANCH]

He googled it. She googled it. How could they NOT be aware?

Aware of what?

 

[keeponsearching]

Do we have a confirmation on which Carseat Cooper was in? Was it still a infant or moved to a convertible one?

Looking at a size chart. The infant seats go to 22 lbs. At his age he could really be anything but here is a chart. http://www.babycenter.com/0_your-childs-size-and-growth-timeline_10357633.bc

I wonder if they just recently switched car seats. I have seen a few rear facing and they can be huge.

 

[Spice]

"choking"

But he was long dead.....likely expired for six hours by the time RH got into the car. The gasping from heat stroke would have long passed by 4:00 P.M.

I think he panicked and made up the choking story when he had to drive to a restaurant and reveal that his son was dead. Then he backpedaled and went back to "I forgot."

How could he think he was choking....when the car smelled rancid and he drove for a mile in it.

I think the "choking" is important but not because he actually heard such a thing.

 

[oh_gal]

I'm still inclined to think Cooper's death wasn't premeditated, but just the result of extreme negligence from a father trying to save money on day care expenses by using the car as a babysitter.

We haven't heard anyone from Home Depot day care comment on whether Cooper was expected at day care on Wednesday, June 18.

This gets back to my question -- does anyone know whether Home Depot employees who use corporate day care are charged by the month, the day, or the pay period?

For example, I'm paid twice a month -- on the 15th and the last day of the month. June 16th was the start of a new pay period. June 18th was the third day into my latest pay period.

It's the only way I can make the pieces fit --

• it explains the internet searches (how hot does it have to be?)
• the mother's statement that Cooper hadn't slept the past two nights (sedated to sleep during the day?)
• why RH checked the car at lunch (thought Cooper was still asleep?)
• RH headed for home instead of day care (RH thinks smell is a soiled diaper, but LH will deal with that at home shortly)
• "What have I done?" (three days of Russian roulette)

jmo

Let's say he was using the car as a babysitter.

That is just plain cruel, to strap your child into a sitting position for 7 hours straight. I mean...aside from the total lack of human interaction...the poor child needed to move around! And what about eating?? And diaper changes?

So, either way, whether he meant for this to happen, or was just using the car as a babysitter, he's not the great dad his wife made him out to be, is he?

 

[Linda7NJ]

His defense is , he should look defiant. His child just died in a tragic accident & he's been arrested. He was counting on the outpouring of sympathy and hugs that usually come when a parent straps a kid in a car and leaves him there until he dies. Check out carsandkids org, it only happens to good parents. It's a gross injustice to think it a crime. He's a victim then, like the mother.

I think he's playing it wrong from a defense standpoint. I would think "grief stricken & full of remorse & sorrow" would play better.

At the funeral service he apologizes...apologizes for not being able to attend....

Wow... IMO it's all "off"
from start to finish.


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