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

[IHAVENOCLUE]

Same here, but I'm not so sure that a sleeping Cooper would have suffered less. When I did my research I learned a lot about how heat stroke/hyperthermia progresses and towards the terminal stage the victim begins deep gasping – enough to cause intrathoracic petechiae (tiny hemorrhages in the chest cavity) as the heart struggles to pump blood and oxygen through the body.

Unless Cooper was deeply sedated it's likely the lack of air would have aroused him. As time went on he probably became comatose but since the average length of time for death by hyperthermia to occur is about 4.6 hours, well...

Here's more info if you have a strong stomach:

http://www.jems.com/article/patient-care/how-treat-vehicular-hyperthermia-childre

This is a long and agonizing way to die.

So would someone please tell me again how a concerned and fearful parent would research this manner of death and then go on to expose their baby to those exact circumstances – by accident because they were distracted....

This case makes me sick. :furious::stormingmad:

ETA: By sleeping I meant from a dose of Benedryl. IMO it would have to be something stronger like a prescription drug.

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

 

[IHAVENOCLUE]

I do NOT believe for one moment he didn't ever think of his son during his work day. I also read at CNN he took his son daily , therefore he had a routine.
Such a caring parent that researches a child left in a hot car and how does researching this help no leave a child in a car, this does not make any sense at all.
I have 3 babies, this is not something that I ever worried about, I wouldn't forget my child.

Just as an aside... I wonder if JRH had photos of his son on his work desk or hanging in his office...

these would further be catalysts for helping him "remember" his son throughout the work day...

JMO

 

[nightwatch]

I agree he may not have been going anywhere, but I'll bet they had good reason to arrest -- and they could have had good reason to separate Ross from Leanna AND separate him from all electronics or any other evidence as quickly as possible. Perhaps they could have waited to have "a smoking gun" but after the altercation in the parking lot were concerned that some of the evidence might be disposed of and/or it would give him more time to straighten out his story.

Good point about separating the two before he had a chance to manipulate his wife further. Jmo

ciao

 

[daisy7]

EXACTLY

I wouldn't send my child to daycare not feeling well.
I would stay home with my baby.

Do we know that he was not feeling well? IIRC, Mom said Connor had not been sleeping well so he slept in his parents' bed the last 2 nights (which could have been anything at that age). Can someone provide a link that Connor was sick?

 

[Elley Mae]

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

bbm Where not why

 

[Charterhouse]

Here's Georgia's first degree child cruelty statute.



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

First degree child cruelty would need malice to be a factor for it to be used in this case. JMO.

http://law.justia.com/codes/georgia/2010/title-16/chapter-5/article-5/16-5-70/

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

 

[chlban]

http://www.hlntv.com/article/2014/06/30/georgia-toddler-hot-car-cooper-harris-leanna-funeral

hln seems to have more of Mom's statement from the service ^^^

Oh my. I am totally getting Casey Anthony flashbacks on this one, but instead of a lunatic mother covering for her kid, it's a lunatic wife. Or worse yet, she is in on it, something I never believed about Cindy Anthony (definitely in denial, but not involved in the actual murder).

She's glad he won't endure Jr. High and High School? Is that normal to anyone? I loved High School, but I would assume even for people that didn't, you would just hope your child would. Isn't that what most parents do? Hope for you child's life to be better than your own?

And it's OK he's dead because he doesn't have to worry about who to sit with at lunch in Jr. High? Seriously?

I also have to say, that although I am a believer, and thankfully have never had to endure the death of a child, I am not so sure I could say I wasn't angry with God, only days after the death of my child. Maybe in time I wouldn't be, I don't know, but I am pretty sure I would be mad at the entire world and God at least in the immediate aftermath. I would damn sure be mad at my husband. Geez, how can you not be? Even if you think it's an accident I would be furious that he was that negligent with out child.

I know, statistically, that most marriages do not survive the death of a child. I cannot imagine any marriage that would survive it under these circumstances, even if you believed 100% that your spouse did not mean to do it. Now I realize it is too early to say this marriage will either, but this crazy broad sounds like she is more interested in defending hubby than mourning her child. I detest women like that. Your kids come first. Always.

That "leader of the household" crap creeps me out too.

 

[who knew?]

You misread. I said if there is a death, there will be an investigation.

Otherwise, (meaning no death, just an injury) there won't be an investigation unless something seems off.

Maybe not in Georgia, but there will be in Illinois. And this isn't just regarding children - when my mom broke her hip, my dad and mom were thoroughly questioned to be sure it had been an accident. My husband is LE - mandatory reporter. Teachers, doctors, day care workers, school volunteers- all mandatory reporters. Anything with broken bones, bruises, and burns are looked into.

 

[Charterhouse]

Good point about separating the two before he had a chance to manipulate his wife further. Jmo

ciao

So true. Don't we wish this would have happened in more cases.

 

[chlban]

That's a good point. Also, if my son had been so sick that I'd been letting him sleep with me, I would call the daycare during the day to check on him.

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.

 

[Lyra500]

I posted a link back where early stages of decomposition were discussed, and one of the common things that happens in the hours prior to death is corpses burp and fart, often causing them to lurch a little.

Gross.

But really, it's believable he heard a choking sound. All this stuff - that sounds outrageous and unbelievable - isn't.

I really do not think it is believable.

Also, if you are arguing that the decomposition process could have resulted in the body making noises, I wonder what your view is on why the father did not smell his son's decomposing body?


Just as you find it hard to understand why people think this man may be guilty of a deliberate act, I am really curoius to know why some folk seem so convinced he is innocent given the points below:

• The claim to have forgotten his son was in the car mere minutes after having strapped him in there
• Not taking him to day care when it was something which the father did every morning he was at work
• Not noticing Cooper was in the car when he parked at work - it has already been documented that he was a bright talkative child. Is it credible that he was completely silent on the trip from the breakfast joint?
• Not noticing a smell when he returned to the car at lunchtime
• Not noticing the smell (described as a clear strong reek of decomposition by both LE officers) when he returned to the car at the end of his working day
• acting as if his son was still alive and making a show of trying to resuscitate him when he was quite clearly in rigor mortis
• Searching online about what temperature and time is required to cause child death in a car just days before this happened. Is his explanation that he searched because he was worried it might happen and then by pure coincidence made the self same thing happen within days credible? Really? They have lived in the same climate since before Cooper was born haven't they? Surely, this would be something you researched and got your 'management plans' worked out for when your child is born, not out of the blue when they are 22 months old and just days before they actually die in that manner.

No one is saying that a child cannot die in this way accidentally - what they are saying is that there are way too many 'odd' things about this particular death which all suggest that sadly it was anything but an accident.

with all due respect, neither a burp nor a fart resembles choking.

JMO

Exactly

 

[1&2&3]

A medical expert has stated that Cooper would have been dead with an hour in those temperatures.

He was definitely dead by noon. He had been in there since 9:30 A.M.

I agree with you and believe RH was checking to see if Cooper had died yet.

This sentence BBM is strong. How could a father go back into work after checking on his murder victim! Actually seeing what he had done would be an overwhelming sight for most parents.

A narcissist has no empathy.

 

[Davia18]

Oh my. I am totally getting Casey Anthony flashbacks on this one, but instead of a lunatic mother covering for her kid, it's a lunatic wife. Or worse yet, she is in on it, something I never believed about Cindy Anthony (definitely in denial, but not involved in the actual murder).

She's glad he won't endure Jr. High and High School? Is that normal to anyone? I loved High School, but I would assume even for people that didn't, you would just hope your child would. Isn't that what most parents do? Hope for you child's life to be better than your own?

And it's OK he's dead because he doesn't have to worry about who to sit with at lunch in Jr. High? Seriously?

I also have to say, that although I am a believer, and thankfully have never had to endure the death of a child, I am not so sure I could say I wasn't angry with God, only days after the death of my child. Maybe in time I wouldn't be, I don't know, but I am pretty sure I would be mad at the entire world and God at least in the immediate aftermath. I would damn sure be mad at my husband. Geez, how can you not be? Even if you think it's an accident I would be furious that he was that negligent with out child.

I know, statistically, that most marriages do not survive the death of a child. I cannot imagine any marriage that would survive it under these circumstances, even if you believed 100% that your spouse did not mean to do it. Now I realize it is too early to say this marriage will either, but this crazy broad sounds like she is more interested in defending hubby than mourning her child. I detest women like that. Your kids come first. Always.

That "leader of the household" crap creeps me out too.

Yep the entire thing was off. For High School I didn't like it however I just hope better for my kids and I learned from my mistakes and pass that education onto my children. Then to say wouldn't bring him back , then go on to say may have another child. WTH I say

 

[msinformed]

If found guilty, I do not believe the death penalty is the ONLY option. I think it is the HARSHEST available option, but think if there are minimum sentencing guidelines there is a possibility of MUCH more lenient sentences. Perhaps there are no mandatory minimums and someone could be found guilty and sentenced to time served...

If found guilty of what he is currently charged with, the penalty is ONLY life in prison or death. hth

 

[CHERIE.T]

I am still not sure what door he opened at lunch. The only reference I can see is a "driver side door." When I have to put something in my car, I don't put it in my drivers seat..I put it where I can leave it till I get home. ....so I'm curious as to whether it was the driver DOOR that he opened. Or the back door on the "driver side."

If it is something so small that he just tosses it on the driver seat....why even make a special trip? I wonder if he told anyone ..."I'm running out to my car." I wonder if that was "usual" for him.

I also wonder if he got coffee to go at Chik-Fil-a? Because if he did that is one other thing that should have jolted his memory. That cup...in his hand...on his desk.

I'm pretty sure that 'driver side door' is just that....the door the driver uses to get into the car and drive. :seeya:

 

[IHAVENOCLUE]

I wondered how the parking lot was configured. Did he have to back out of his parking space? If so, did he not look back? I know with a car seat - it seems it might have blocked his rear view or at lease he would check his blind spots.

It may be one of those parking lots where he could have driven straight out if there was no vehicle in front blocking him....just another thought.

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

 

[Sonya610]

**Warning-death change discussion below**

If little man were in full rigor, his jaws, his tongue...all would have been fixed and rigid.

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.

 

[*JMO*]

That bothered me as well. My son is entering his senior year, and there is no torment? What is she on about? Is she referring to puberty, or the heartache of a first girlfriend. Trust me, there are more joys in these years, than torment (for most children). But Cooper was only 22 months old. She couldn't predict what would happen in his teen years anymore than I could.

JMHO.

Mel

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.

 

[Linda7NJ]

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 would a imagine that a parent soooo concern about his child dying in a hot car that he researched it, at work. Would have next searched for preventative ideas, tips...etc.

I'm sure there are mirrors or other devices...or FREE tips... Like putting his cell phone back there.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[who knew?]

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.