GA - Suspicion over heat death of Cooper, 22 mo., Cobb County, June 2014, #6

[RANCH]

I'm with you. Motive might not be necessary in a court of law but it would sure go a long way in the court of Snoopy, in large part because my heart/head do not want to wrap around the idea that a parent would willingly put their child through such a horrendous, tortuous death. I want more proof before I land squarely on the "oh he's so guilty of planning the death of his child" side of the fence because it is such a foreign concept to me. Even though I now it happens, my brain just wants to reject the idea.

I think that it's possible, but not certain, we will see some more evidence that JRH is guilty as charged. A clear motive will certainly bolster any of that evidence.

A lack of a clear motive could diminish the value of that evidence and leave room for reasonable doubt.

JMO.

 

[Nana46]

This info is inaccurate. The Church of Christ denomination DOES use music in their services. SOME of them do not use musical instruments, but MANY do use them. It depends on the particular church. A quick google search will show many references to explain this issue.

Not here they don't. I work with many CofC and they do not allow musical instruments of any kind. Now they may in other areas but around here that is a no no to them. Some of my dearest friends are of this belief.

Not trying to argue....just stating how it is here.:seeya:

ETA: One of my dearest friend's just this week posted a link on FB of why musical instruments should never be used in church. I read it and it was interesting. But we use music where I go so to each his own.

 

[MissJ]

Well casey Anthony's jury didn't see a motive either. They weren't convinced by 30 days of mindless partying down.jmo

 

[JLSChook]

Salem you keep moving the thread every few days and now I can't find it via crime news. Where can you find a link to the original posts?

If you go to one of the first posts in this thread, by Salem, you will see links to every other thread on this case.

 

[Karmady]

JR was taken in for questioning because the odor of death reeking from his vehicle and his tiny son's body was in rigor. LE charged him after learning he performed an internet search on how long it takes to die in a hot car.

Connor, his was not a quick death. It was like being strapped in a scalding sauna with clothes on. As the temperatures continued to climb, his body functions began shutting down, forcing Connor to gasp for each breath of hot air. It was very painful as his muscles twitched from dehydration. I do not believe this child went quietly. There must be signs on his little clothes or his carseat of him attempting to resist the painful intense, unrelenting hyperthermia.

Cooper. The baby's name is Cooper.

 

[RANCH]

Well casey Anthony's jury didn't see a motive either. They weren't convinced by 30 days of mindless partying down.jmo

That also shows how important jury selection is no matter how strong the States case is.

 

[Salem]

I'm still catching up with today's posts, but just listened to the audio of Mom's words at Cooper's funeral. I'm just sick after listening.

http://www.hlntv.com/video/2014/06/30/georgia-boy-hot-car-baby-death-warrant

http://www.hlntv.com/video/2014/06/30/georgia-boy-hot-car-baby-death-warrant

What's with the "snot and tears in the dirt" phrase? It reminds of the words that the little boy's mom said at his funeral and then come to find out his step daddy beat him and threw him in the river Just odd wording, in my opinion.

Salem
Written as a member and not a moderator, so please feel free to disagree.

 

[LietKynes]

I just mean that it seems way too soon to be singing your husbands praises, saying that you're not mad at him, looking at the bright side ('Oh well, he won't have to go through grade school!) It just seems so phony.

I know everyone grieves differently, but... It's your child, you know? They're gone, never coming back. I had a friend who had a loved one commit a brutal suicide, and her therapist told her that murders and suicides are grieved twice - because your mind cannot wrap itself around both the death and the circumstances of the death.

Regardless of faith, I can't imagine being so forgiving of the person who left your child to die in an extremely horrific fashion.

ETA: People here bring up good points - about control. Is it possible he abused his wife? I wonder if this was his idea and she went along with it because she was afraid of him if she didn't?

BBM

Good post, princesslisa ! Forgive me if this sounds callous, but what a god awful thing for the wife to say..." the bright side...at least he won't have to go through grade school ..." , etc.
How in the world is there a bright side to this ? Any of it ?

I still have stuff (report cards, photos and so on) from grade school my parents saved for me. My oldest son called several weeks ago and said he'd like to have his first , second and third year baby books my husband and I put together for him ; as well as some school items.
So many wonderful memories.

Maybe Mrs. Harris spoke without thinking ; that is entirely possible at this stage of grief. But then again maybe her culture is totally different from the one I grew up in. I have attended a few funerals, but have never heard of anyone saying anything like the "bright side" of the deceased not having to go through any further school or other milestones in life. (the youngest persons' funeral was a boy in 6th grade who went to our school who passed away in a farming accident. His parents spoke of their love for him and how they would do anything to just hear his voice again.)

It's a good thing I am in a different state and will not be on jury duty if this goes to trial ; because I don't know if I could be objective enough.
:moo:

 

[Linda7NJ]

That also shows how important jury selection is no matter how strong the States case is.

All the good jurors were eliminated by voi dire.

Only "living under a rock dwellers" were left. IMO


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[JLSChook]

Cooper. The baby's name is Cooper.

I noticed a lot of people putting Conner instead of Cooper. As a matter of fact, I caught myself doing it a couple of times. *backspace-backspace-backspace*

I'm glad that I usually read all of my posts before hitting send.

 

[newone]

What's with the "snot and tears in the dirt" phrase? It reminds of the words that the little boy's mom said at his funeral and then come to find out his step daddy beat him and threw him in the river Just odd wording, in my opinion.

Salem
Written as a member and not a moderator, so please feel free to disagree.

teething??? snot and tears (from what I recall about kids teething) makes me wonder how blissful those two sleepless nights really were.

Maybe the crankiest baby was 33 yrs old and was throwing tantrums

 

[Linda7NJ]

What's with the "snot and tears in the dirt" phrase? It reminds of the words that the little boy's mom said at his funeral and then come to find out his step daddy beat him and threw him in the river Just odd wording, in my opinion.

Salem
Written as a member and not a moderator, so please feel free to disagree.

Salem,

Asking ya as a moderator ...sorry for making you change your hat....

What is power posting?


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[Lalettab]

"Cooper Harris's daycare is located at the Home Depot Corporate Headquarters off Paces Ferry Road. His father works at the Home Depot "Treehouse Office" located about a mile away on Cumberland Parkway."

(source http://www.11alive.com/story/news/local/smyrna/2014/06/26/justin-harris-hot-car-death/11429745/)

This is something I missed before, I'm looking at a Google map right now and his whole trip doesn't make much sense. It's not like he drove past the daycare, or was coming into work from the direction he would be normally if he had dropped his son off at work as he usually did. Everything about the drive in to work should have stood out to him as out of place, the autopilot defense really doesn't seem to fit but I'll be damned if I know what does. I know that if this was intentional, no motive is going to make any sense at all. I'm looking over at my sleeping 2 year old son right now and no amount of toys in the toilet or pulling his sisters' hair or destroying electronics... no amount of debt... nothing makes any sense why anyone would or could hurt their child or neglect them to the point of death. Yet it happens all the time. I can't form a solid opinion as to whether he did this intentionally or not based on the current evidence, but a lot of things just really don't add up. As for the decomp smell not being there after 6 hours, is that taking the extreme heat into account? I know that the decomposition rate goes up exponentially in higher heat but I don't know what type of formula there is (and I'm not googling it!) but I'm sure there has to be a formula for that.
I agree that the Mom's behavior seems strange, but strange behavior isn't out of the ordinary for a grieving mother. People all react differently to things and you often don't even really know how you would react to something yourself if you were in the same situation, so I can't justify focusing too much right now on how she has acted.
One thing is absolutely certain. A beautiful little boy has died in a horrible way and it's very sad, aside from that we have a lot of suspicious circumstances and a lot of unanswered questions. Hopefully time will give us answers to some of those.

 

[Linda7NJ]

teething??? snot and tears (from what I recall)

She said that she would be a puddle of snot and tears...The Lord was holding her up


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[MissJ]

BBM

Good post, princesslisa ! Forgive me if this sounds callous, but what a god awful thing for the wife to say..." the bright side...at least he won't have to go through grade school ..." , etc.
How in the world is there a bright side to this ? Any of it ?

I still have stuff (report cards, photos and so on) from grade school my parents saved for me. My oldest son called several weeks ago and said he'd like to have his first , second and third year baby books my husband and I put together for him ; as well as some school items.
So many wonderful memories.

Maybe Mrs. Harris spoke without thinking ; that is entirely possible at this stage of grief. But then again maybe her culture is totally different from the one I grew up in. I have attended a few funerals, but have never heard of anyone saying anything like the "bright side" of the deceased not having to go through any further school or other milestones in life. (the youngest persons' funeral was a boy in 6th grade who went to our school who passed away in a farming accident. His parents spoke of their love for him and how they would do anything to just hear his voice again.)

It's a good thing I am in a different state and will not be on jury duty if this goes to trial ; because I don't know if I could be objective enough.
:moo:

Oh, I think you are objective. JMO

 

[newone]

BBM

Good post, princesslisa ! Forgive me if this sounds callous, but what a god awful thing for the wife to say..." the bright side...at least he won't have to go through grade school ..." , etc.
How in the world is there a bright side to this ? Any of it ?

I still have stuff (report cards, photos and so on) from grade school my parents saved for me. My oldest son called several weeks ago and said he'd like to have his first , second and third year baby books my husband and I put together for him ; as well as some school items.
So many wonderful memories.

Maybe Mrs. Harris spoke without thinking ; that is entirely possible at this stage of grief. But then again maybe her culture is totally different from the one I grew up in. I have attended a few funerals, but have never heard of anyone saying anything like the "bright side" of the deceased not having to go through any further school or other milestones in life. (the youngest persons' funeral was a boy in 6th grade who went to our school who passed away in a farming accident. His parents spoke of their love for him and how they would do anything to just hear his voice again.)

It's a good thing I am in a different state and will not be on jury duty if this goes to trial ; because I don't know if I could be objective enough.
:moo:

bbm

especially by the ''surviving closest kin"
crass comments are usually made by others after the funeral
so I am onside with you about the oddness of this ''bright side'' tack

 

[MissJ]

Never seen nor heard of anyone talking about the bright side of death or afterward.

 

[RANCH]

All the good jurors were eliminated by voi dire.

Only "living under a rock dwellers" were left. IMO


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They were eliminated during voir dire but I understand what you mean. Sometimes it comes down to who the judge is and what they allow during jury selection. Prosecutors can screw up too.

 

[eileenhawkeye]

I would be interested in knowing how Leanna ended up mentioning the searches. Did LE bring it up, and ask her about? Did she know her husband had admitted to them?

 

[DeDee]

I noticed a lot of people putting Conner instead of Cooper. As a matter of fact, I caught myself doing it a couple of times. *backspace-backspace-backspace*

I'm glad that I usually read all of my posts before hitting send.

JLSChook, Karmady and members, I shamefully admit that I do read my script before posting it. I posted Cooper's name erroneously as Conner twice this evening and have edited each post. I am deeply regretful for I meant no harm to Cooper Harris' precious memory.