GA - Suspicion over heat death of Cooper, 22 mo., Cobb County, June 2014, #8

[screecher]

Well, I am so far behind in reading all the posts that have been written since late last night that I may never catch up.

I am wondering about something in particular. I have been thinking of how RH has been held without bond. This tells me that LE really does have something very incriminating. I have been mulling over that today. My husband doesn't like to follow crime cases and doesn't usually want to talk about them at all. But, he is actually the one who first told me about this case and he has been keeping up with some MSM reports. So, tonight we were briefly discussing it and before he said, "please, no more!", we talked about there being no bond at this time. I was brainstorming ideas on what LE could know or have that led them to hold RH with no bond. My husband commented that LE probably don't want the parents to be talking freely. Keeping RH in jail keeps him away from her. Then, I suddenly wondered if LE have a reason (undisclosed to us) to believe that RH could be a threat to his wife. I don't know much of anything about the permissable role of LE in criminal cases with regard to the legal system (what they are allowed to do).

I am wondering... would or could LE hold RH with no bond if they knew he was a danger to his wife? Would they have had to charge him with something related to such a threat (if it were true) to be able to hold him, if the reason for the hold with no bond was related to keeping him in custody and therefore away from his wife (in order to protect her or prevent another crime, possibly harm to her)?

If RH is guilty of premeditated murder (I understand that his charge does not require premeditation) then it could be that he also had some ill intention towards his wife. of course, this is total speculation. Just wondering.

BBM

I do seem to recall another post stating the same thing...maybe that's when they (cops) told him told him to "watch his mouth", then handcuffed him?

But, in all likely hood, they would have spoke to her about that while they interviewed her at the station that night. And if so, why speak to him on the phone during the funereal?

 

[Minette]

Having a meth lab in your house is a far, far, far cry from this case. jmo

Oh, gosh, I realize that! It's just an illustration of the felony murder charge (which stemmed from the drug trafficking charge) and how it was pled down. And I think that even though she was initially charged with malice murder (which JRH never was) the felony murder was the one that got the longer sentence with the plea deal, does that make sense? In other words, felony murder is a big stick when you can't prove intent but do want a charge with heft.

BTW, in case it isn't obvious, that case really, really upset me and not just because I was in the jury pool--I was in the jury pool for a quadruple homicide in Alabama and actually had to sit across a conference table with the accused during voir dire and answer questions from the defense & the DA about whether I would be able to vote for the death penalty the DA made it a capital case. (I was excused by the defense, in case you were wondering.) Anyway, the idea that a mother would be so reckless with the lives of her children, just to disregard their safety for other priorities, well, it made a big impression on me.

I'm rambling, I know, just trying to explain why I am taking the line I am on this case.

 

[JudyBolton]

So - thinking about those cameras and what they *could* contain that would be considered as evidence or would prove a point.

There is no disagreement about where he was at what time - what direction he drove - etc. etc. The ONLY thing I can think of is if they were able to capture him looking over his shoulder - into the back seat? I guess if they can read a car tag they could do that,too.

Can anyone think of any other captures that could come from the camera and that could make a difference?

 

[SuperTmo]

What do you guys think JRH's demeanor will be in court tomorrow?

Stoic? Unemotional? Blank faced?

or will he put on a show for the Court and the media?

Sobbing? Blubbering? Insisting it was an accident?

I wonder if we'll see him smile. It wouldn't surprise me. He will likely enjoy his 15 minutes of fame. When he called the funeral he said he was sorry he couldn't be there (nothing about being sorry for what he did to his son).

 

[SuperTmo]

So - thinking about those cameras and what they *could* contain that would be considered as evidence or would prove a point.

There is no disagreement about where he was at what time - what direction he drove - etc. etc. The ONLY thing I can think of is if they were able to capture him looking over his shoulder - into the back seat? I guess if they can read a car tag they could do that,too.

Can anyone think of any other captures that could come from the camera and that could make a difference?

Maybe there will be footage from traffic cameras from other days showing Cooper riding forward facing. That'd be pretty big, since he was backwards the day he died.

 

[Minette]

Snipped by me

It upsets me so much when things like this are minimized as a "mistake." It was a choice to let that person live in her house and make a meth lab. It was a conscious decision that she made. A mistake is grabbing the shampoo instead of the conditioner or putting juice in your cereal instead of milk. Intentionally neglecting children and putting them in harms way (or allowing harm around them) is not a MISTAKE. Its is a choice.

Rant over.

Off topic, but I have kind feelings towards your county. My older cousin died in your county a few years ago. She was only 30 and crashed her car somehow in the middle of the night. The first responders couldn't get her out of the car in time and she died. The details aren't important but what stood out to me is that she had some items in/on her car indicating her faith as a Christian and as she died the rescuers prayed for her. I read that in the ambulance record and felt so much peace knowing that she didn't die alone. Such a small gesture but it meant so much to me. <3

I'm not one of them, but I've had nothing but good experiences with the first responders and LEOs in this county. My husband called 911 one night when he heard screaming in the middle of the night (I slept through this, can you believe it???) and the responding officers let him know that it was a neighborhood teenager who had a few beers and broke the window of someone's car trying to steal a cell phone or something and cut himself trying to steal stuff. And then they reassured my husband that the kid thought he was dying but he was going to be OK and thanked my husband for calling 911 so the kid could get treated and helped. I was kind of stunned.

And I'm very sorry for your loss and glad that your cousin was treated with kindness and respect for her faith. <3

 

[liltexans]

What do you guys think JRH's demeanor will be in court tomorrow?

Stoic? Unemotional? Blank faced?

or will he put on a show for the Court and the media?

Sobbing? Blubbering? Insisting it was an accident?

I wonder if we'll see him smile. It wouldn't surprise me. He will likely enjoy his 15 minutes of fame. When he called the funeral he said he was sorry he couldn't be there (nothing about being sorry for what he did to his son).

I don't think he will speak unless directly asked to speak by the judge. I think he will appear defiant, just like in his mug shot.

 

[gngr~snap]

So - thinking about those cameras and what they *could* contain that would be considered as evidence or would prove a point.

There is no disagreement about where he was at what time - what direction he drove - etc. etc. The ONLY thing I can think of is if they were able to capture him looking over his shoulder - into the back seat? I guess if they can read a car tag they could do that,too.

Can anyone think of any other captures that could come from the camera and that could make a difference?

If he pulled over somewhere between leaving work and the pizza place and interacted with the back seat in any way.
moo

 

[Starry Night]

So if you are in denial about something or someone-what would change your mind-in one conversation with an important person in your life?

 

[gngr~snap]

I don't think he will speak unless directly asked to speak by the judge. I think he will appear defiant, just like in his mug shot.

I think we will see a poor pitiful me crying crocodile(less) tears...
Acting...

 

[tlcya]

What do you guys think JRH's demeanor will be in court tomorrow?

Stoic? Unemotional? Blank faced?

or will he put on a show for the Court and the media?

Sobbing? Blubbering? Insisting it was an accident?

I wonder if we'll see him smile. It wouldn't surprise me. He will likely enjoy his 15 minutes of fame. When he called the funeral he said he was sorry he couldn't be there (nothing about being sorry for what he did to his son).

I imagine that he, like me, would be try ing to figure out how an innocent person is going to look or act in court when his previous behavior has taken such a beating by witnesses and john q public alike.

I cannot even fathom what an innocent or a guilty man would be doing tomorrow in this circumstance.

just my honest truth on that one.

 

[MotherOcean]

BBM

I do seem to recall another post stating the same thing...maybe that's when they (cops) told him told him to "watch his mouth", then handcuffed him?

But, in all likely hood, they would have spoke to her about that while they interviewed her at the station that night. And if so, why speak to him on the phone during the funereal?

Maybe she wouldn't believe them. Otherwise, I have no clue.

 

[screecher]

Having a meth lab in your house is a far, far, far cry from this case. jmo

Pretty sure the point is, a dead child/children because of the actions/inactions of the 'caretaker' is not taken kindly.

 

[liltexans]

I think we will see a poor pitiful me crying crocodile(less) tears...
Acting...

Maybe. If that's the case, then we will also see him poking his eyes like Casey Anthony. Poke poke poke

 

[Lorne Malvo]

What do you guys think JRH's demeanor will be in court tomorrow?

Stoic? Unemotional? Blank faced?

or will he put on a show for the Court and the media?

Sobbing? Blubbering? Insisting it was an accident?

I wonder if we'll see him smile. It wouldn't surprise me. He will likely enjoy his 15 minutes of fame. When he called the funeral he said he was sorry he couldn't be there (nothing about being sorry for what he did to his son).

It was obvious from the funeral a defense attorney helped mommy and [modsnip] has been told not to admit to anything. But the evidence they start to present Thursday will be enough to put him on death row in a Georgia prison. :seeya:

 

[gngr~snap]

Maybe. If that's the case, then we will also see him poking his eyes like Casey Anthony. Poke poke poke

I don't believe he realized that he was on camera and it would be televised during his first appearance.His mugshot looks like he got caught with.his hand in the cookie jar.
Typical face of a person that doesn't feel. 6 hours earlier he.lifted his dead son from the backseat of his car, yet no redness in his eyes or face...

What do y'all see?

If this blows the margins tell me please and I will delete.

 

[Minette]

So if you are in denial about something or someone-what would change your mind-in one conversation with an important person in your life?

That is an EXCELLENT question, Starry! I'm kind of stubborn and (this is not necessarily to my credit) in my case it has taken me literally YEARS to realize that someone was not who I thought they were. Of course, I never had to confront the possibility that my spouse could be responsible for the death of my child so I don't have any idea how I would react in that case.

But I do think a little bit of blame-searching is normal in the face of a tragedy/traumatic experience (I've got a couple of personal examples but they are nothing to losing a child and I don't want to trivialize Cooper's death by comparing apples to pistachios) but in my own experience I don't go directly to "it is not possible that this person did anything wrong and in any case it's better that this happened!"

 

[MotherOcean]

Maybe there will be footage from traffic cameras from other days showing Cooper riding forward facing. That'd be pretty big, since he was backwards the day he died.

I have wondered if Cooper used multiple car seats. I wonder if there was always a car seat in RH's SUV. If they moved the car seat between vehicles or if a car seat was only in his car when Cooper was in the car (or very recently in the car, as when dropped off at the daycare) then that would be a big red flag to me. I can, if I force myself, imagine not seeing a baby in a rear-facing carseat if the baby's head was lower down than the top of the carseat, but I can not imagine at all that one would become unaware of a carseat in a SUV of that size if the carseat were not always in the car.

That is something I would like to have confirmed through video. Was there typically a carseat in the SUV when Cooper was not in the car?

 

[Karmady]

Pretty sure the point is, a dead child/children because of the actions/inactions of the 'caretaker' is not taken kindly.

I think Georgians will consider the specifics of the case. Your meth lab is one such specific. jmo

eta: not screecher's meth lab lol. "Your" meaning "ones"

 

[Minette]

I think Georgians will consider the specifics of the case. Your meth lab is one such specific. jmo

I think so, too. And I think that the camera footage, computer searches, eye-witness testimony, statements of both parents, documented timeline and the LEO reports will be compelling specifics.

Against these will stand character witnesses (my speculation) who will say this man was an ideal, loving father.

I have my own ideas of how this will play out with the magistrate & superior court judges as well as juries but we shall see!

ETA: Screecher, Karmady is referring to a case I linked upthread, no worries!