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

[Judicious1]

Why did he choose this method of murder? I know he wanted it to look like an accident, but there are other less tortuous methods that could be staged similarly. He could have drugged Cooper if he thought there would no big investigation. He watched the video of the dog in the car, so he knew how much suffering was involved.

Because a new " look Twice" campaign started in May so I'm sure he assumed it happens a lot more than it does.... Thank goodness

 

[marlap]

Cliffs on the hearing today:

Level 1 Slime:
Surveillance video shows RH backing into parking space when he arrived with son at work
no backup cam on vehicle, would have to use rear view mirror and would undoubtedly see child
Cooper was too big for carseat; mannequin was used to show child easily visible only 6 inches away from suspect

Very inexplicable that he could have "forgot" his son.

Level 2 Slime:
Harris LIED about Cooper probably falling asleep; daycare workers said he always arrived wide awake
Harris LIED about not returning to his vehicle that day; surveillance video shows him dropping light bulb boxes into his vehicle @ lunch
surveillance video shows him leaning into the car and turning his head (as if to investigate whether Cooper had died yet)
when Harris leaves the car to head back to work for the afternoon, surveillance video shows a passerby walking in direction of vehicle
Harris stops dead in his tracks to watch the passerby until they are no longer in the area of the vehicle

Shows intent to deceive and hide his deception.

Level 3 Slime:
When Harris pulled over later that day and exited the vehicle with his son's body he immediately said that Cooper was dead
not only did he immediately say Cooper was dead, but he made no attempt at CPR (another person had to)
spent 6 minutes on the phone while his son's dead body lay on the ground just a few feet away

But oh it gets worse ...

Level 4 Slime:
Harris had internet searches for "child free life" and participated in vile "child free" reddit sub-forum
Harris had internet searches for "how long does it take for a child to die in a hot car"

And much worse than that ...

Level 5 Slime:
Harris had watched (and apparently got off on) videos of people and animals suffering inside hot cars
Harris had watched (and apparently got off on) videos of people dying and being killed, including suicides and executions

And just when you think it can't get any worse ...

Level 6 Slime:
The whole time his kid is suffering baking to death in his car, Harris is sexting with 6 females
getting an erection and exchanging x-rated pictures with 6 different females while he is murdering his child

But that's not all ...

Level 7 Slime:
One of the girls is underage, and police hinted they will get him with child *advertiser censored* and child solicitation charges
Girl asks him if he has a conscience and Harris replies "No"

We're really getting into the deeper levels of hell here ...

Level 8 Slime:
He feels absolutely nothing for his child; callously lies to his wife that Cooper's eyes and mouth were closed (when they were not, Cooper died a horrific death)
Shed no tears at any point except when he ranted about everything HE was going through
ranted at his wife about how HE could get in trouble, how HE could lose his job, never said anything about his son

And then the wife was in on it too ...

Level 9 Slime:
Wife shows up at Daycare and when Cooper isn't there she immediately says "Ross must have left Cooper in the car"
Daycare workers try to convince her that there could be another explanation but she insists "No. Ross must have left him in the car". As if it were a premeditated attempt to establish accident right from the beginning
Wife asks Harris about his interrogation "Why, did you say too much?
Wife only asked to see her husband and never asked about her son, never showed any emotion or concern for what had happened to her son

And then the motive ...

Level 10 Slime:
Couple took out $27,000 in life insurance policies on Cooper
they were in bad debt

So they locked their 1 year and 10 month old child in a hot car and fried him to death while he banged his head violently against the car seat and scratched part of his face off -- all so they could collect $27,000 or $13,500 / each (if they were going to divorce) rather than give the kid away and get nothing

-----------

Every time one level of slime was uncovered, infinite layers of more slime were uncovered beneath that one.

These two people are the worst kind of monsters. Who wants to stand up for them now?

Brilliant assessment!

 

[Msollicito]

Yes Ross's parents were one seat over from me and his mother is the Grandmother I referred to above - she was distraught - I thought she would collapse.. She was distraught at the sexting information and then when she heard there was no bond, she lost it and so did the dad.. Also a young guy outside the court room cried against the wall uncontrollably too - I have no idea who he was - I thought he was Ross's younger brother but the police brother did not mention another brother

 

[ButForFortune]

that was emotionally draining. I am still processing what all we learned and LE is said to have much much more.

What we learned today:

Carseat was forward facing til about two weeks prior to C's death

Sexting multiple women for the past year and on the day of Cooper's murder (yep, calling it that)

minor and possible future charges for computer crimes re their contact and misdemeanor crime of actual contact in some way.

pics of penis taken and sent while C in room with him

minor asked him if he ever was troubled by his conscious - reply NOPE

Computer searches regarding statutes and age of consent

R viewed a video twice of vet climbing in hot car and demonstrating what it is like for a hot animal in car. Vet filmed himself in the vehicle for approx half an hour describing in detail what it felt like to sit there cooking

the trip to publix with friends/coworkers for lunch punctuated by trip to home depot store across way for lightbulbs at R request

visit to car after returning from lunch was ostensibly to put purchase in car

subreddit - child free life

life insurance policy $25,000 (adtl to one via work)

During interview with LE RH used a lot of cop lingo and told LE he was a former jailer then told them he was former dispatch

While in room alone RH was described as pacing and trying to "work himself up" to teh point of hyperventaliation. LE viewed it as him attempting to feign or produce emotion where there was none genuinely

LH and RH in interview room alone while being recorded and videotaped:

LH asks if he said too much or something similar

RH told LH C looked peaceful in death with eyes and mouth closed. RH tells LH about "dreading" looking at C worried what he might look like but he looked peaceful

RH makes poor me comments "going to lose my job - why do I have to be punished??" etc (paraphrased)

Stoddard described C as mouth open tongue protruding, eyes half closed, horrible and noticeable odor of decomp in vehicle even hours later while performing search warrant.

at least one affair for RH in the past.

An addition - RH used "cop speak" during interview and stated there was no "malice aforethought" (suggesting he had researched this).

 

[momrids6]

If I recall (and no I don't research this stuff) having sex with a 16 year old is perfectly legal for adults in GA.

Sending or receiving pornographic photos of folks under 18 is indeed a felony.

This RH was truly an idiot.

see GA statutes...

For example, Georgia law considers the crime of statutory rape to be a felony unless the victim is 14 or 15 years of age (the age of consent is 16) and the defendant is no more than 3 years older than the victim, in which case the offense is only a misdemeanor.

http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/08/sr/statelaws/summary.shtml

 

[Msollicito]

Isn't that the one where he claimed he didn't talk to anyone?

LE said he made 3 phone calls after he pulled into the strip mall and 'discovered' Cooper.

#1 was to Leanna but she didn't answer
#2 was to Home Depot office, no answer there either
#3 was to Home Depot Daycare toddler room and that one lasted for 6 minutes

I'm sure they'll find out as soon as they get all of the records they've requested

Pretty sure this was just to try to catch Leanna when she got to daycare cos she was not answering her phone. I think the Daycare people put Leanna on the phone but later RH denied it

 

[blue22]

I wish I could say so many things that would get me in trouble. I always believed he did it, but did NOT expect what I heard today.

That poor boy. I don't think I've ever felt so much love and pain for a child not my own. He's flying with the angles now. No tears in heaven.

 

[Hamsterdance]

To think that it was Father's Day just a few days before RH did this to little (((Cooper))). Wonder if he was planning it even then. :banghead:

 

[sheshecanada]

Cliffs on the hearing today:

Level 1 Slime:
Surveillance video shows RH backing into parking space when he arrived with son at work
no backup cam on vehicle, would have to use rear view mirror and would undoubtedly see child
Cooper was too big for carseat; mannequin was used to show child easily visible only 6 inches away from suspect

Very inexplicable that he could have "forgot" his son.

Level 2 Slime:
Harris LIED about Cooper probably falling asleep; daycare workers said he always arrived wide awake
Harris LIED about not returning to his vehicle that day; surveillance video shows him dropping light bulb boxes into his vehicle @ lunch
surveillance video shows him leaning into the car and turning his head (as if to investigate whether Cooper had died yet)
when Harris leaves the car to head back to work for the afternoon, surveillance video shows a passerby walking in direction of vehicle
Harris stops dead in his tracks to watch the passerby until they are no longer in the area of the vehicle

Shows intent to deceive and hide his deception.

Level 3 Slime:
When Harris pulled over later that day and exited the vehicle with his son's body he immediately said that Cooper was dead
not only did he immediately say Cooper was dead, but he made no attempt at CPR (another person had to)
spent 6 minutes on the phone while his son's dead body lay on the ground just a few feet away

But oh it gets worse ...

Level 4 Slime:
Harris had internet searches for "child free life" and participated in vile "child free" reddit sub-forum
Harris had internet searches for "how long does it take for a child to die in a hot car"

And much worse than that ...

Level 5 Slime:
Harris had watched (and apparently got off on) videos of people and animals suffering inside hot cars
Harris had watched (and apparently got off on) videos of people dying and being killed, including suicides and executions

And just when you think it can't get any worse ...

Level 6 Slime:
The whole time his kid is suffering baking to death in his car, Harris is sexting with 6 females
getting an erection and exchanging x-rated pictures with 6 different females while he is murdering his child

But that's not all ...

Level 7 Slime:
One of the girls is underage, and police hinted they will get him with child *advertiser censored* and child solicitation charges
Girl asks him if he has a conscience and Harris replies "No"

We're really getting into the deeper levels of hell here ...

Level 8 Slime:
He feels absolutely nothing for his child; callously lies to his wife that Cooper's eyes and mouth were closed (when they were not, Cooper died a horrific death)
Shed no tears at any point except when he ranted about everything HE was going through
ranted at his wife about how HE could get in trouble, how HE could lose his job, never said anything about his son

And then the wife was in on it too ...

Level 9 Slime:
Wife shows up at Daycare and when Cooper isn't there she immediately says "Ross must have left Cooper in the car"
Daycare workers try to convince her that there could be another explanation but she insists "No. Ross must have left him in the car". As if it were a premeditated attempt to establish accident right from the beginning
Wife asks Harris about his interrogation "Why, did you say too much?
Wife only asked to see her husband and never asked about her son, never showed any emotion or concern for what had happened to her son

And then the motive ...

Level 10 Slime:
Couple took out $27,000 in life insurance policies on Cooper
they were in bad debt

So they locked their 1 year and 10 month old child in a hot car and fried him to death while he banged his head violently against the car seat and scratched part of his face off -- all so they could collect $27,000 or $13,500 / each (if they were going to divorce) rather than give the kid away and get nothing

-----------

Every time one level of slime was uncovered, infinite layers of more slime were uncovered beneath that one.

These two people are the worst kind of monsters. Who wants to stand up for them now?

Wow that is so disturbing especially the way you have set up the levels of slime :sick:

 

[eileenhawkeye]

Don't forget all the donations that started rolling in at the beginning! They had to know they would get thousands even tens of thousands in sympathy money from family, friends, church and community!

I don't know. He got the money, because he was arrested, but people thought it was an accident. Would he still get thousands in donations if he was never arrested? I am not sure about that.

 

[MsMarple]

Raise the bar in safety don't lower it in sympathy! :blushing:

Here's something that people should take notice of. One of the last things that the DA said to the judge is that "you have the pictures" IOW he can see what happened to this child.

It seems to me these types of details need to be made more public. Someone mentioned in another thread that they thought the children fell asleep.

So just in case it was missed, those PICTURES are pretty much what made up the judges mind and caused him to prosecute and deny bond.


That's because Cooper was found at death with his eyes and mouth OPEN imagine his horrified grimace of death. He had CLAWED HIMSELF on the face and bashed his own head enough to have caused SEVERAL abrasions on the back of his head.

His body was locked into the position of rigor mortis as seated. He was strapped in by daddy "extra tight" to be safe. Daddy said he made sure it was tight. (detective reported) and so there was no way for the child to get out.


Sweltering heat steaming down on top of the child, no air no air, slowly suffocating as he hysterically screamed and cried and thrashed and tried to get out. Desperately clawing at this face for lack of oxygen, complete panic for way more than 15 minutes. This wasn't a newborn deep in sleep, sedated until they passed out and they slowly drifted into death.

This was a child tortured by his father to death. When I hear stories like this it reminds me of the walls in the concentration camps filled with the fingernails and clawmarks of desperate people being poisoned to death. But even that horror only lasted a few minutes. This could have gone on for up to an hour because he had just taken him out of the seat and got him something at Chikfila.

OK rant over, but this needs to me mentioned more and more instead of stupid sympathy for negligent parents. :banghead::banghead:

Yep - everything you said.

dehydration --> nausea ---> vomiting ---> deep gasping ---> convulsions...

A teaspoon of Benedryl or cough syrup can't overcome the physical progression of this type of death. There was no peaceful falling off to sleep.

Even if it took say, only 30 minutes for Cooper to succumb, that was 30 minutes of RH consciously making a choice to do nothing. 30 minutes to decide life or death for Cooper. If he thought about it once every minute, that's 30 death sentences. 30 times he could have run out to his car and stop his vile crime. And he didn't.

I know he thought about Cooper during that day.

 

[jennapuppy]

I find it disturbing that "sexting" is a bigger deal than the 30 seconds he sat in that car before locking his baby in to die.

Did he say anything to Cooper during that 30 seconds? Did Cooper say anything to him? I think he did, seeing as how the daycare said Cooper would come in extra happy when he could spend time with his dad and have breakfast before daycare.

That 30 seconds haunts me far more than "sexting".

That bothered me, as well. I wonder if he told Cooper that he was going inside for a minute and that he would be right back out. :anguish:

 

[tlcya]

still adding to the list of what we learned on page 26. had forgotten about forward facing til two weeks ago and the 6 minute call to daycare.

while on the subject of daycare, I thought I heard something about a 1:30 email either from or to RH with daycare personnel named Michelle something - did I mishear that? What was that about anyone catch it or know what that was about? TIA

 

[Msollicito]

It became clear that Leanna picked up Cooper most nights from Daycare.. and RH had texted her to say "when are you picking up my buddy" or similar about 3:40pm
So he was calling the daycare to tell Leanna what had happened. He had already tried her cell but not got her..
The question is - was she supposed to get to daycare BEFORE Daddy left work and discover that baby was still in the car? i.e. did daddy want to really upset her? Did he do it to hurt her?

Or - was it really just a mistake and he thought Leanna was going to pick up the baby from daycare which explains why he did not go to the daycare to pick up his son? Or something else

 

[CrazytownUSA]

IT is how I have to work. To me everyone deserves justice. That means a fair shake and the assumption of innocent until they are proven guilty.

I have never seen a probable cause hearing that I felt so nauseated over. It is just so bad.

Step by step I could feel my not guilty turn to guilty. But what got me was when he said he opened the door to put the bulbs in and paused a min. Then walked out and when someone was walking to his car he waited as if to see if they were going to pass by it and notice.

And her saying that He must have left the baby in the car? WHO SAYS THAT?!

It seems really really bad all around.

I appreciate you for that, I truly do... I know it was hard to deal with weeks of standing your ground, but you did... and you did it without trying to guilt other members into believing what you were saying or taking your side. I for one appreciate members like you... and I appreciate even more that once the details came out, you didn't maintain trying to show "support" for him. For that reason I believe that you really were waiting to hear more, and I think we all wanted to believe that he didn't do this intentionally

 

[SStarr33]

still adding to the list of what we learned on page 26. had forgotten about forward facing til two weeks ago and the 6 minute call to daycare.

while on the subject of daycare, I thought I heard something about a 1:30 email either from or to RH with daycare personnel named Michelle something - did I mishear that? What was that about anyone catch it or know what that was about? TIA

It was an email from DC to all parents.

 

[CHERIE.T]

Just think - 24 hours ago we were discussing whether any *real* new information would come out and whether the judge already had enough to proceed and that they may not want to expose too much evidence and then.....BOOM.....

I am still reeling - I listened to this alone and I was shouting (out loud) - WHAT??? more than once. I'm sure we are all just thunder-struck right now.

My dh came in the house to eat lunch....he listened to part of the dects evidence and his jaw dropped...... Literally.
Yes Judy we are thunder struck.

 

[JLSChook]

I am so appreciative of Msollicito and the willingness to share impressions. We all have our own impressions via watching on tv but that is never the same as being right there, in the courtroom.

THANK YOU!

I have done both in a trial or 2. Being realistic, when you are watching a live feed online you actually pick up MORE information than you do in the live courtroom.

You aren't distracted by the people beside you, it's hard to hear from the gallery, etc....Being 'live' doesn't necessarily mean one gets a better impression of the facts.

Like I said, I have done both and gain more information and insight when watching via live feed.

 

[Judicious1]

IT is how I have to work. To me everyone deserves justice. That means a fair shake and the assumption of innocent until they are proven guilty.

I have never seen a probable cause hearing that I felt so nauseated over. It is just so bad.

Step by step I could feel my not guilty turn to guilty. But what got me was when he said he opened the door to put the bulbs in and paused a min. Then walked out and when someone was walking to his car he waited as if to see if they were going to pass by it and notice.

And her saying that He must have left the baby in the car? WHO SAYS THAT?!

It seems really really bad all around.

Agreed- I tried really hard not to let my emotion rule me opinion until I heard more but I'm afraid I've heard to much.

Yes and why was the wife not freaking out on him alone at the station? I would be catatonic or hysterical at that point. No way able to be calmly discussing this.

 

[tlcya]

worst thing said today and boy was there plenty to choose from

MOO You have all been to the restaurant before and asked for that to go box for leftovers. It is sitting right there on teh table that box . . .

BARF. I STILL cannot believe that defense attorney drew that comparison. Just mindboggling to compare leaving your beloved child in a car for 7 hours to die a horrific death and forgetting your doggy bag at a friggin restaurant.

:thud: