I also just read the article and came to a different conclusion. The author did a stellar job of summarizing the flaws in this case. As to some of DaisyK's points:
1) Because Ross lived the same double-life before, during and after Cooper's birth. Between Ross's comments to his sexting friends, and Leanna's testimony, "something" made it difficult for Ross and Leanna to have a normal sex life. Whether it has Ross's low testosterone, or some kind of physical incompatibility, there was a "practical" nature to Ross's behavior - I'd hardly call it a desire for a "lifestyle."
2) What vexes me about those that believe Ross is guilty, more than anything, is this idea that the only lie Ross ever told was that he forgot Cooper. Evidence showed that Ross rarely took Cooper to Chik, but ate there himself almost every morning.
3) I don't recall any evidence to the effect. In reality, there was a stunning lack of any "research" on anything related to the case. I know we can't put the proverbial toothpaste back in the tube, but I wonder how different this would have turned out without the blatant exagerations and falsehoods present by LE during initial phases of the case.
4) Which fits in perfectly with the actual meaning of "...we all need our escapes." It was no secret that Ross desired more "adult time" with Leanna and other "grown ups." Everybody I know with a child Cooper's age seems to have a single obsession: FINDING A SITTER.
The author of the article makes a great point, that I hadn't considered: If Ross is so evil that he would conceive, plan and carry out a scheme to bake his son to death - even visiting the scene in the middle of the day - why would he do it in a crowded parking lot? And how does such a wicked sociopath, who happens to work with computers, neglect to cover his digital tracks? I must agree with the author that someone willing and able to torture thier son to death would come up with something way more clever than leaving the child to thrash and scream in a crowded parking lot.
Taken as a whole, isn't it as likely that he just forgot the kid?
1. Ross had no trouble with arousal with other women or by himself (hence his "dick pics" <---quoting Stoddard), his arousal problem seems to be strictly with Leanna. The problems started before Cooper, and only seem to have escalated (prostitutes, seeking out underage girls--or at least not running from it when he found out, but continued "talking," then men [very taboo in his religion]) after Cooper. I'm no psychologist, but it seems like Ross's sexual problems are similar to sexual addictions---"marital" sex was probably too "safe," too "normal" for him, and he craved "illicit" sex. His sexual behaviors were a LIFESTYLE =, he was so involved in this sexually-based behavior it was detracting from his work performance--he was engaging in it until late at night and resumed as soon as he woke up. It wasn't just his lifestyle, it seems to have BECOME his life.
2. He took Cooper about once a month, I wouldn't quantify that as rare, maybe infrequently. I go to Chili's about 1-2x per year, that's rare, I go to Pizza Hut about once a month, that's not rare. Did it not come out in trial that when he stopped by Chik-Fil-A by himself, he went through the drive thru? It can be presumed then that brought the food into work. The absence of bringing food in would be a memory trigger. If he was in autopilot mode after pulling out of CFA, when he got to work his habit would be to look for his food which would lead to "oh ya, I ate...with Cooper...Cooper...oh crap, 'hi there, kiddo' gotta get you to daycare."
3) I don't care about the searches. I only car about the logistics of the car, constant memory triggers throughout the day, time after CFA, logistics of the parking space, etc.
Is it possible he forgot?
It is possible that a parent can forget. In normal circumstances you would be right. But there is nothing normal about watching videos about hot cars, commenting in the comment field "it would be terrible if my son were in that car," talking about hot car deaths "all the time" with his wife, starting a "look back" routine when getting out of the vehicle---and then *poof* it all comes together in one grandiose, cosmic alignment against him in which he: forgot Cooper within 30 seconds of pulling into the parking lot (despite memory triggers all around him), Cooper happened to fall asleep, he forgot Cooper all day long despite constant memory triggers, was only willing go to lunch if someone else drove, went back to the car (doesn't remember Cooper still), talks with Leanna around 4 pm about getting Cooper from daycare (doesn't remember him STILL), gets in the car and doesn't smell anything unusual enough to look around and discover Cooper right next to his elbow.
Now you tell me, does your car smell so much like pee that if pee-filled diaper (baking in the sun all day long) was less than a foot away from you, you wouldn't smell it? You wouldn't look around to see what is causing that rancid smell? Am I expected to believe that Ross routinely peed in his car so this baking pee smell wouldn't be unusual?
I have had a pee-filled diaper next to passenger seat on the floorboard for a few hours baking in the sun. I smelled it IMMEDIATELY after coming back to the van from shopping in the mall--and it had been about 4 hours--and my Honda Odyssey is much larger, with more air in which the smell could diffuse, than his FORMER Hyundai Tucson.
Compound that with being interrogated and remembering every fine detail of the day EXCEPT the trip back to the car and wanting to get out of there to be "an advocate." Joker had this planned for weeks, even how he was going to get fame and notoriety out of it.
Is it possible to forget? Yes. Did I give Ross the benefit of the doubt, yes. Did the prosecution prove beyond a REASONABLE doubt that this it is unreasonable for this to have been unintentional, yes.
I gave that up long ago.