Autopsy Report, condition of the body, time of death: discuss here

[joypath]

No new info. It's based on what Dawna said last week about injuries from Cooper struggling against the straps and the fact that Cooper was in the car so long. No question there was bruising found as a struggle would injure the tissue.
WE dont know, would he only have bruising from the straps on the shoulders and chest/abdomen or all over (generalized) from the muscles breaking down and the liver and stomach bleeding ?

All posts are MOO

BBM: IMHO, the bruising from the straps would be visible and assist in the time of death estimation. Sometimes (okay, often!) in perimortem injury, the lividity of intense pressure on soft tissue doesn't appear immediately (think: wow, where the heck did THAT bruise come from as in your life!).

The generalized tissue break down would exhibit a more "marbleized" & greenish color and take a bit longer to be visible.

IIRC, the complete post will not be released until the investigation is finished aka "at trial" or "at discovery"

 

[curiouslittleone]

1. Cooper was not breathing, and appeared to bystanders to be dead

2. Cooper was noted to be in advanced rigor mortis, still in the seated position when placed on the hot pavement.

3. Cooper’s face and exposed skin was discolored.

4. Cooper’s eyes were partly open

5. Cooper’s tongue was protruding thru his lips

6. There was a very strong odor of decomposition in the car, even hours after the body was removed

7. Detective Stoddard testified at the probable cause hearing for Ross Harris that he believed Cooper had died before noon on June 18, 2014.

8. It is speculated that temperatures inside the car reached 140 degrees Fahrenheit, with outside temperatures in the 90’s F. A re-creation of the parking lot circumstances was conducted by LE using RH’s vehicle.

Links for 1-8 above:

http://www.ajc.com/news/news/breaking-news/autopsy-results-may-answer-questions-in-toddlers-d/ngQwF/

http://mdjonline.com/view/full_story/25384865/article-Justin-Ross-Harris-appears-in-court-at-1-30

http://hollywoodlife.com/2014/07/03/justin-ross-harris-life-insurance-policy-son-cooper/

http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2014/07/justin_ross_harris_hearing_bri.html

obviously the heat "spead up" the decomposition, he baisically got cooked to death , as im sure you loveley people are aware , rigor mortis starts at around 2 hours after death. poor guy suffered

 

[blefuscu]

I can't believe that RH didn't smell anything as soon as he opened that car. No doubts there was a decomposition smell, that has been noted. But more than likely there would be a strong smell of urine, faeces and possibly vomit if the car had been locked all day. That poor baby. Literally cooked to death.

 

[CHERIE.T]

I can't believe that RH didn't smell anything as soon as he opened that car. No doubts there was a decomposition smell, that has been noted. But more than likely there would be a strong smell of urine, faeces and possibly vomit if the car had been locked all day. That poor baby. Literally cooked to death.

Oh dad smelled something when he opened the car door. He didnt imo plan on decomp happening so fast. He IMOO had to ignore the smell and figure out where to fake discovering poor Cooper.

 

[borndem]

Just a small thing to add:

Years ago, I and three others were going to a meeting about 100 miles from our office. The boss borrowed his wife's Lincoln town car for the ride -- very plush and super-duper everything (compare the size of the Town Car to Harris' car). The car had been parked in the asphalt & stone-mixed parking lot for about 2 hours (now approx 10:00am). This was in June, IIRC, and in North Carolina. It was not uncomfortable outside, but it was warm as usual in June (prolly @ 75 -- 80 degrees F).

The car was locked & windows all up. The car was sweltering when we piled in there, and the thermometer said 136 degrees F (the car had front and rear area thermometers, of course(!). The boss turned the A/C to full-blast, and I remember that it took the A/C in that luxury car about five minutes to get the temp. down to 70 -- amazing. But the fact I remember most vividly is how dayam HOT that car was that early in the day. I had no idea that a car could get that hot in so short a time. FWIW.

That incident has been in my mind ever since I read about the little boy named Cooper. And we were in that heat for only a few minutes.

 

[missy_g]

BBM: IMHO, the bruising from the straps would be visible and assist in the time of death estimation. Sometimes (okay, often!) in perimortem injury, the lividity of intense pressure on soft tissue doesn't appear immediately (think: wow, where the heck did THAT bruise come from as in your life!).

The generalized tissue break down would exhibit a more "marbleized" & greenish color and take a bit longer to be visible.

IIRC, the complete post will not be released until the investigation is finished aka "at trial" or "at discovery"

Sorry to quote such an old post.
I asked my brother who is a certified car seat technician if being in a too small car seat would cause injuries. He said most likely, but he can't see how someone got a 22 month old in an infant seat even if that 22 month old was "small".
I don't doubt that Cooper had bruising.
I'm sorry if the autopsy was actually released, I never read it.

Also in reply to the post above...
I remember when this happened. I had just started a job as a security guard and I had a "car site" meaning I had to sit in my car for my entire shift. My first day was July 5th. The temp that day was well into the 90s and was actually one of the hottest days of the year (I live in MD). This case stuck with me SO much because I had a toddler Coopers age and I couldn't imagine leaving him in my car, even with the windows down on a day like that. It was uncomfortable and hot. I used the AC of course, but as soon as I turned the car off, it would literally heat up within seconds. I couldn't imagine sitting there with the windows up. It would be TORTURE.

 

[slashkiss]

Sorry to quote such an old post.
I asked my brother who is a certified car seat technician if being in a too small car seat would cause injuries. He said most likely, but he can't see how someone got a 22 month old in an infant seat even if that 22 month old was "small".

Just an FYI - My daughter was small and she honestly could still fit in her infant car carrier at the age of 3. She is 5 now and she still fits comfortably in the car seat we had for her as an infant. It was a convertible car seat that was meant for infants(5 pounds) to toddlers(35 pounds). She does not weight 35 pounds. I of course do not use the car seat for her because she is too tall but she sat in it the other day and the straps still fit comfortably around her with no issue.

I don't think the car seat was the issue though. I can see how a parent even after they purchased a newer seat might still use an old one. Car seats suck to install and uninstall. I can see how a parent might be too busy with their own life (sexting and such) to not really pay attention to how unsafe it is to use an improperly fitting car seat. Cooper didn't die in a car accident because he was in the wrong car seat. Cooper died in an oven of a car and it honestly would not have mattered in the slightest bit whether he was in his small fitting car seat or in the latest greatest most safety rated toddler car seat specifically designed for his measurements. The results would have been the same because his parent failed to actually parent that day and "forgot" or maybe even choose to leave him to cook in the back seat of the car.

Sorry, not sorry for my lack of empathy for Mr. Harris - accident or not he killed his son in a most horrific way.

 

[PositiveLight]

I do not think he is innocent. At all. No way he forgot his child in his car. It was intentional. I feel the mom had something to do with it too considering her reaction and conversation she had with her husband immediately after. It makes me sick to even think what this poor baby suffered through. Death penalty needs to be used in this case. What is this world coming to that such innocent lives can be snuffed out like this.

 

[Madge_Ick_Dike]

I agree PositiveLight. So callous. To know the effects of this type of death and then still choose to do it. Geez, if you really have to kill your kid, do it quickly and painlessly. Well obviously don't do it. But it is a whole nother level to choose to roast your infant son to a slow torturous death where he suffered and was in enormous pain for hours.

Zero sympathy for Mr Harris. He deserves twice what his baby suffered through, at least.

 

[PositiveLight]

i hope he gets the chair. Honestly too many kids are dying this way. Considering all the research he did on how it would occur (and who is to say the mom wasn't doing some of the searches,) this was definitely premeditated. He knew exactly what would happen to his child and not once did he rethnk it. It just makes me want to vomit thinking of what he went through. His parents whom he was probably screaming for, were no where to be found. Breaks my heart. I honestly think in situations like this, the person who is found responsible, should die the exact way their victims did. JMHO but it may make other potential killers think twice.