GA - Suspicion over heat death of Cooper, 22 mo., Cobb County, June 2014, #2

[carole]

The warrant says Harris went to his car during lunch, probably seen on the security tape from the parking lot.

Could it be the security tape shows something that leads LE to believe Harris knew Cooper was in the car when he went to work in the morning?

 

[gngr~snap]

"Security expert Brent Brown believes that it is almost certain police doubted the circumstances from almost the beginning"

"So there’s obviously more to this story and I think they knew that within the hour of the incident occurring on Acres Mill,” Brown said."

Within an hour. Wow.
Before any search warrants or anything.

http://m.wsbtv.com/news/news/warrant-father-who-left-child-hot-car-checked-vehi/ngR9s/

 

[JudyBolton]

The daycare at Home Depot seems to be called Little Apron Academy and appears to be managed as a concession by Bright Horizons. The question above posted by Judy Bolton made me wonder about their policies and if they were followed. I haven't had time to dig, but The Lawyers at Home Depot are most certainly scrambling to figure out their liability in this tragedy -- if any.


http://child-care-preschool.brighthorizons.com/GA/Atlanta/thd/

I can only think of one liability and that would be failing to call and check if child did not show up as expected.

Is there another one? IF they called father and he gave them excuse - I fail to see how they would be at fault.

 

[BrianInBirmingham]

I can only think of one liability and that would be failing to call and check if child did not show up as expected.

Is there another one? IF they called father and he gave them excuse - I fail to see how they would be at fault.

I agree... I'm really just thinking out loud and your question was the impetus of an aha moment... I wasn't speculating whether or not there was contact. But it certainly explains Home Depot's silence.

 

[tlcya]

My wording might have been hyperbolic, but if it happened to me I would be Moses or whatever I had to be to escape the reality of what was happening. I would be absolutely nuts! Absolutely!

I cannot even put myself there. I have no clue what it would look like if I was accidentally responsible for the death of my child. I doubt anyone truly knows if they would be raving mad or calm and catatonic or anywhere in between.

But something apparently seemed off to responders and witnesses alike based on interviews and statements from multiple people on the scene first.

That alone is highly subjective. Taken alone it is nothing MOO. Taken in with all the other little pieces to the puzzle and at the very least you have someone who accidentally and negligently was responsible for the death of their child and then tried to figure out how to not look like crap when they figured it out midday. Just My Own.

What if what he took out to the car was so stupid and inconsequential that LE knew it was a ruse, a reason to step out to his car or be heading to his car to see what was going on with Cooper. Maybe the lunch visit to car to put "something" in it was because he had just figured out he had left cooper in the car?

IMO the sequence of events then becomes very important because rather than jump up and scream to coworkers OMG! I think I left the baby in the car!!!!

What if, the alleged computer search happened just before the car visit? What if he hesitated to try to figure out what he was about to find a dead or living child?

That means even if an accident, he went into CYA mode IMO.

 

[Karmady]

"He's refusing visitors to the Cobb County jail -- including CNN. His family isn't talking, and his attorney has not returned repeated telephone calls from CNN..
http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/26/justice/georgia-toddler-death-father/

Is he refusing to see his own family? Are they considered visitors? I have no idea.

Right now, I imagine most of his immediate family is in Alabama where the funeral service will be on Saturday.

 

[laceandruffles]

I've been sitting on my hands for a week now, I've read, and reread all I can on this case. I'm a former dispatcher and now work as a civilian in a law enforcement agency.

From my dispatching (and I am anxious to hear the 911 call) days...if he indeed reported that his baby was choking, then the LEO and EMS are dispatched to a child in severe distress from choking, a code 1 or priority 1 call (lights and sirens, clear the way a life is in danger). Upon arrival they find a dead baby in which rigor has set in, right then and there the story starts to unravel. The car smell "to high heaven", and again more unraveling. Of course, just based on that he's going to be questioned immediately, and an investigation will ensue. His story is not matching evidence, clear evidence at the scene.

It has also been my experience that LEO really don't like talking to the press, they really do not want any case to get media attention. LEO want to investigate, solve their cases and go home to their families.

 

[Kensie]

RIP Cooper. Not sure if this was intentional, but you know that the Dad is in his own private hell and he should be.

I really Need to read this entire thread.

 

[jmcgladr]

That is a towel that is made to pull and hold water, saturating a seat underneath. We are talking about a deceased child in a car seat with a previously sweaty head. Heads don't hold moisture like a towel.

I really just don't think there is a scenario that makes him being wet naturally possible. Medically, scientifically...it doesn't make sense.

What about the fact that this was in Georgia, which I have heard is EXTREMELY humid in the summer? My ex traveled there in summer on business, and he said when you got sweaty in the morning, you'd stay sweaty all day. Kind of like trying to get dry in a steamy bathroom, you never really get dry. The car is a contained environment, which would trap both heat and moisture, I believe. The car seat, being an even more confined environment, would trap sweat even more. I lived in the Pacific NW when my youngest was a baby, and on the rare occasion it got into the 90s, he'd get extremely sweaty in his car seat - and it's not even very humid there. So I think it's totally plausible that the little boy got really sweaty in the morning and the sweat never dried/evaporated before he was pulled out of the car. I don't buy the "Dad dumping a bottle of water on his head" theory, it doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

 

[Karmady]

I think there's an almost certain chance that Harris had an absolute break with reality and remained in a delusional state if not psychotic. His statements to police should be viewed in that light.

Maybe we'll see a video of it some day. Seems like LE and/or one of the many witnesses would have one. I've had experiences where I've lost my children -- once at the beach at dusk for more than 10 minutes. I can say without hesitation that I lost my mind completely. I've never been in such at state before or since. And I just THOUGHT my child MIGHT have drowned. God knows what I would have been like if he actually had come to harm and it was my fault for losing him....I can't even think too hard about it.

 

[Karmady]

This article claims the warrant stated Ross went back to his car 3 hours after arriving at work to put something in his car. I can not find that anywhere in anything released? That puts it around noon if true. Or do we think the reporter is assuming lunch time = noon so they went with it?

http://m.wsbtv.com/news/news/warrant-father-who-left-child-hot-car-checked-vehi/ngR9s/

The article says the warrant says three hours. The warrant linked in the article is the same one we've seen and it refers to lunch. So, "journalistic license" imo

 

[Lorne Malvo]

It was reported by the media on tv yesterday that police noticed an overwhelming odor inside the auto at the crime scene. Has anyone seen a media link with this statement?

[modsnip]

 

[Cinnamon]

O/T: Just started a thread for another case where a child was left in a hot car. SMH, but this one has a happy ending:

[ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?p=10666938#post10666938"]NY - Lynbrook nanny locks child in car, then shoplifts - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community[/ame]

 

[Karmady]

I've been sitting on my hands for a week now, I've read, and reread all I can on this case. I'm a former dispatcher and now work as a civilian in a law enforcement agency.

From my dispatching (and I am anxious to hear the 911 call) days...if he indeed reported that his baby was choking, then the LEO and EMS are dispatched to a child in severe distress from choking, a code 1 or priority 1 call (lights and sirens, clear the way a life is in danger). Upon arrival they find a dead baby in which rigor has set in, right then and there the story starts to unravel. The car smell "to high heaven", and again more unraveling. Of course, just based on that he's going to be questioned immediately, and an investigation will ensue. His story is not matching evidence, clear evidence at the scene.

It has also been my experience that LEO really don't like talking to the press, they really do not want any case to get media attention. LEO want to investigate, solve their cases and go home to their families.

That's a very good point about the mindset of LE and EMS responding to the call. Thanks. I wonder who all reported to 911 and what they said.

 

[katydid23]

Whoa. They can find someone to make them a copy can't they? Glad I upload and store my pictures elsewhere. That way I can acces them from anywhere. IT guy wouldn't do this as well? Flickr, Cloud something?
I am not computer savvy.
I don't know how it should be done.
moo

The problem is, once you have someone going into the computer files and downloading things, you will run into TROUBLE with the Defense atty in court, claiming that things in the computer were ' tampered' with.

 

[gitana1]

I've been sitting on my hands for a week now, I've read, and reread all I can on this case. I'm a former dispatcher and now work as a civilian in a law enforcement agency.

From my dispatching (and I am anxious to hear the 911 call) days...if he indeed reported that his baby was choking, then the LEO and EMS are dispatched to a child in severe distress from choking, a code 1 or priority 1 call (lights and sirens, clear the way a life is in danger). Upon arrival they find a dead baby in which rigor has set in, right then and there the story starts to unravel. The car smell "to high heaven", and again more unraveling. Of course, just based on that he's going to be questioned immediately, and an investigation will ensue. His story is not matching evidence, clear evidence at the scene.

It has also been my experience that LEO really don't like talking to the press, they really do not want any case to get media attention. LEO want to investigate, solve their cases and go home to their families.

If the baby smelled like a cadaver is there any doubt here? Is it that the man abused the baby, the baby died as a result and the man tried to cover it up pretending the baby accidentally got left in the car?

 

[LietKynes]

I've been sitting on my hands for a week now, I've read, and reread all I can on this case. I'm a former dispatcher and now work as a civilian in a law enforcement agency.

From my dispatching (and I am anxious to hear the 911 call) days...if he indeed reported that his baby was choking, then the LEO and EMS are dispatched to a child in severe distress from choking, a code 1 or priority 1 call (lights and sirens, clear the way a life is in danger). Upon arrival they find a dead baby in which rigor has set in, right then and there the story starts to unravel. The car smell "to high heaven", and again more unraveling. Of course, just based on that he's going to be questioned immediately, and an investigation will ensue. His story is not matching evidence, clear evidence at the scene.

It has also been my experience that LEO really don't like talking to the press, they really do not want any case to get media attention. LEO want to investigate, solve their cases and go home to their families.

BBM

A little late for that. Maybe if Mr. Harris hadn't caused such a scene , or if he had not stopped in a crowded public area for the "reveal", or at the very least-- been truthful to law enforcement ??
The fact that surveillance cams at his place of employment show him at his car around noon or lunch break is problematic. ( I am guessing that LE has already pulled the sec. cam videos from Home Depot ?)
:moo:

 

[BrianInBirmingham]

What about the fact that this was in Georgia, which I have heard is EXTREMELY humid in the summer? My ex traveled there in summer on business, and he said when you got sweaty in the morning, you'd stay sweaty all day. Kind of like trying to get dry in a steamy bathroom, you never really get dry. The car is a contained environment, which would trap both heat and moisture, I believe. The car seat, being an even more confined environment, would trap sweat even more. I lived in the Pacific NW when my youngest was a baby, and on the rare occasion it got into the 90s, he'd get extremely sweaty in his car seat - and it's not even very humid there. So I think it's totally plausible that the little boy got really sweaty in the morning and the sweat never dried/evaporated before he was pulled out of the car. I don't buy the "Dad dumping a bottle of water on his head" theory, it doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

You make it sound like we're all down here in a Tennessee Williams Play.

 

[Salem]

Here is a media/resource thread: [ame="http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?p=10667020#post10667020"]GA - Suspicion over heat death of Cooper, 22 mo., Cobb County, June 2014 - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community[/ame]

I added a few articles and a map. The rest is up to you guys!

Salem

 

[jmcgladr]

You make it sound like we're all down here in a Tennessee Williams Play.

You aren't? :nyah: j/k But seriously, isn't it quite, quite humid there in the summer?