GA - Suspicion over heat death of Cooper, 22 mo., Cobb County, June 2014, #3

[NotALawyer]

I had a big fear of this happening the first couple of years of my children's lives. Mainly because I almost did it once. I didn't sleep for three days it shook me up so badly. I researched it and read about it AND ordered a device that hooks to both car seats and sends a signal to the key chain attachment if there is still weight in the seat. I checked my rear view mirror several times on the way to work each day. I took a mental picture of both my children waving bye at day care each day and made a point of bringing it up in my mind through the day.

Excessive? Yes, but in my experience the fear made me take ACTUAL precautions to ensure it could not happen. Harris didn't and I think that's the point many of you are making . . .

 

[HauntsForHope]

IMO He is lying. He intentionally left the child to die. Researched in advance, aka premeditation. LE needs to lock him up for life.

 

[Linda7NJ]

Especially when it is HOT inside the car. As I stated previously, yesterday as I was running errands, every single time I got into my car and felt the extreme heat - I immediately thought about Cooper. HOW could he open his car at noon - feel that blast of hot air - having had this (as a fear/premonition/ whatever) and NOT look into that car seat? Just does not make common sense. I am sad

I hated getting into a hot car. I have an auto start. Use it faithfully. My didn't come standard, I added it later.

Wonder if dad had one?




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[Sonya610]

I researched it and read about it AND ordered a device that hooks to both car seats and sends a signal to the key chain attachment if there is still weight in the seat. I checked my rear view mirror several times on the way to work each day. I took a visual picture if both my children in my mind waving bye at day care each day and made a point of bringing it up through the day.

Yeah, systems that alert you to "weight or movement" can't be relied upon. Why not just put your purse next to the child seat? Or clip a cord from the baby seat to YOUR clothing? If you try to exit the vehicle you will be reminded that there is a baby in a car seat behind you.

Don't rely on electronics to tell you when/if there is an object/person left in the vehicle, they are not accurate enough at this time.

 

[Threeplus1]

I have a child with a medical condition. I've awakened from a sound sleep out of concern for his well-being. You know what I do? I go check on him. Every. Single. Time. I do believe in having a premonition, instinct, intuition, crazy concern...whatever anyone would like to call it...but because of that, I check on him. I would think having a concern over something like this happening would make one more likely to be on alert, not less.

Regardless, I don't believe for a second that he forgot his son in the less than five minute drive from Chick fil a to work.

 

[snowblossom2]

This is what I have been wondering...

I couldn't remember what time the mom usually picked up Cooper from day care...

soooo... IF she usually picks Cooper up at 2:00 p.m... Or any time before the approx. time of 4:00 p.m. that Justin left work with Cooper in the car.... Then there may already have been calls made between mom and LE, day care, and/or etc...

:waitasec:

As I understand it that is still an unanswered question- what time the mother picked him up. We have no idea

 

[Patience]

Thinking of Cooper today and everyone who loved him. Thank you to everyone that is here today. I share your grief.

 

[daisy7]

Been getting up to speed on this case and have a few questions/comments. I have never heard of a rear-facing car seat for a child Cooper's age, but it's been awhile since I shopped for one. Do we know how the car was parked at HD -- backwards or forwards into the building? Since the parents alternated taking him to daycare, I would figure they had 2 seats -- do we know if they did? Also, whenever my kids were in rear-facing seats as infants, I had the double mirrors in the car, so I could see them while driving. If he had one of those, I can't imagine him "forgetting" about his son.

 

[Jayarre]

Anyone heard if he's under suicide watch at the jail.

 

[jmcgladr]

That's an interesting point stmarysmead. The story thus far has been that he went to breakfast with his son, but if he just went through a drive through and the child had fallen asleep it could be that he just blanked and forgot him.

But I agree with others, there had to have been something completely obvious for the cops to arrest him the way he did. Otherwise the backlash from "arresting the poor parent" would definitely be coming. We saw the immediately support system out there.

So that's why, in an effort at trying to figure out what happened, I've used that as the litmus test of the whole issue. What would the cops have seen that immediately told them the man was lying right then and there.

The only thing I can think of is that he said something that indicated he heard the child alive in the car and the cops knew he was lying because the kid had been dead for hours.

The other thing, if he is innocent, is perhaps he whooped and hollered and slipped up by saying things like "What have I done, I've murdered my child! I killed him I killed him!!" just in an outburst of anguish. Maaaaaybe they had to arrest. I really really doubt it though.

Somebody may have replied to this already, so sorry if this is a repeat, but I read a LE statement long ago that said that there was video of Harris PLACING his son in the car seat after being inside the Chik-Fil-A, indicating that they did not drive through.

 

[Chewy]

Yeah, systems that alert you to "weight or movement" can't be relied upon. Why not just put your purse next to the child seat? Or clip a cord from the baby seat to YOUR clothing? If you try to exit the vehicle you will be reminded that there is a baby in a car seat behind you.

Don't rely on electronics to tell you when/if there is an object/person left in the vehicle, they are not accurate enough at this time.

I've posted this before. Half the "electronic" alerts in cars are completely ignored by people who drive every day. Like the "seatbelt" or the "headlights on" etc. No car manufacturer is going to take on the liability of their "alert system" going on the fritz and having a parent forget their kid in the car and blame it on "the bell didn't ring!!!" It would be a PR nightmare and a liability fall out in the millions.

How about nice and simple, put a sticker on your drivers side window that says CHECK THE BACK SEAT!!!

 

[Linda7NJ]

Been getting up to speed on this case and have a few questions/comments. I have never heard of a rear-facing car seat for a child Cooper's age, but it's been awhile since I shopped for one. Do we know how the car was parked at HD -- backwards or forwards into the building? Since the parents alternated taking him to daycare, I would figure they had 2 seats -- do we know if they did? Also, whenever my kids were in rear-facing seats as infants, I had the double mirrors in the car, so I could see them while driving. If he had one of those, I can't imagine him "forgetting" about his son.

We don't know if parents alternated.
We've heard dad dropped off and mom picked up.
And
We've heard they alternated from their landlord.

Apparently, rear facing is the latest recommendation.

No info on mirrors.




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[Karmady]

Especially when it is HOT inside the car. As I stated previously, yesterday as I was running errands, every single time I got into my car and felt the extreme heat - I immediately thought about Cooper. HOW could he open his car at noon - feel that blast of hot air - having had this (as a fear/premonition/ whatever) and NOT look into that car seat? Just does not make common sense. I am sad

Idk, everyone is very different and our brains work very differently. Just for example, I live in a sweltering climate and have been actively participating in this thread for days. Yet, unlike you, the case has never crossed my mind when I'm not logged in here. Not even when I've gotten into my really, really hot and uncomfortable car. In fact, now that you mentioned having thought
about it, it struck me as kind of odd that it didn't even flicker across my mind for a millisecond. So I still do wonder if it's possible he had so completely crossed "drop off the baby at daycare" off his list of things to think about that it didn't even cross his mind.

I still can't make up my mind one way or the other about this case. Every time I think I'm persuaded one way or the other, I play that conclusion through in my head and realize I'm not. I'm hoping that will change once all of the searches are completed and the evidence is made known.

:::sigh:::

 

[Sonya610]

As I understand it that is still an unanswered question- what time the mother picked him up. We have no idea

I haven't read anything about the mother's schedule. If she typically picked the child up at 2 from the day care...and the child wasn't there and had never been dropped off...and she kept calling until after 4 and then spoke with the father....

Well I won't say anything more except....did she place multiple calls to the husband's cell and also to the office so the staff there would track him down?

She is not a named suspect in this case so these are just innocent questions.

 

[Linda7NJ]

I haven't read anything about the mother's schedule. If she typically picked the child up at 2 from the day care...and the child wasn't there and had never been dropped off...and she kept calling until after 4 and then spoke with the father....



Well I won't say anything more except....did she place multiple calls to the husband's cell and also to the office?



She is not a named suspect in this case so these are just innocent questions.

Questions I share.


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[Chewy]

I haven't read anything about the mother's schedule. If she typically picked the child up at 2 from the day care...and the child wasn't there and had never been dropped off...and she kept calling until after 4 and then spoke with the father....

Well I won't say anything more except....did she place multiple calls to the husband's cell and also to the office so the staff there would track him down?

She is not a named suspect in this case so these are just innocent questions.

Like I've stated before, I think the "lunch break visit to the car" was intended to be discovery. But he heard the child choking. If he looked into the back of the car that would be visible on the security camera (I think) so we'll see.

But the lunchtime visit could have been an attempt to match up with when his wife typically called him. Lunchtime is often a time people feel comfortable calling their spouses at work because they are on a break.

I'd like to see the cell phone records myself.

 

[JudyBolton]

Idk, everyone is very different and our brains work very differently. Just for example, I live in a sweltering climate and have been actively participating in this thread for days. Yet, unlike you, the case has never crossed my mind when I'm not logged in here. Not even when I've gotten into my really, really hot and uncomfortable car. In fact, now that you mentioned having thought
about it, it struck me as kind of odd that it didn't even flicker across my mind for a millisecond. So I still do wonder if it's possible he had so completely crossed "drop off the baby at daycare" off his list of things to think about that it didn't even cross his mind.

I still can't make up my mind one way or the other about this case. Every time I think I'm persuaded one way or the other, I play that conclusion through in my head and realize I'm not. I'm hoping that will change once all of the searches are completed and the evidence is made known.

:::sigh:::

BUT you have not recently had fears or premonitions about leaving a child in a hot car.... I am saying that IF that were true - how could the trigger of feeling hot air not produce that feeling which would lead him to at least glance at the car seat?

So are you saying that the new information that he googled "how long it takes a child to die in a hot car" - and you still can't make up your mind one way or the other?

 

[tlcya]

someone was supposed to pick Cooper up at daycare, either mom or dad.

If it was mom then why were alarms not sounded at whatever time she was meant to do so and found him NOT there?

If it was dad then why do these reports about the contents of the warrant state he was leaving work and heading to meet up with friends after? That does not suggest a man in charge of picking up his son at the end of the work day. MOO A man whose day includes picking up child from daycare would not be leaving his job and heading off to meet friends. His itinerary would include picking the child off and delivering him home prior to those plans IMO

at around 1620 hrs when he was driving to meet up with some friends.

http://www.11alive.com/story/news/crime/2014/06/28/justin-ross-harris-child-hot-car-death/11609645/

Harris’s son, Cooper, was left in the car from 9:30 a.m. to 4:20 p.m., the warrant says, when his father discovered he was dead while driving to meet friends.

http://mdjonline.com/bookmark/25362411-Warrant-Father-searched-Internet-for-child-car-death

 

[HauntsForHope]

After new details emerged, an online petition siding with Justin Harris was shut down.

Justin Ross Harris, 33, of Cobb County, Ga., is charged with murder and second-degree cruelty to a child in the death of his son, Cooper.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/06/27/boy-dies-hot-car-father-charged/11472849/

 

[HauntsForHope]

Arrest Warrant

http://archive.11alive.com/assetpool/documents/140625101300_redacted warrant.pdf