GA - Suspicion over heat death of Cooper, 22 mo., Cobb County, June 2014, #4

[Roxye]

I so agree with this. I do not understand any of it. Your children are your #1 priority. They should be the first consideration in every decision. Maybe I'm old-fashioned, or maybe just old. There is NO option in regard to whether the kids are left in a car alone, in a home alone, and, unfortunately, they can't even play outside alone. If they are your first priority, they won't be forgotten. JMO

Ouch!

I agree with the play outside alone. My 13 yo still has to call me when he gets to the bus stop 3 blocks away, on streets his father and his 15 siblings grew up on. But still, OUCH!

I quit my dream job after my son was born. I had AMAZING insurance. It literally cost me 20 bucks to have my son. I WAS working for that Fortune 500 this guy was dreaming of. I made a choice, and I still F'ed up.

OUCH! I don't think you are old or old fashion, I just don't think you understand the hub bub that goes on in this fast pace life we live now. Some don't have the option I did. I am blessed with my son's father.

Few get that now a days.

ETA... I still think this was intention. It is just a question of Dad alone or Dad and Mom together.

 

[ScarlettScarpetta]

So I know I am late to the party today.. I did see that the Police said that he searched for Kids dying in hot cars.

The problem I have with this is I have many times searched for the same statistics after a story like this. And also searched related things after this story came out.

I thought about it yesterday a long time. And I know that this was a pushing point for me before but as a parent who has googled a lot of crazy things since being here and seeing awful child deaths, Or drownings, or left in hot cars, I have googled all the same things. I just don't know if that is enough for anything.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/29/justin-ross-harris-search-kids-dying-cars_n_5541077.html

 

[ScarlettScarpetta]

Well, because if someone needs some device to remind them they have a helpless vulnerable child in their care, they shouldn't be alone with that child.

This happens more than it should and a lot of times it is a horrific accident. Having that is a fail safe. It is like wearing a bike helmet or a seat belt. You put it in to prevent things like this happening.

Every parent, Even the best ones make horrible mistakes sometimes.

 

[tlcya]

Welcome back Scarlett I am afraid it has come to light that mom admits to searching same topic. We have been trying to keep the media thread up to date. Good idea to check in.

 

[prima.facie]

Let's be honest here. When you look at the two of them, as a couple, does it seem likely looking at current pics of him (before Cooper died) that he was in the market for a "hot new babe"? That he might have had one on the side at that time?

Look at her, look at him, look at the EVER peaceful happy sweet expressions on all 3 of their faces do you see a man on the prowl?

I ask that because I don't.

really? you are going on pictures and outward appearances?
means NOTHING. absolutely NOTHING.

i have a friend/aquaintance and on the outside they have the PERFECT family. husband, wife, 2 kids, few pets and they go on awesome vacations all the time. they live in a super nice house, nice cars and again, everything outwardly looks awesome. he is not super attractive though. in fact, he could loose about 75 lbs. she is attractive and a sweet personality.

the dude has been cheating on her via adultfriendfidner for god knows how long. this ugly fat dude with the perfect family and wife!

if you saw them you would say NO WAY. but in reality YES WAY.


i have no idea how ANYONE could look at some pictures and decide what is going on behind closed doors or in the minds of others. especially when one doesnt know them. that makes me LOL

 

[katydid23]

So I know I am late to the party today.. I did see that the Police said that he searched for Kids dying in hot cars.

The problem I have with this is I have many times searched for the same statistics after a story like this. And also searched related things after this story came out.

I thought about it yesterday a long time. And I know that this was a pushing point for me before but as a parent who has googled a lot of crazy things since being here and seeing awful child deaths, Or drownings, or left in hot cars, I have googled all the same things. I just don't know if that is enough for anything.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/29/justin-ross-harris-search-kids-dying-cars_n_5541077.html

True. You and I both, and everyone here, have lots of 'incriminating' searches on our computers.

But I don't think RH has hundreds of OTHER weird searches. He has that specific one, which describes what actually happened days later. VERY different scenario from what you describe, imo/

 

[JeannaT]

really? you are going on pictures and outward appearances?
means NOTHING. absolutely NOTHING.

i have a friend/aquaintance and on the outside they have the PERFECT family. husband, wife, 2 kids, few pets and they go on awesome vacations all the time. they live in a super nice house, nice cars and again, everything outwardly looks awesome. he is not super attractive though. in fact, he could loose about 75 lbs. she is attractive and a sweet personality.

the dude has been cheating on her via adultfriendfidner for god knows how long. this ugly fat dude with the perfect family and wife!

if you saw them you would say NO WAY. but in reality YES WAY.


i have no idea how ANYONE could look at some pictures and decide what is going on behind closed doors or in the minds of others. especially when one doesnt know them. that makes me LOL

Men who I know who are cheating on their wives have a noticeable uptick in appearance and grooming and physique.

That's just what I've noticed. He doesn't appear to be doing anything special with his clothing, hair, working out, etc.

 

[prima.facie]

Nancy, does it at all give you pause that they had a huge following of loving family and friends who gave a standing ovation (unheard of, really) at this dear baby's funeral when Leanne supported her husband?

I know most on this board are looking at this and disbelieving that he could have forgotten the baby in the seat in the car, and then that thought ripples out and out and out and finally believe he never wanted to be a father, he was having an affair, he purposely killed this child, who knows if his wife was in cohoots, he clearly lied to the daycare caller, etc.

None of us know then or have ever met them.

Does it give you pause when you see that all their friends are still with them, despite what could be called a media smear campaign? Those who know them best, and loved Cooper best, are still supporting Ross. And there are a LOT of them. And despite being churchy and knowing this is not really done, they were still moved to a standing ovation at a funeral?

doesnt give me pause at all. my mother is a criminal - one felony charge and one that my family covered up to keep her 'free'. my parents are SUPER popular with a HUGE circle of family and friends (minus me). they know of what she did and it doesnt phase them at all.

i have learned in my life that people are stupid and gullable. even charles manson had and still has followers. scott peterson did/does too.


ETA. i know i sound like i have an attitude. i probably do because this actual subject (of bad people with lots of supporters) hits close to home. i deal with my highly screwed up mother too much and it pisses me off with the amount of people who fall to her charms (and money) while i know the vile person she is. sorry if it sounds like im attack you. im not.

 

[ScarlettScarpetta]

True. You and I both, and everyone here, have lots of 'incriminating' searches on our computers.

But I don't think RH has hundreds of OTHER weird searches. He has that specific one, which describes what actually happened days later. VERY different scenario from what you describe, imo/

I don't know. I just don't. What if he saw it on the news and googled it? I just can not use that alone to see anything nefarious. My searches on my laptop from JA,CA cases really have to be insane.

I will need documentation from Salem with bookmarks to the cases..

 

[ScarlettScarpetta]

Welcome back Scarlett I am afraid it has come to light that mom admits to searching same topic. We have been trying to keep the media thread up to date. Good idea to check in.

I am going to bet a lot of mothers in the last few years have searched the same thing. I just can not use that alone against them.

If that is all they have on this guy, I just could not convict. I will have to wait and see what comes out at a trial if there is one.

 

[CCmakes3]

If my daughter and her boyfriend of 5 1/2 yrs ever get married, I'm secretly getting him a Cornhole Groom cake( he loves Cornhole). Doubt they ever heard of a Groom Cake.:twocents:

Oh my goodness, I had to look that up....I was quite relieved to find that it was what we call "bags" or "tailgate toss" here up north! I'm afraid "Cornhole" means something completely different up here, lol. :blushing:

 

[katydid23]

I don't know. I just don't. What if he saw it on the news and googled it? I just can not use that alone to see anything nefarious. My searches on my laptop from JA,CA cases really have to be insane.

I will need documentation from Salem with bookmarks to the cases..

I don't think anyone is using that search alone as a clue. I am looking at the totality.

He ate breakfast inside the C-Filla with his boy, put him in his car seat, and ONE MINUTE LATER, he does not take the exit to the day care. HOW does he forget about his kid in one short minute?

And we know that Cooper was very chatty when in the car. He liked to say HI RED CAR to passing vehicles. So why wouldn't RH have heard his son talking from the back?

And if he had done that search because he was so afraid that it might happen to him, why didnt he do any of the very simple steps to prevent that? Place a diaper bag up front, a post it note, put his briefcase in the back, etc etc

 

[blue22]

What if, instead of going home where you would obviously miss your baby within moments, you were at work where you wouldn't be thinking where is my baby? It was great that your episode happened when you were home - you'd be checking on your baby all the time there, and so of course in a matter of minutes you knew he was in the car. Thank goodness.

I've been thinking about other things that people do absentmindedly. My son used to work at a restaurant take out window. It was amazing to him how many people would drive away after they paid and got their credit card and receipt handed back to them, BUT NOT THEIR FOOD. Some returned in minutes, some never leading me to believe they got so far away that it wasn't worth going back for the food by the time it occurred to them they didn't have it. Many gas stations have now made their gas nozzles easily able to snap off so when people finish filling up their cars and they DRIVE OFF with the nozzle still stuck in their gas tank it doesn't do major structural damage. How many times have I gone to the grocery store to get ONE particular necessary item and returned with 3 or 4 things I didn't need but not the one thing I need right now. I've had friends expected to come for a gathering that night and they were supposed to bring a covered dish - and they created the covered dish in the afternoon and then FORGOT to go to the event. They get a call and they say OHHH I completely forgot - be there in 10.

None of that includes harming another human, so it's not even close to comparable. We all lose our keys, forget groceries, forget to put the milk in the fridge. We don't all end up with dead kids, or harming another person with our forgetfulness. We forget the things are inconsequential, but typically don't allow our minds to completely erase the human being behind us in two minutes.

I don't buy what you are selling.

 

[ScarlettScarpetta]

I don't think anyone is using that search alone as a clue. I am looking at the totality.

He ate breakfast inside the C-Filla with his boy, put him in his car seat, and ONE MINUTE LATER, he does not take the exit to the day care. HOW does he forget about his kid in one short minute?

And we know that Cooper was very chatty when in the car. He liked to say HI RED CAR to passing vehicles. So why wouldn't RH have heard his son talking from the back?

And if he had done that search because he was so afraid that it might happen to him, why didnt he do any of the very simple steps to prevent that? Place a diaper bag up front, a post it note, put his briefcase in the back, etc etc

We don't know he was chatty that morning. I have forgotten things in split seconds.
Did he have the radio on?

He could have put him in the car and immediately put his mind to work and just forgot. I can not dismiss him just forgetting yet.

 

[sorrell skye]

Yes, thanks, Sorrell pointed that out earlier.

I'm surprised it's not worded "a person commits the offense of felony murder when . . ."

And, honestly, I'm surprised that you can be put to death for a crime that the state acknowledges was accidental with no intent to harm. That's surprising.

Like with "involuntary manslaughter". If the state finds a person acted truly involuntarily, I don't see how they've committed a crime. Involuntary means you didn't voluntarily do something. Like, sneezing. Or vomiting. Or falling into someone and making them fall down a cliff.

IANAL, but my take on it is that it could be due to the aggravating circumstances. During the commission of the crime of child cruelty, RH caused Cooper's death, so according to GA criminal statutes, the punishment is life imprisonment or death.

 

[blue22]

I am going to bet a lot of mothers in the last few years have searched the same thing. I just can not use that alone against them.

If that is all they have on this guy, I just could not convict. I will have to wait and see what comes out at a trial if there is one.

Question for you, and I apologize if it's been asked. (I'm catching up.)

Could you not convict him of what he is there for now, or a charge involving premeditation? I am curious how you don't think the evidence supports what he is in jail for currently.

 

[tlcya]

I don't know. I just don't. What if he saw it on the news and googled it? I just can not use that alone to see anything nefarious. My searches on my laptop from JA,CA cases really have to be insane.

I will need documentation from Salem with bookmarks to the cases..

if that is the case his search histories should bear that out. It will show reading the articles about another recent case, maybe a comment or two under news article, something pointing to the case they may say the innocent search related to.

And yes, we would all need to have our histories here scrutinized to document our interest in which cases and the research we did and what links we provided for what case etc. It would need explained big time and tied up with a neat bow. Otherwise . . . it would look really bad.

And even then, the vast amount and variety of murder related things we research while following cases could be turned to look like we would have this wealth of knowledge at hand as to how to murder and get away with it.

But to the cynic in me. It looks really bad. JMO

 

[blue22]

We don't know he was chatty that morning. I have forgotten things in split seconds.
Did he have the radio on?

He could have put him in the car and immediately put his mind to work and just forgot. I can not dismiss him just forgetting yet.

But the first thing he does is not go to work, it's drop Cooper off fisrt.

 

[JeannaT]

None of that includes harming another human, so it's not even close to comparable. We all lose our keys, forget groceries, forget to put the milk in the fridge. We don't all end up with dead kids, or harming another person with our forgetfulness. We forget the things are inconsequential, but typically don't allow our minds to completely erase the human being behind us in two minutes.

I don't buy what you are selling.

I'm not selling anything. I'm in a discussion about forgetfulness and sometimes it seems unbelievable that someone could forget something, but they do.

And that's unrelated to a discussion about what harm comes from forgetfulness. Forgetting something that you were JUST DOING is what I'm discussing.

I had a friend in high school come out to my car for a pizza outing with no skirt on. She came out to the car, and then said AHHH I forgot to put my skirt on and ran back in the house.

 

[JeannaT]

But the first thing he does is not go to work, it's drop Cooper off fisrt.

This day, it was to go to Chick Fil A.