GA - Suspicion over heat death of Cooper, 22 mo., Cobb County, June 2014, #7

[SStarr33]

I would agree provided there was evidence that common sense was more common.

Sad to think that we have to legislate ''common sense''

If you think of the driver as the captain of the plane/ship responsible for the safe passage and disembarkation of the passengers it's obvious he/she should make sure same number disembark as were loaded right?

I see this childseat/abandonment issue as simply that '' negligence of the operator'' plain and simple.

When it comes to parents, there is an abundance of "operator error" that ruins children and could ultimately kill them. But that needs to be discussed on a different thread.

 

[liltexans]

Thanks, I had seen that. To me, that does not mean he didn't return to his car for a moment.

You're kidding, right? He didn't just walk past his car in the lot at lunch time. He walked to his car, opened the door, and put something inside.

What does unattended mean to you? That he didn't put the key in the ignition and start the car and drive away?

 

[Spice]

Gotta love Texas law sometimes.

California, I think, even had a section about what to do in the event one comes upon this situation... and how the child can be turned over to CPS.

Absolutely On its own and at the most basic level, it would be Inadequate supervision of a child which falls under Child Neglect.

And that is without the endangerment of heat in the car. That brings it to Endangerment.

 

[renarde]

He is charged with Felony murder and Child Cruelty in the 2nd degree.

I think the other poster was discussing specific laws pertaining to leaving children in cars that could also be not only applied but used as a message to the public

"If you leave your child in the car, AT ALL EVER, for 2 minutes or hours while running in the store, there are laws against it. Specific laws. Other states have them, GA does not. That is what the OP was speaking too.

Laws sometimes serve as a way to create public awareness about a social problem, as they are a reaction to a particular pattern of behavior exhibited by members of the public.

You said it so much better than I could! I was having trouble, but yeah. What you said.
Thanks.

 

[hopingicanhelp]

This is a total speculation alert.
I believe there is good reason for the police to say "driver's side door" and not to say "driver door". I wonder if that security camera footage at lunchtime shows dad putting the baby and carseat into the car through the rear drivers' side door. Although not on camera, I suspect daddy first took the baby and carseat out of the trunk (dead already at this point I am guessing) and put the baby into the car. Why do I think this? I am guessing that is why the cops are not specific about whether it was the driver side front door or back door (they want Ross to think they do not know exactly, that the security camera footage is too grainy). I also think it explains the breakfast at Chick Fil A despite the fact that daddy and baby already had breakfast at home. I think the Chick Fil A trip was to ensure people remembered him doting on his child before work that day and also to give him a chance to slip baby some benadryl to get him to sleep. Then a chance to make a big show of putting the baby in the car seat in the car - but then when no one was looking, to move baby to the trunk of the car so that if baby screamed no one would hear. This explains why baby was seen being placed in the car seat in Chick Fil A car park at 8:55am but by 9am just around the corner at Home Depot, the baby and carseat were not visible inside the car. I think baby spent the morning in the trunk, just to be sure he died. Then Harris moved baby into the car seat's normal position hoping someone would find him before Ross had to leave that day after work. This also explains why Ross did not have a plan after work - the baby was already meant to be found by then. When no one found him by 4:15, Ross had to leave and was probably panicking, not sure what to do (so much so that he did not think to go to the daycare to "pick up his son", which of course was his fatal mistake because if he had really forgotten his son was in the car the first thing he would do on leaving work would be go to the daycare to pick up his son). He drove in a panic, realized he could not fake it in front of the friends he was due to meet after work, probably was overwhelmed by the stench of a fried baby body in the car too.. so he just pulled over wherever he found an audience.
This was total speculation trying to make sense of the facts of the case.
Just My Theory

reminded by what Bessie has said in the past on another case I have followed. She said even speculation should be based somewhere in fact.

I have to back read as I just woke up but where is the business about killing Cooper in a trunk or cargo area coming from? Has something come out that lead the thread to debate the trunk/cargo area?

Bouncing off Msollicito's theory here...

***Before I do though -- Msollicito, how do you know they ate breakfast at home prior to CFA? Forgive me if that's been established but I don't recall that? Can you provide a link? TIA!! That has nothing to do with this, btw.

We have an article and lots of speculation from that article -- did he access the driver's side door and place something on the passenger side? No mention was made of "rear" however it's also not specific enough to say "driver door" or "passenger seat" -- the article (if you look at headline and then read article) mentions both -- so which door did he open, front or rear, on the driver's side? Which passenger seat did he place the object, front or rear?

Add in the LE comment about "shocks my conscience"...

Look at the "trunk" of a Hyundai Tucson -- like a lot of crossover vehicles, it's easy to raise & lower the backseats and easily access the "trunk" area. Suppose MSollicito is right about the trunk... Could he have reached into the backseat from the DRIVER'S SIDE REAR DOOR, lowered the backseat, pulled Cooper through over to the REAR PASSENGER SEAT and buckled him in, leaving him to hopefully be discovered sometime that afternoon?

Wasn't Cooper on the passenger side of the vehicle when Ross stopped in the parking lot? (Or am I totally remembering it incorrectly?)

I think this is good critical thinking of all the possibilities and I'm so glad you joined WebSleuths!!!!

Problem with this theory IMO?

I think we would have heard by now (if they had video evidence) -- I think with all the support he was receiving, LE would have shut it down if there was clearcut evidence that is what happened.

Also, the charges would not have been reduced as it would clearly have been premeditated murder.

 

[New1]

NG is talking about police eying mom. And that there is survalence video catching the whole thing on tape. I have seen Nancy get it wrong from time to time so the video might just the the lunch walk to drop something off in the car.

I've seen NG flat out lie, it seems just for sensationalism. This is one of the reasons I quit watching her show.

 

[Spice]

You said it so much better than I could! I was having trouble, but yeah. What you said.
Thanks.

I understood your post in its entirety! What you were saying was very clear.

 

[Hamsterdance]

doesn't look too happy here either:

http://worldnewsandwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/d44-200x125.jpg

Thanks. I zoomed in to 500%. Judging from the reflection in his glasses, he's taking this selfie with his left hand (the one closest to the drivers window) and holding the steering wheel with his right. He is a big guy in that front seat, and his right side extends beyond the edge of the seat into the middle a bit. Looking behind him, I see the flat back of the middle seat, so no car seat in place in this photo. If it was there, it would certainly be extending partially into that middle space between his seat and the passenger side, practically rubbing against him. If he did any over the shoulder checks at all, he would not be able to miss seeing his son. Even if he was just checking his mirror, he would catch a glimpse of him in his peripheral vision.

 

[SStarr33]

You're kidding, right? He didn't just walk past his car in the lot at lunch time. He walked to his car, opened the door, and put something inside.

What does unattended mean to you? That he didn't put the key in the ignition and start the car and drive away?

I don't consider just putting something in your car attending to it.

Does that make sense?

 

[liltexans]

I don't consider just putting something in your car attending to it.

Does that make sense?

Sorry, no it doesn't, but you are of course entitled to your opinion.

In any event, LE likely elaborated with their questioning anyway. They probably asked him, "Did you return to your car for any reason during the day? Did you walk to your car during the day? Did you put anything in your car during the day?"

It is being reported that Harris answered "No", which is of course, a lie.

 

[LisaB]

BBM

Others in the previous thread have wondered if he may have been drugged...so that no one would hear him crying at Home Depot ? :banghead:
I haven't been able to find a post or link in msm stating where he parked at work -- if it was far away from the building or not ?
:moo:

I have a "mission" for one of you who is local... Can you find Google street view of the CORRECT Home Depot location (It keeps taking me to a retail store) and "walk around the parking lot" to see where he normally parks? We know the make and model of his car and the tag number as well. I know I just found my car in my work parking lot (not live, obviously, I now park in a different lot) and in front of my home. Can someone tell us where his car was parked in the Google images?

 

[Fairy]

I have to wonder what will happen when they really rip apart the cell phones, comps and anything else electronic they have. I really wish they would have waited until there was time to do all that before arresting him. To me it seems to be a rush to arrest and not a well thought out case.

From comments that have been made in the media, it seems they must have a very damning piece of evidence that we don't know about yet.

If the Internet searches are all there is, then as you say, it warrants further investigation rather than immediate arrests.

The way it's been handled only seems to sensationalise it so far, without seeing what other evidence they have.

 

[chlban]

I wonder if juries ever get hung because people get annoyed with each other and just don't want to let the other people "win" so they are contrary just to refuse to admit they might have been wrong?

There's so much emotion in this case it makes you wonder. Maybe that's what happened in the Casey Anthony trial. I'm going to look up jury selection experts to see what they can predict. This is definitely going to be a down to the last minute decision, I think.

Two members of the infamous OJ jury, both of whom initially voted guilty, have apparently since stated that they just wanted to get the heck out of there after having been sequestered for so long. They didn't say that was why they changed their vote so quickly but it does make you wonder.

This was reported on a "Dateline" special that aired on June 11th. on NBC.

 

[tlcya]

I am of the "we don't need more laws, we need to enforce the ones we have better" opinion. Although I firmly support the addition of laws such as making it illegal to not report your child "missing" when they have inexplicably left your care and you cannot produce them. The idea that it is not illegal to not report your child is no longer in your care and then when it is discovered refuse to produce the new caregiver or the child is utterly ridiculous to me.

But generally speaking if we enforced or interpreted the millions of laws already on the books properly or better we would not need to constantly be adding more. JMO

 

[Spice]

I don't consider just putting something in your car attending to it.

Does that make sense?

I don't understand. He was "attending" to something. Even if it was just to put something away in his car, and then somehow he miraculously does not notice his son.

The point is, he opened the door to the car. Placed something inside of it. Shut the door. And then walked away.

He was "tending" to something.

Some think he was just putting something away. I believe he was checking to see if Cooper was dead yet, and wondering why someone had not discovered him, and called 911 so he could run out and play the role of grieving father who made a tragic mistake, as I believe was his original plan. He knew he would be dead fast, as he clearly researched "How Long", and he thought someone would discover Cooper much sooner. They didn't. And he was left panicking about what to do about that after work.

Returning to that car, going inside of it, and walking away will be one of the biggest nails in his coffin. I believe that 100 percent. The second nail will be driving in that reeking car for ten minutes with his dead son in the back....who he again FAILED to notice.

Because apparently this guy, cannot remember his baby even once throughout 7 hours, and he cannot see or smell either.

 

[SStarr33]

You are AGAINST laws that protect children and punish adults for neglecting them?

Um, no I am not against them. GA has laws against child neglect.

 

[Lovejac]

Just having a law in place - and having parking lot ''blitzes'' could be enough of a proactive measure to ''sober'' people up into realizing this is a driver's issue/responsibility.

That is a brilliant idea!

I wonder if there is a national hot car "awareness" event on the books. Ie: like Breast Cancer Awareness month, ect

 

[ScarlettScarpetta]

Oh Scarlett, I'm that mom that kept my boys (now ages 8, 8 and 9) rear facing past the age that was recommended at the time AND had every one of their carseats installed by our local fire station.

By sad, I meant that looking at those pictures of smiling children made me sad for Cooper. My guys use to get so excited at that age when I strapped them into their seats because they loved car rides.

Just because we disagree on the intent of RH, please don't think I disagree with you about the importance of recommendations of car seats and their proper placement :blowkiss:

Im sorry! I thought you were talking about the car seats..

It is sad. I just keep thinking that Cooper is soaring with the Angels now. No pain, No fear, No worry.

 

[SStarr33]

Sorry, no it doesn't, but you are of course entitled to your opinion.

In any event, LE likely elaborated with their questioning anyway. They probably asked him, "Did you return to your car for any reason during the day? Did you walk to your car during the day? Did you put anything in your car during the day?"

It is being reported that Harris answered "No", which is of course, a lie.

Yup. And if that is what happened, he is in trouble for lying.

 

[JLSChook]

His shoulder appears almost even with the back of the door frame.

Yep. Also, seeing how high his head goes above the headrest, if he ever had to backup that day, and if he looked back (like all drivers should), there is no way he couldn't see Cooper, being in the middle of the backseat.

I wonder if he backed up out of Chick-Fil-A, even? :facepalm: