Narrative of the scene through being charged, from Staley’s January 2016 ruling denying the DT’s Motion to Suppress (electronic evidence).
Police observed RH on phone upon arrival. Didn’t know who he was speaking with, or if the other person was involved in any criminal activity regarding Cooper’s death. Asked him to get off phone, asked him for his identification. RH was noncompliant. Refused to get off the phone, moved threateningly towards Foglia, told her to “shut the F up’
Piper said: he towered over Foglia, was obstructing the investigation, we wanted to avoid possibility of a violent confrontation.
RH tried to put his phone in pocket as he was cuffed, pulled away from Piper as he was cuffed and phone taken. Told to stop resisting. Only calmed down after he was cuffed. Piper moved her car so he “wouldn’t create more problems for responding officers.”
Piper gave cell phone to her supervisor, Thorpe, who “eventually” gave it to Stoddard “No search of the phone was conducted at that time.”
After brief investigation at scene, RH was transported to CAP at headquarters, at “detectives’ request.”
Upon arrival, he was turned over to detectives who removed his cuffs before interviewing him, and he was allowed to “roam freely” in the interview room.
Meanwhile, Piper checked with 911 and realized RH hadn’t called, and since RH asked Piper on scene to call his wife, it indicated he had not been on the phone with her when LE arrived. Piper reported all this to Stoddard, as well as RG’s “demeanor.”
Prior to being interviewed, Stoddard inventoried his personal possessions, in front of RH (no mention is made of the Publix receipt or RH throwing it away).
RH denied being distracted to Stoddard during the interview.
“Of note to detectives” was RH saying this was his worst fear, as had Leanna in her interview.
“ Defendant also revealed he had watched a video online about deaths in hot cars. Specifically, he admitted watching a video about a vet saying how hot it could get in cars. watched a news story. RH referenced saying to himself how terrible it would be to happen to someone. Defendant failed to identify which electronic device he had watched the video on, or whether the news story was viewed on TV or another device. “
Stoddard noted- we didn’t know if someone had sent it to him (by various means), etc. RH claimed to have researched the specific car seat he owned to see if it fit Cooper, claimed he was happily married, indicated he had developed a failed web company, but otherwise denied financial hardships.
While at HQ, Stoddard told RH he had his phone and it was being charged. Stoddard asked RH for the passcode, and RH provided it willingly, “without question or limitation.”
When RH was told he was going to be charged he invoked counsel, “ but he also made spontaneous statements. Specifically, he told detectives he “disagreed slightly” with the charges.”
---yay! I have my computer back.

Part 2- search warrants and the tick tock of electronics investigations