Justin Ross Harris @@ trigger warning

[cinnamoncox0]

I don't know if it's been posted but he got life sentence. I just saw on CNN. I suppose it's justice for poor Cooper.
I feel so badly for his wife/exwife if they're divorced. What a nightmare.

[marriedfilingjoint]

I don't fully understand the verdict in light of the evidence. How did they prove it was intentional? I also read that the experts are saying he would have had to have seen Cooper in the car seat 3 times before he pulled into the shopping center parking lot and called the police. If he was rear facing, how are they proving he saw Cooper 3 times? Did he have a car seat mirror? Because I couldn't see DD at all when she was rear-facing.

[crazycakes]

Dec 5, 2016 16:34:04 GMT -5 marriedfilingjoint said:

I don't fully understand the verdict in light of the evidence. How did they prove it was intentional? I also read that the experts are saying he would have had to have seen Cooper in the car seat 3 times before he pulled into the shopping center parking lot and called the police. If he was rear facing, how are they proving he saw Cooper 3 times? Did he have a car seat mirror? Because I couldn't see DD at all when she was rear-facing.

I listened to the entire Breakdown podcast on this trial and I still don't understand how the jury concluded that it was intentional. I thought the defense did a really good job showing that it was an accident. I still think Justin Ross Harris is a terrible human being, but none of the evidence seemed to point to this being a murder. But obviously I didn't hear everything, so who knows.

[pitta12]

Dec 5, 2016 16:38:33 GMT -5 crazycakes said:

Dec 5, 2016 16:34:04 GMT -5 marriedfilingjoint said:

I don't fully understand the verdict in light of the evidence. How did they prove it was intentional? I also read that the experts are saying he would have had to have seen Cooper in the car seat 3 times before he pulled into the shopping center parking lot and called the police. If he was rear facing, how are they proving he saw Cooper 3 times? Did he have a car seat mirror? Because I couldn't see DD at all when she was rear-facing.

I listened to the entire Breakdown podcast on this trial and I still don't understand how the jury concluded that it was intentional. I thought the defense did a really good job showing that it was an accident. I still think Justin Ross Harris is a terrible human being, but none of the evidence seemed to point to this being a murder. But obviously I didn't hear everything, so who knows.

Same.  The evidence consisted mostly of all his deviant sexual behavior, and people saying he acted weird immediately after discovering the body.

[cinnamoncox0]

I think the history on his computer of researching how long it takes a toddler to die in a hot car and his other online activities (I forget the exact topic but it was related) edit: I remember now, it was searched about child free life...plus him sexting plus some him having gone back to the car all of those times (3?) is what they must've focused on most of all.

I'm conflicted on the evidence I think I'm just thankful I wasn't a juror and have to see and hear all of what they had to see/hear plus then be responsible to decide intentional or not.
Maybe they saw some things they couldn't ignore that weren't made public?
It's so horrible.

[marriedfilingjoint]

Dec 5, 2016 16:38:33 GMT -5 crazycakes said:

Dec 5, 2016 16:34:04 GMT -5 marriedfilingjoint said:

I don't fully understand the verdict in light of the evidence. How did they prove it was intentional? I also read that the experts are saying he would have had to have seen Cooper in the car seat 3 times before he pulled into the shopping center parking lot and called the police. If he was rear facing, how are they proving he saw Cooper 3 times? Did he have a car seat mirror? Because I couldn't see DD at all when she was rear-facing.

I listened to the entire Breakdown podcast on this trial and I still don't understand how the jury concluded that it was intentional. I thought the defense did a really good job showing that it was an accident. I still think Justin Ross Harris is a terrible human being, but none of the evidence seemed to point to this being a murder. But obviously I didn't hear everything, so who knows.

I'll have to listen to this, as well.

[marriedfilingjoint]

Dec 5, 2016 17:00:18 GMT -5 cinnamoncox0 said:

I think the history on his computer of researching how long it takes a toddler to die in a hot car and his other online activities (I forget the exact topic but it was related) edit: I remember now, it was searched about child free life...plus him sexting plus some him having gone back to the car all of those times (3?) is what they must've focused on most of all.

I'm conflicted on the evidence I think I'm just thankful I wasn't a juror and have to see and hear all of what they had to see/hear plus then be responsible to decide intentional or not.
Maybe they saw some things they couldn't ignore that weren't made public?
It's so horrible.

The supposed web searches turned out to not be as they were initially portrayed, from my understanding. For example, he hadn't searched out the Reddit forum, someone sent him a link, he clicked on it, and replied "gross" or something. And it was animals dying in hot cars, also clicked from an email. He did search how to survive prison, though. Perhaps he was concerned that his underage sexting was about to come to light.

[marriedfilingjoint]

Living in the South, I can't help but compare the general public's reaction to hot car deaths vs unintentional shootings. It's odd that people seem more forgiving in the case of a preventable gun accident. It seems people are more likely to be charged in a hot car death, too, though I haven't seen actual statistics.

[cinnamoncox0]

Dec 5, 2016 17:06:57 GMT -5 marriedfilingjoint said:

Dec 5, 2016 17:00:18 GMT -5 cinnamoncox0 said:

I think the history on his computer of researching how long it takes a toddler to die in a hot car and his other online activities (I forget the exact topic but it was related) edit: I remember now, it was searched about child free life...plus him sexting plus some him having gone back to the car all of those times (3?) is what they must've focused on most of all.

I'm conflicted on the evidence I think I'm just thankful I wasn't a juror and have to see and hear all of what they had to see/hear plus then be responsible to decide intentional or not.
Maybe they saw some things they couldn't ignore that weren't made public?
It's so horrible.

The supposed web searches turned out to not be as they were initially portrayed, from my understanding. For example, he hadn't searched out the Reddit forum, someone sent him a link, he clicked on it, and replied "gross" or something. And it was animals dying in hot cars, also clicked from an email. He did search how to survive prison, though. Perhaps he was concerned that his underage sexting was about to come to light.

That's right, it was about surviving in prison, I forgot that one.
I don't know. Perhaps the jury was just privy to more than what we know. At face value it does look like not enough evidence but maybe there's more that we don't know.
Or the jury just was so appalled by it all they decided with emotion not facts. It's possible.

[isabel]

I didn't follow the trial or any of the evidence, so it's hard for me to say whether I think he did it intentionally or not, but if he did, I'm glad he got that sentence. I truly cannot fathom how anyone could do that to a child.

[crazycakes]

Dec 5, 2016 17:00:18 GMT -5 cinnamoncox0 said:

I think the history on his computer of researching how long it takes a toddler to die in a hot car and his other online activities (I forget the exact topic but it was related) edit: I remember now, it was searched about child free life...plus him sexting plus some him having gone back to the car all of those times (3?) is what they must've focused on most of all.

I'm conflicted on the evidence I think I'm just thankful I wasn't a juror and have to see and hear all of what they had to see/hear plus then be responsible to decide intentional or not.
Maybe they saw some things they couldn't ignore that weren't made public?
It's so horrible.

The prosecution focused a LOT on his deviant behavior. He was sexting many people (women and men, some underage), had affairs, spent a lot of time in the underbelly of the internet...definitely cemented him as a terrible human being and a really terrible husband. But again, at least from the testimony and evidence they showed on the podcast, I just don't understand the verdict. Especially his ex-wife's testimony. I have to wonder if the jury just really didn't like him as a person, and was in part punishing him for these other misdeeds as well. But there was a lot of stuff the public didn't hear, so maybe not.

But I'm with you that it is a horrible tragedy and am glad I did not have to sit through that trial.

[jeaniebueller]

Dec 5, 2016 17:11:30 GMT -5 marriedfilingjoint said:

Living in the South, I can't help but compare the general public's reaction to hot car deaths vs unintentional shootings. It's odd that people seem more forgiving in the case of a preventable gun accident. It seems people are more likely to be charged in a hot car death, too, though I haven't seen actual statistics.

I absolutely agree with this.

[isabel]

Dec 5, 2016 17:11:30 GMT -5 marriedfilingjoint said:

Living in the South, I can't help but compare the general public's reaction to hot car deaths vs unintentional shootings. It's odd that people seem more forgiving in the case of a preventable gun accident. It seems people are more likely to be charged in a hot car death, too, though I haven't seen actual statistics.

Yeah, well, our country has some fucked up views on guns. It wouldn't surprise me if you're right.

And it should go without saying, but if the jury really did convict him based more on his deviant behavior than on him intentionally leaving his kid in the car, that is fucked up. Nobody deserves that after an accident that horrific, regardless of their other behaviors and choices.

[jeaniebueller]

Just thought I would bump because his conviction has been overturned

www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/murder-conviction-overturned-justin-ross-harris-georgia-father-left-to-rcna34723?cid=sm_npd_nn_fb_ma

The Georgia Supreme Court on Wednesday overturned the murder conviction of a Georgia father sentenced to life in prison after leaving his 22-month-old son in a hot car, a stunning turn of events in a case that made international headlines.

Chief Justice David Nahmias wrote in an opinion that an "extensive amount of improperly admitted evidence" presented during Justin Ross Harris' 2016 trial affected the jury's guilty verdict. Some of that evidence included graphic images and details about Harris' extramarital affairs.

"Much of this evidence was at best marginally probative as to the alleged offenses against Cooper, and much of it was extremely and unfairly prejudicial. We cannot say that it is highly probable that the improperly admitted evidence did not affect the guilty verdicts that the jury returned on the counts involving Cooper," Nahmias said.

"If Appellant is to be found guilty of those crimes, it will need to be by a jury not tainted by that sort of evidence. For these reasons, we reverse Appellant’s convictions for the counts related to Cooper."


That poor mother having to relive all of this all over again through another trial

[chchchia]

I am so torn on this...I think the defense did it job as in they created reasonable doubt as to whether this was an accident or not but I think the guy is scum and did it on purpose. I just don't know, my other sympathetic thoughts are for Copper and his mother. I guess we will never know the true story as Harris is the only one who knew and knows what is in his heart/head.

[livinitup]

I think Forgotten Baby Syndrome (FBS) is real and terrifying. I

[jinkies]

Jun 23, 2022 12:09:19 GMT -5 livinitup said:

I think Forgotten Baby Syndrome (FBS) is real and terrifying. 

It is definitely real. I have no idea whether that's what happened in this specific case though. There is certainly some damning evidence that he was thinking about this ahead of time.

There was a long article in the Washington Post in 2009 about leaving children in hot cars-- it has been 13 years and it is still the most impactful piece of writing I think I have ever read. Anyone who thinks they would never forget is fooling themselves. 

[chedifuen]

Jun 23, 2022 12:31:00 GMT -5 jinkies said:

Jun 23, 2022 12:09:19 GMT -5 livinitup said:

I think Forgotten Baby Syndrome (FBS) is real and terrifying. 

It is definitely real. I have no idea whether that's what happened in this specific case though. There is certainly some damning evidence that he was thinking about this ahead of time.

There was a long article in the Washington Post in 2009 about leaving children in hot cars-- it has been 13 years and it is still the most impactful piece of writing I think I have ever read. Anyone who thinks they would never forget is fooling themselves. 

That article is forever trapped in my memory. 

We just bought a new car. It has an audible alarm and flashes a message on the dash to check the rear seat for occupants if it detects any weigh and/or if any seatbelts were used in the back seat.