Small Details that are interesting in the Cooper Harris case, #1

[JudyBolton]

I'm listening to the hearing videos on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9u--A2TwZg

at 25:08 they are talking about what happens after RH puts the lightbulbs in the car and starts walking back into work. Det Stoddard is explaining RH reaction to the person he passes walking towards RH car.

Anyway, Det Stoddard says: The guys walks past the car, and then Justin gets on his phone and goes inside the Home Depot.

I wonder who he called at that time?

This was the little detail I was going to mention....I imagine when/if we get to see the video - he acted quite "squirrelly" about that person in the parking lot. My impression was that he was making sure he didn't look into his car window and see Cooper - what possible reason would Ross then have to have been calmly walking back into work. I pictured him stopping - almost to block the person or to be able to block their view if they were to look toward his vehicle.

 

[blue22]

I think Cooper was dead (or very close to death and unconscious) by the time Dad threw the light bulbs (for his wife's vanity mirror) in the car.

I think he spent the rest of the afternoon planning how he would act like a grieving father until the "discovery".

His plan was obviously not that great.

I know this is kind of silly, but who throws light bulbs to put them anywhere? What a genius. :facepalm:

 

[liltexans]

I think a big 'small' detail is that Harris made sure not to make the 911 call himself.

 

[tlcya]

re the "other person" who Stoddard says is seen on the video approaching the direction of RH car as RH is leaving that area to return to treehouse. Did you notice Stoddard being careful not to reveal info about that "someone else"?

He indicates RH acted strangely, implying he was worried that person may get too close to RH car and notice Cooper. But I also find Stoddard's description of that incident unusual.

UNIDENTIFIED PROSECUTOR: At some point, as he's walking back away from that car, does anyone else walk by him and how does he react?

STODDARD: It appears another -- we'll say another person -- passes him, walking towards his car, as he's walking away from his car. As that person approaches him, he stops. He kind of stands there for a little bit as the guy walks past him. You can see that man walk up towards his car. He starts a little bit, Justin starts a little bit, he stops. The guy walks past the car and Justin gets on the phone and goes inside the Home Depot.

I also wonder if the lightbulb toss could have been because OFF camera, RH could see this individual approaching from some distance prior to their being on camera and he simply tossed the bulbs in order to get the door closed faster and remove himself from the vehicle (dissociate) and yet not too far until the danger of that person noticing Cooper seemed past.

ETA makes me wonder if they have talked to this "guy". And I wonder if Stoddart was going to say another employee but then edited himself. Would that possibly suggest the other guy was another employee or was not another employee?

 

[Karmady]

re the "other person" who Stoddard says is seen on the video approaching the direction of RH car as RH is leaving that area to return to treehouse. Did you notice Stoddard being careful not to reveal info about that "someone else"?

He indicates RH acted strangely, implying he was worried that person may get too close to RH car and notice Cooper. But I also find Stoddard's description of that incident unusual.



I also wonder if the lightbulb toss could have been because OFF camera, RH could see this individual approaching from some distance prior to their being on camera and he simply tossed the bulbs in order to get the door closed faster and remove himself from the vehicle (dissociate) and yet not too far until the danger of that person noticing Cooper seemed past.

ETA makes me wonder if they have talked to this "guy". And I wonder if Stoddart was going to say another employee but then edited himself. Would that possibly suggest the other guy was another employee or was not another employee?

Re the ETA, yes, I was just coming to post that. Another (insert something they have in common here)...man? HD employee? person with a child in the Little Apron childcare? Idk. Clearly they didn't know each other or it would have been awkward not to give a greeting.

 

[JusticeSeeker6]

I would be interested to know the timing of the searches about how to survive prison and the age of consent in GA. IMO the surviving prison search relates to the underage sexting/possibly hooking up situation and not Cooper's death as I still believe he thought he would get away with the murder. Everybody would assume it was an accident after all.

 

[T4Tide]

He leaves work early and phones friends that he will be late for his 5 pm movie.

I wondered if this wasn't a set up for a "quickie" with one of the girls he was texting with? Or at least time for more alone time for sexting/personal pleasure, so to speak??

 

[gngr~snap]

Interesting he didn't search length of prison sentences given to parents for leaving their babies in hot cars.

Yet he did search how to survive prison. Could he have already have committed a crime with a minor?
He did look up age of consent in Georgia...
Could he have known he was going to do time prior to killing Cooper?

That makes the mother's odd statements even more confusing.
moo

I would be interested to know the timing of the searches about how to survive prison and the age of consent in GA. IMO the surviving prison search relates to the underage sexting/possibly hooking up situation and not Cooper's death as I still believe he thought he would get away with the murder. Everybody would assume it was an accident after all.

 

[tlcya]

I would be interested to know the timing of the searches about how to survive prison and the age of consent in GA. IMO the surviving prison search relates to the underage sexting/possibly hooking up situation and not Cooper's death as I still believe he thought he would get away with the murder. Everybody would assume it was an accident after all.

I tend to agree and started a thread on the inappropriate relationship with minor to discuss that angle.

 

[BrittMontero]

Forgive me if this has been answered somehow, but aren't daycares supposed to call parents if the child doesn't show up?

I know the testimony was that JRH rec'd a group e-message from the daycare but did any employee there contact either of the parents when Cooper was a no-show? If not, why not, I wonder. I don't have kids but unless an absence is pre-arranged I thought they all would call ASAP for the child's safety if nothing else.

 

[RainCheck]

I would be interested to know the timing of the searches about how to survive prison and the age of consent in GA. IMO the surviving prison search relates to the underage sexting/possibly hooking up situation and not Cooper's death as I still believe he thought he would get away with the murder. Everybody would assume it was an accident after all.

I don't think so. Since he looked up the age of consent in GA and knew it was 16. He wouldn't be worried about going to prison for that.

 

[RainCheck]

The daycare my son would attend would most certainly call because you pay ahead of time. If you miss a day you are out that money and the daycare would call. It's a really small daycare though and they stress they want people to feel like they are part of the extended family. I'm not sure how a large corporate daycare would handle things, but they did send out an email to the parents of all children who were absent that day. It was sent to RH, but do we know if he read it?

 

[ssnva1]

I don't post much. But this case has me.

This morning I was reading the Cooper thread, and my 4 year old said he was going outside to get his toys. I read for about a minute and jumped out of the bed freaked out. I knew my dad who is staying with us was outside on the deck so I wasn't concerned, but then it dawned on me his toys were in the van
(we went to a cookout last night and packed up a bunch to take with him). I ran down downstairs and my dad was sitting was sitting on the deck. I said, in panic mode where is Kyson?? And he said in the van getting his toys. When I went to the van the doors were locked and windows up with him in it. My heart stopped beating. Thankfully, he knows how to unlock it and was only in for a minute. And thank God my dad was outside and would have checked on him in matter of a minute had I not come outside. Btw- you can see the van from where he was sitting.

It's crazy to me that this happened as I was literally reading this thread. It makes you pay a little extra attention to your little ones.

I have been playing and loving on him all day. Even though I just wanted to lie in the sun and relax. I chose to suck it up and fight pretend dinosaurs and snakes that were attacking us!!!

These people are a disgrace to parents. And as parents we are not perfect.... See above.

 

[tlcya]

I don't think so. Since he looked up the age of consent in GA and knew it was 16. He wouldn't be worried about going to prison for that.

we learned so very much at the hearing that was unexpected. I cannot recall if the search of statutes on age of consent and the one on surviving prison were described in terms of their timing. Perhaps the prison one was first then the statue one which was what encouraged him to feel confident pursuing the relationship afterall?

 

[Lyra500]

If you were to place light bulbs in a car, wouldn't you pop the trunk and place them in, or choose any other door than the driver's to place them in a floorboard, etc??? A small detail, the choice of the driver's door, but very strange to me.

You have a point.

I think his car is a hatch-back rather than one with an enclosed trunk though, so opening the hatchback but somehow 'missing' the fact that Cooper was still in there would be pretty hard to explain wouldn't it?.........

 

[katydid23]

So when describing "finding out" Cooper was in vehicle at 4:20ish, he apparently made no mention of choking as witnesses described him saying at the scene.

Audience: He's choking
LEO Audience: I noticed him when I turned to the right to make a lane change

MOO Stoddard did a fabulous job of describing all those right hand turns and lane changes necessary earlier in the day as Harris went to his office rather than daycare.

That was unreal that he actually told LE that he 'noticed him when he made a right turn.' Seriously? If it was so freakin easy to see him, why didnt it happen sooner?

At the very least when he parked and was gathering stuff for work. He was in there for 30 seconds. Wouldnt that indicate he was looking around and getting his stuff together to go to the office? Who doesn't make a quick scan of their car as they are leaving it for the day? GMAFB

 

[JusticeSeeker6]

I don't think so. Since he looked up the age of consent in GA and knew it was 16. He wouldn't be worried about going to prison for that.

That's a good point, if he did the age of consent search first. As a step-mom to a 16 year old girl I find it repulsive and just wrong, wrong, wrong that it could be legal for her to have sex with somebody old enough to be her father, but moral and legal are two different things. JMO

Edit: I was just discussing this with hubby and he pointed this out to me. GA age of consent is 16, BUT federal age of consent is still 18. Federal charges can still be brought up against him, and he can still go to prison for it..probably why there is talk about charges of sexual exploitation of a minor, etc.

 

[liltexans]

Another detail that our sleuthers uncovered early on was that June 18th was the hottest day of the year locally up to that point.

 

[Detective Klimpt]

Why he took Cooper to Chicken-Fil-A that morning...that puzzles me? That point blew a big hole in his defense due to the very short amount of time it took to drive from there to his workplace. Had he not gone there, it may have been easier to believe he forgot the child was in the back seat. So if he planned this horrible thing, why the stop for breakfast?

Regarding that text he made to his wife about 'picking up his buddy'. As I recall from the hearing, LE and prosecutors were not able to confirm that text was made. It was the defense attorney that made that statement.

Regarding throwing lightbulbs in the car...I have done that and front the driver's side. Lightbulbs are packaged in such a way you can toss them on cushioned seats and not worry about them breaking.

Leanna's blase' comment "Ross must have left him in the car" (said that twice to day care workers)... boggles my mind why she said this.

 

[nawd68]

Why he took Cooper to Chicken-Fil-A that morning...that puzzles me? That point blew a big hole in his defense due to the very short amount of time it took to drive from there to his workplace. Had he not gone there, it may have been easier to believe he forgot the child was in the back seat. So if he planned this horrible thing, why the stop for breakfast?

Regarding that text he made to his wife about 'picking up his buddy'. As I recall from the hearing, LE and prosecutors were not able to confirm that text was made. It was the defense attorney that made that statement.

Regarding throwing lightbulbs in the car...I have done that and front the driver's side. Lightbulbs are packaged in such a way you can toss them on cushioned seats and not worry about them breaking.

Leanna's blase' comment "Ross must have left him in the car" (said that twice to day care workers)... boggles my mind why she said this.

Perhaps he wanted to appear to be a loving father. Or maybe in his sick mind, he was being a loving father one last time before he killed his son.