GA - Suspicion over heat death of Cooper, 22 mo., Cobb County, June 2014, #10

[SStarr33]

Does anyone know if there has ever been a case of a mom and dad planning and murdering their toddler?

 

[SStarr33]

Re: the choking. I feel that it is possible that RH saw Cooper struggling and choking at noon, and turned and walked away. I feel that he distanced himself from the death by saying, I didn't know he was dead, I just thought he was choking. This has been nagging at me for a while and it is my opinion.

I really don't think there is any way he could still have been alive at that time.

 

[NancyA]

It's so bad to think about as it is. Add premeditation and weeks and months and it's ( fill in the blank with a word I do not know yet ) to think about. Did he/they continue to cuddle and read him bed time stories? Knowing next week he/they may kill him? Did he still get a bath and sing time and ' daddy time' for breakfast after he/they had made a decision to end his life?
There is something here like a sacrifice right? Connor was sacrificed so that he/they could live the life they think they were meant to have. The thing about ' Connor will not have to know the pain of losing his mom and dad' is a little bit .... almost like a mercy killing, right? Is that what he/they think and how they justified this? Saving him from all the horrors of life , skinned knees and broken bones and watching others die?
My kids are teens ( thank you Jesus, I made it ) and I cannot imagine telling them good night without the full expectation, faith, certainty, that they would be alive tomorrow . And to think about planning to end a child's life with your own hands,,,,,, So I guess I want to know a few things from teh daycare. Did Connor have clean clothes on that last week? Brushed teeth? Full tummy ? Washed behind the ears? Matching socks? How do you go through the motions of normal life knowing you're about to end normal life ? Why bother to put clean clothes on a baby you plan to kill?

I'm off for now. I feel a rant coming that makes my heart race so........ I think you get the point.


( to whoever called RH a douchebag above, thanks . .. we don't need a psyche degree to recognize one of those )

Early on in the case, when we were discussing the religious beliefs of this family and how that might affect LH's behavior, the word sacrifice came into my mind. I had a vague idea then this might turn out to be some extreme religious ritual whereby these two could prove their faith and crazy as that may seem, doing something like this under some bizarre but genuinely held conviction that they it was their particular God's will or some such I could almost accept. This cold blooded plotting for money or material benefits though - it's just beyond me.

 

[CarolinaMoon]

BBM and respectfully snipped. If she was involved, and I think she was, I would hope she goes down too but, realistically, I'm guessing some kind of plea deal involving her turning state's evidence and getting a light sentence will be more likely. Her role in this is starting to stink to me as much as Adam Baker's did in little Zahra's case and he slunk away back to Australia without so much as a slap on the wrist - I hate to think LH is gonna be home free too when all this is settled.

I would believe that it would depend on her level of involvement. Did she plan with her husband? Did she suffer emotional abuse and went along out of fear? Did she find being a mother tedious and agreed to let JRH do the deed? We will, unfortunately, have to wait and see.

If she was actively involved in the plot, she does need some hard time.

 

[PigPong]

I dreaded what he would look like (past tense)

I am not bothered by the past tense on this. at the time he is relaying something to his wife that happened previously. What bothers me is the thought at all. You dreaded looking at your baby? What if by some miracle he is alive, barely, back there? you dreaded looking?

The phrase is odd the whole lying to wife about him being peaceful, eyes and mouth closed, that is disgusting to me. the past tense is simply past tense. Don't really get why that is a big deal JMO.

I don't get the uproar about the use of past tense either.

 

[human]

It just boggles the mind.

She, at least wanted a child.

I guess the idea was better than the reality.

In spite of his ugliness in every way, she still is joined with him,in whatever way that is.

I think of that horrible Karla Homola and Paul B. It is not inconceivable that a couple can do horrors.

Someone asked if anyone knew of a couple who killed their child.

I cannot think of any off hand, but there are plenty of couples who allow sexual abuse of their child ,even making films of it.

Cooper looked happy, but I know of children who have been abused that are happy at daycare. And we know pictures , such as that of Caylee, do not tell any story

 

[Ladylub]

I dreaded what he would look like (past tense)

I am not bothered by the past tense on this. at the time he is relaying something to his wife that happened previously. What bothers me is the thought at all. You dreaded looking at your baby? What if by some miracle he is alive, barely, back there? you dreaded looking?

The phrase is odd the whole lying to wife about him being peaceful, eyes and mouth closed, that is disgusting to me. the past tense is simply past tense. Don't really get why that is a big deal JMO.

For me its their conversation and the way they both acted before this added together that makes using the past tense a problem. The past tense word implies he had time to dread what Cooper would look like before he found Cooper.

 

[gritguy]

Agree on the dreaded statement in any tense.

To dread something is to be apprehensive about something which is to have knowledge of something coming (here, Cooper's appearance in death). I imagine if the detectives were chewing gum like LH likes to do, they probably swallowed it when they heard that statement. That combined with "did you say too much," probably caused a small impromptu heimlich maneuver convention behind the two-way glass with gum flying like bullets at the OK Corral.

 

[NancyA]

For me its their conversation and the way they both acted before this added together that makes using the past tense a problem. The past tense word implies he had time to dread what Cooper would look like before he found Cooper.

:goodpost:
What she said.

 

[PigPong]

Does anyone know if there has ever been a case of a mom and dad planning and murdering their toddler?

Recently, here's this one:

http://m.ksbw.com/news/marina-parents-arrested-after-baby-dies/25558850

And some what recently and local (but not necessarily planned but long term abuse):

http://m.gwinnettdailypost.com/news...arged-with-murder-of-2-year/?templates=mobile

I know there's more but I had a long night and can't think so well...

 

[Sonya610]

Do we know that the dog dying actually happened besides RH saying it did. Here, when a canine is not actively working a scene, they are left locked in the back of the patrol car with the engine running and the AC/heat on. They know how to get out if the trainer needs immediate help and gives the right command.

Uhhhh....no. First of all, IF the car does not have a system installed to safeguard the dog the A/C could fail or the car could stall, both of which creates a deadly hot car situation. With a system installed the windows automatically drop and a beeper goes off to let the officer/handler know the dog needs assistance because the car is becoming too hot.

Secondly they do not know "how to get out", there are NO provisions or lessons to teach those dogs how to get out. There have been MANY cases of police K9's dying in hot cars, and even a horrid case of a police k9 left in the car in the garage when the officer left for a "long weekend". The dog desperately destroyed the entire interior of the car as she tried to escape.

The K9 "hot 'n pop" units I spoke of DO have an automatic rear door opener to release the dog with the press of a handler's button so the dog can assist the officer without having the door manually opened, but that action is originated by the handler NOT the dog.

The death of a police K9 in "15 minutes" seems mighty suspicious to me, likely the dog was in the car for much longer than 15 minutes.

 

[daisy7]

Re: the choking. I feel that it is possible that RH saw Cooper struggling and choking at noon, and turned and walked away. I feel that he distanced himself from the death by saying, I didn't know he was dead, I just thought he was choking. This has been nagging at me for a while and it is my opinion.

There was a lot of discussion about choking early in the case, but I haven't yet seen where he actually said this. I read an article from a witness yesterday that she said SHE thought Cooper was choking (sorry, don't have the link handy) and IMO, media misinterpreted as they tend to do in the early days of a case. IMO, MOO.

 

[annab]

BUT!!! Letting the hot air out FIRST makes more sense! What do you all consider south?

This is cracking me up. This is my first post ever and it's about the ac in the south. I live in Georgia. I'm pretty sure that's the real South. I'm 48 and lived here all my life, as have my parents, and I have always rolled the windows down and opened the sunroof for 2 minutes at the very most, just to let the steamy hot air out, then close everything back up. My dad taught me.

Hope I did this right. I was wondering how to post the smileys, and now I know!

 

[PigPong]

So, I spent most of yesterday at a birthday party for one year old twins (who, incidently, will be playing baby Judith on season 5 of Walking Dead).

Playing with the twins and watching my 2 and 4 year old daughters run and play with all the toddlers and small children there... Cooper was on my mind a lot.

It made me wonder though... having children causes your whole social structure to change. We still, of course, have our pre-baby friends (well, most of them) but we've made so many new friends through our children... Some at parks, some at church groups, and a ton from mom's groups that my wife joined online. And then, the friends that were babyless when we had our first have had children and you kind of gravitate back to each other.

My point and question is... Leanna obviously wanted a child. But I wonder if she had a social network of friends with children here that they went out with? Because it can be HARD not having that. When my wife was pregnant with our second, she was on bedrest for the last 3 1/2 months. I actually stopped working to stay home and take care of her and our then 1 1/2 year old. And it was hard because while I would take my oldest to the park and stuff it was difficult to try and plan things with other because of taking care of my wife's needs.

I'm not sure where I'm going with this other than even though you are a parent you still need some kind of release. Even if you are at work w/o your child all week... you still need to have adult release time and the best way to do it is with other couples with children.

Does anyone get where I'm going with this? I'm not saying I would murder my kids if I didn't have that release... but I know it's hard w/o it.

 

[tlcya]

The medical examiner revealed the cause of death was hyperthermia - or intense heat exhaustion.

Alternatively, hypothermia occurs when the temperature drops below that required to maintain normal metabolism.

The new information comes after it emerged the father was 'acting oddly' and told bystanders who tried to save the child that he had been 'choking' minutes earlier.

SNIP


'I know he had lost his baby but he was acting up more than he should have been. It seemed like acting to me. When he pulled in and people started asking him what had happened, he said that the baby had just started choking.

'But the baby didn't look like it had been choking, it looked like it had been sweating, like it had been in a swimming pool, his hair was all wet.

'I think the dad knew all along that his baby was dead because he'd been left in the car, I think he was looking round for a place where there was people so he could make it look like the baby had choked and it wasn't his fault.’


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...t-car-toddler-son-died-way.html#ixzz36heyweWK
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

this is where the choking stuff comes from.

 

[Nana46]

this is cracking me up. This is my first post ever and it's about the ac in the south. I live in georgia. I'm pretty sure that's the real south. i'm 48 and lived here all my life, as have my parents, and i have always rolled the windows down and opened the sunroof for 2 minutes at the very most, just to let the steamy hot air out, then close everything back up. My dad taught me.

Hope i did this right. I was wondering how to post the smileys, and now i know!

welcome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[SCHMAE]

I've only been commenting and reading here the last 2 days . It seems like forever. I saw the case on tv and internet but didn't get into the WS side until 2 days ago . Now , my mind is spinning and I'm sick and sad all at the same time. So many questions . Did he do a 'test run' prior ? Did little Cooper possibly suffer several or a few near deaths in a hot car prior to it 'finally' happening? Did he think 15 minutes was all it took for the dog and leave Connor in a baking hot car for 20 minutes? Then 30 ? Then reluctantly revive him because it did not work out like he planned?
Did he get left in the tub ' on accident' for hrs while dad sexted up his gf's ? Was he fed full hot dogs not cut up ? Grapes?
I'm sorry baby boy . I don't know why you could not have been born to one of the millions of families who would give their life for YOU instead of vice versa .

** Speculative, of course **

I just want to beat a M****er with another M****er right now !

 

[PigPong]

This is cracking me up. This is my first post ever and it's about the ac in the south. I live in Georgia. I'm pretty sure that's the real South. I'm 48 and lived here all my life, as have my parents, and I have always rolled the windows down and opened the sunroof for 2 minutes at the very most, just to let the steamy hot air out, then close everything back up. My dad taught me.

Hope I did this right. I was wondering how to post the smileys, and now I know!

My wife is Atlanta born and raised and she always puts the windows down, vents the car, and then back up. I didn't do it until I met her and I still only do it if her and our girls are with me in the car.

Personally, I ride with the windows down and the AC on. I know, I'm weird.

 

[tlcya]

This is cracking me up. This is my first post ever and it's about the ac in the south. I live in Georgia. I'm pretty sure that's the real South. I'm 48 and lived here all my life, as have my parents, and I have always rolled the windows down and opened the sunroof for 2 minutes at the very most, just to let the steamy hot air out, then close everything back up. My dad taught me.

Hope I did this right. I was wondering how to post the smileys, and now I know!

:wagon: annab

 

[Sonya610]

So, I spent most of yesterday at a birthday party for one year old twins (who, incidently, will be playing baby Judith on season 5 of Walking Dead).

Playing with the twins and watching my 2 and 4 year old daughters run and play with all the toddlers and small children there... Cooper was on my mind a lot.

Yes. Yesterday I went to the grocery store, I am not a "kid" person so I never pay attention to small children unless they are becoming a problem by screaming or fussing, which is rare in this community.

I couldn't help but notice a few young babies/toddlers in the carts, and I couldn't help but stare and think "My God who could lock one of those innocent tiny little defenseless humans in a car knowing they will die a horrible agonizing death".

It was disturbing.