There was expert testimony in the Harris case that there wouldn’t necessarily be a smell present when the child had only been deceased a few hours. (Which I find hard to believe.)i don't buy this
the smell,it must have been noticeable after 8 hours........ he must have looked in rearview mirror....did they have extra mirror to view baby seats
did he not think of them during the day and get that jolt as he remembered?
did his wife not text? ask how drop off went? discuss day to day stuff which could jolt his memory?
bystanders....nobody saw or heard anything......where did he exactly park?
There was also a witness in the Harris case who testified he examined the vehicle several hours after Cooper had been removed, and a smell remained even then. (Which seems far more likely to me.)
The expert’s argument is that children’s bodies don’t contain as much of the bacteria that causes the gases related to decomposition and therefore the child wouldn’t have decomposed much in just a few hours.
My argument as a parent is, have you ever left a dirty diaper in a hot car for several hours?! Even one with only urine in it? You smell that immediately when you open the car. So even if you didn’t smell a decomposing body when you open the door, you’re going to smell their soiled diapers.
There has been more than one of these parents that have gotten in the car and traveled some distance before discovering the child in the back, though, so maybe there really isn’t a bad smell.
Considering there were TWO babies dead in his car for hours - and I’m betting they had been deceased for at least 4 hours before he got in the car - I find it extremely hard to believe there wasn’t a noticeable smell.
My disclaimer once again: I do actually believe it’s possible to forget a child in the car and I believe some of these cases are tragic accidents. I’m skeptical that this is one of those cases, however.