Georgia Man Who Left Tot In Car Charged With Murder
The Georgia man who left his son in his car earlier this summer has been indicted by a grand jury on multiple counts, including felony murder and cruelty to children.
Justin Ross Harris was arrested in June for leaving his 22-month-old son Cooper in a hot car in the Atlanta area for seven hours while he went to his job at the Home Depot. Although Harris claims he forgot to drop the boy off at daycare and accidentally left him in the vehicle, prosecutors argue that the suspect intentionally left his son in the vehicle to die.
Internet searchers by Harris indicate the man had looked up how long it takes for an animal to die in a car before his son's death. The suspect had also conducted searches on the internet that included "how to survive in prison" and information on a child-free lifestyle. Authorities determined Cooper had died of hypothermia after sitting in the hot car for seven hours in temperatures that reached over 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
On Thursday, a Cobb County grand jury indicted Harris on several charges, including malice murder, felony murder and cruelty to children. According to the Associated Press, the malice murder charge implies prosecutors believe Harris intentionally left his son in the hot vehicle to die.
In the indictment, Harris was also charged with trying to sexually exploit a child after police learned he had been sending nude photos to an underage teenager from his office at Home Depot on the day his son died in the hot car.
Charges have yet to be made against Leanna Harris, Justin Ross's wife. The spouse, who also claims innocence, previously released a statement saying: "The rush to judgment by the public and mainstream media has left me with little confidence in our legal system and our society."
