Hot-car murder defendant Ross Harris loved his son Cooper "more than life itself," Harris' brother testified Tuesday.
» Hot car death trial live stream: Watch Harris' family and coworkers take the stand.
“I’ll never believe anything other than he loved his son more than anything,” Michael Baygents. a sergeant with the Tuscaloosa Police Department, said. “That was his little buddy.”
Harris’ defense attorney, Maddox Kilgore, asked Baygents: “Did you see anything unusual or remarkable that showed he didn’t love Cooper?”
“Never,” Baygents replied.
Asked if he still loved his brother, Baygents said he did. As for all the news that’s come out about Harris’ deviant sexual transgressions, Baygents said, “I’m very ashamed of the things he’s done.”
Harris, seated at the defense table, broke down crying and covered his face with his hand.
Harris is on trial, accused of intentionally leaving his son for seven hours inside his overheated SUV on June 18, 2014. His attorneys contend the incident was a horrible accident.
Baygents took the stand after the best friend of Harris’ ex-wife, Leanna Taylor, presented her testimony.
Angie Bond, who’s known Taylor since high school, had the same assessment of Harris as a parent. He shared duties, such as changing diapers and giving Cooper baths. He enjoyed that, Bond said.
“He loved that little boy very much,” Bond said.
Bond acknowledged she doesn’t like Harris anymore because he cheated on her. But she also said she appeared on Good Morning America in September 2014 because she wanted to “speak the truth.”
At that time, there had been insinuations that Taylor was somehow involved in Cooper’s death.
“That’s just not true,” Bond said. She said she wanted to let the public know “how much (Taylor) loved that little boy and how much Ross loved his little boy.”
The TV show offered her $1,000 to appear on it, Bond said. “I didn’t take it. I turned it down.”
She said she just wanted to let people know “how much Leanna loves Cooper and how much Ross loves Cooper.”
Bond recalled getting a text from Leanna on the day of Cooper’s death. She said she called her friend back as soon as she could.
“I need you to sit down,” Taylor said, according to Bond. “And she said, ‘Cooper’s gone.’”
What do you mean? Bond asked.
“Ross accidentally left him in the car,” Bond said her friend told her. “I don’t know how we’re going to get through this. Ross will never forgive himself.”
Under cross-examination by prosecutor Jesse Evans, Bond said she still believes Cooper’s death was an accident.
Evans reminded Bond that the prosecution team had reached out to talk to her before the trial, but, while she’s talked to the defense team, she elected not to talk to the prosecution.
Kilgore asked her why. “I just didn’t trust them,” she said.
Kilgore later asked Bond if she’d become aware of all the revelations about Harris’ sexual promiscuity. She said she was aware of it.
Does that change your belief that Ross loved his son? the defense attorney said.
“No,” Bond replied.
