Lead investigator combative under questioning by Ross Harris defense
BRUNSWICK — Cobb County Police Det. Phil Stoddard conceded Tuesday that Ross Harris may not have smelled the stench of decomposition allegedly emanating from the back seat of his SUV after his 22-month-old son Cooper's death.
Harris told police he drove a few miles before noticing his son’s lifeless body out of the corner of his eye. Investigators say he should have noticed the smell as soon as he got into his car, parked in the Home Depot Treehouse office parking lot. Cooper had been left strapped in his car seat for seven hours, a horrible mistake, his father insists.
The defense has maintained that police rushed to judgment, charging Harris with murder because they didn’t like the way he behaved after his son’s death.
“If he had cried more or harder it would’ve been more sincere to you?” lead defense attorney Maddox Kilgore asked Stoddard.
“He just had a major emotional moment,” the detective said. “I think a catatonic state, where you’re just looking straight ahead, would be normal.”
Stoddard said multiple mentions of his son throughout that day, some coming in online chats, should have reminded Harris that he had forgotten to drop him off at daycare.
The defense cross examination of Stoddard will resume following a break for lunch.
About the Author
A native Atlantan, Boone joined the AJC staff in 2007. He quickly carved out a niche covering crime stories, assuming the public safety beat in 2014. He's covered some of the biggest trials this decade, from Hemy Neuman to Ross Harris to Chip Olsen, the latter of which was featured on Season 7 of the AJC's award-winning "Breakdown" podcast.
