Ross Harris jury breaks for weekend
Deliberations will resume Monday in the Justin Ross Harris hot-car murder trial following a third day of debate that included a few tears and the re-airing of pivotal video footage.
Jurors asked to review security video of Harris returning to his car at lunchtime and tossing light bulbs inside. His 22-month-old son Cooper, had been strapped in his car seat for roughly three hours at that point. Prosecutors say Harris intended to kill his only child.
The surveillance footage was shown on a large-screen monitor moved extremely close to the jury box. As the video played, all the jurors paid rapt attention. At one point, one young juror looked to a man behind him and nodded his head.
Earlier, one of the jurors could be seen outside, crying, consoled by another juror while four others smoked nearby.
Prosecutors have said Harris should have been able to see Cooper in his car seat when he walked up to to the driver’s side of his 2011 Hyundai Tucson. But the video shows Harris never put his head below the roof line of the car. He walks up, tosses the package inside, closes the door and walks away. In a matter of seconds.
The Cobb County medical examiner has said it’s possible the young child was still alive then. Prosecutors have suggested that Harris returned to his car to make sure Cooper was already dead.
Earlier this week, jurors watched videos of Harris being interviewed by lead detective Phil Stoddard at Cobb police headquarters and reuniting with then-wife, Leanna Taylor, shortly after.
The jury has Friday off because the Glynn County Courthouse is closed in observance of Veteran’s Day.
About the Authors
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.
Bill Rankin has been an AJC reporter for more than 30 years. His father, Jim Rankin, worked as an editor for the newspaper for 26 years, retiring in 1986. Bill has primarily covered the state’s court system, doing all he can do to keep the scales of justice on an even keel. Since 2015, he has been the host of the newspaper’s Breakdown podcast.
