State: Harris ‘loved himself … more than he loved that little boy’
Justin Ross Harris had reached a breaking point when he purposely left his 22-month-old son inside a hot car to die, lead prosecutor Chuck Boring said Monday in his closing argument.
He didn’t get a job he had interviewed for with Chick-fil-A. His then-wife, Leanna, was pressuring him to spend more time with her and their only child, Cooper. And a young woman to whom he professed his love was not responding to his plaintive texts.
“I love my son and all but we both need escapes,” said Boring, who then repeated the comment Harris had written online 10 minutes before leaving Cooper strapped in his car seat for seven hours.
Harris probably did love his son, Boring said. But on June 18, 2014, the day Cooper died, "that side took a backseat."
“We know what was in the defendant’s mind that morning,” Boring said.
Harris, he said, was leading a double life. And his other persona was winning.
“He loved himself, and his other obsession, more than he loved that little boy,” Boring said.
The evidence that he intentionally killed Cooper is overwhelming, he said.
“If you use your common sense the defendant is guilty. Every day and twice on Sunday,” he said.
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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.
