Jurors on Monday were shown a video detailing the fateful route traveled by Ross Harris from a Cobb County Chick-fil-A to his office, including the U-turn where he had to make a left in order to drop off his 22-month-old son Cooper at daycare.
Harris didn't turn left on June 18, 2014, driving directly to his office at Home Depot's Treehouse office. He told police he forgot his son was strapped in the car seat, a memory lapse that must've occurred within two minutes, according to Cobb police Det. Phil Stoddard's testimony. He re-traced the route twice, in March 2016, reaching the turn to the daycare in one minute and 15 seconds and one minute and 40 seconds.
Stoddard had testified in July 2014, two weeks after the toddler’s death, that it took 30 to 40 seconds to get there. How much difference can a minute make? Expect the defense to be ready with an answer.
Prosecutors also showed more of Harris’ interview with Stoddard just hours after Cooper died. But they didn’t see the defendant tell Stoddard, who had just informed Harris he was being charged with cruelty to children and felony murder, “but there was no malicious intent.”
The video recorder had been turned off beforehand, the detective said. Another officer in the room recorded the rest of the interview.
Harris can be seen quibbling over the charges, asking Stoddard what constitutes murder under Georgia law.
“I don’t see how such a … I can’t think straight,” Harris said matter-of-factly. “My son is dead, I don’t know what to do.”
When told he might remain in jail for 30 days awaiting a probable cause hearing, Harris asked Stoddard if he had any influence with a judge that might get him released sooner.
“I understand you guys are doing your job,” he said. “I can’t miss supporting the family, I can’t miss my family supporting me, I can’t miss burying my child.”
Stoddard is expected to remain on the stand for the rest of the day.
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