Red herring or vindication?
The attorney for Leanna Harris said Friday he hopes the victim impact statement sent to his client by the Cobb County District Attorney indicates law enforcement does not believe she was complicit in the death of her son, Cooper.
The toddler, who would’ve turned two last Saturday, died from hyperthermia after being locked inside his father’s SUV for 7 hours in late June. The boy’s father, Ross Harris, has been charged with child cruelty murder and is being held without bond in Cobb jail. Police say he intended to kill his son; Harris insists it was an accident.
“I hope really that the public understands they have jumped the gun … in thinking that she had anything to do with it whatsoever,” said Lawrence Zimmerman, attorney for Leanna Harris. “I think the fact that the District Attorney’s Office sent her this packet will help.
“It will help the public perception to understand she didn’t have anything to do with it. The District Attorney’s Office is calling her a victim. And I hope the public will take the lead from the District Attorney.”
Leanna Harris has not been charged with any crime, but at her husband’s probable cause hearing prosecutors questioned her behavior the day of her son’s death.
In the questionnaire, the 30-year-old dietitian makes it clear she stands behind her husband.
“Ross was a wonderful father, and he loved Cooper with all his heart,” Leanna Harris wrote. “Because I saw how he treasured our little boy for 22 months. I know without a doubt he would never knowingly allowed any harm to come to our son. I want you to know what a loving father he was.”
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