Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Christian Boone is in the courtroom for a hearing for Justin Ross Harris, who is accused of killing his 22-month-old son by leaving him inside an SUV.
4:38 p.m.: Harris is escorted back to jail. Hearing is over.
4:36 p.m.: Judge denies bond.
4:30 p.m.: Harris' brother, Tuscaloosa Police Sgt. Randy Michael Baygents: "He was a loving father. Loved his son very much."
4:20 p.m.: Judge rules there was probable cause for the charges against Harris. "At the very minimum there was reckless disregard," he says.
4:13 p.m.: Kilgore: "Why would he take his closest friends to his crime scene? It makes sense that he didn't know."
Sexting doesn’t illustrate wanton, willful disregard.
4:05 p.m.: Maddox Kilgore, Ross defense attorney: "We've heard a lot of suggestions, speculations, coincidences … but you certainly haven't heard any evidence this was intentional. There's no evidence Ross was aware the child was in the car. Why would he bring his colleagues right up to the car. It doesn't make any sense."
He’s got to be aware the child was in the car for there to be conscious indifference. “
3:46 p.m.: "He said he loved his son all the time," Hall said. "His son was very important to him."
3:40 p.m.: Defense witness Alex Hall, a co-worker at Home Depot.
Noted nothing unusual about Ross Harris’ behavior that day.
“I wouldn’t say abnormal in any way. Nothing stuck out, nothing was weird.”
3:28 p.m.: Madden: "I heard the desperate cries of a father who had just lost his son." Two officers approached Harris aggressively. They put handcuffs on him.
3:24 p.m.: Witness Leonard Madden, called by defense.
Madden works in Ashford-Dunwoody area and was having lunch with a colleague.
“Saw this precious boy lying there, lifeless,” Madden testified. “The father, had just given his child CPR. Two other people had come near to exist. As I got closer you could just hear his cries and his desperation for his son to be revived.”
3:17 p.m.: Detective: Six weeks ago they bought forward-facing child seat. Few weeks went back to using rear-facing car seat.
Kilgore: At 3:16 on June 18, day Cooper died, Ross had texted his wife, “When are you going to get my buddy?”
3 p.m.: Defense lawyer disputes prosecution contention the Harris' were in financial trouble.
2:50 p.m.: Kilgore: "[Harris] just tosses light bulbs in, closes the door and walks away.
Detective confirms, no sign that he checked back seat
2:44 p.m.: Kilgore (defense attorney): Ocassionally Harris would take Cooper to daycare, then go to Chick-fil-A.
2:42 p.m.: Kilgore: A parent could be shocked, dazed. That could account for his behavior.
Argues his client was in shock.
Stoddard: He had expressed concern for what he was going to tell his wife.
2:38 p.m.: Defense attorney: "Witnesses said Ross Harris was hysterical at scene."
“Some did,” Det. Stoddard said
2:33 p.m.: Det. Stoddard being questioned by defense attorney Maddox Kilgore.
Kilgore: Warrant doesn’t allege the act was intentional.
Stoddard: “Evidence now is showing intent.”
2:27 p.m.: On bail and potential flight risk from Det. Stoddard. "Evidence is showing up [Harris] has this whole second life he's leading." Harris never called 911.
Do you view him a threat to commit another crime? “He’s committed other crimes. Sexual exploitation of a minor.”
2:25 p.m.: Harris visited a sub-Reddit site: "Child-free. People who advocated living child-free."
Also did a search on: “How to survive in prison.” When they told him he was charged with murder,
Ross Harris looked at me and said, “But there was no malicious intent.” Ross argued cruelty to children charge: “It was an accident.” Viewed video [on a computer] twice about children dying in cars. Last one, June 13.
2:17 p.m.: Woman he was sexting with: She said, "Do you have a conscience." What was his response?
“Nope.” Had interviewed with Chick-fil-A didn’t get [the job]. He was depressed. Had two insurance policies on Cooper. One, $2,000. Also had $25,000 policy on Cooper.
2:11 p.m.: To defense objections, DA introduced evidence of texting:"Goes to motive, marital problems with wife and his unhappiness. " One of chats that day was with 16 year-old girl, now 17.
Examining computers, Stoddard said, “We’ve barely scratched the surface.”
2:09 p.m.: On the day Cooper died, Ross, at work, was "sexting" with up to six different conversations with different women. Sent photos of erect penis.
2:05 p.m.: Leanna went to daycare: "I'm here to pick up Cooper. They told her he didn't drop Cooper off.
In front of several witnesses she said, “Ross must’ve left him in the car.”
“They tried to console her, said there could be a million reasons.”
She said no.”
Showed “no real emotion” after being told Cooper was deceased. Didn’t ask to see Cooper. Asked to see her husband.
Leanna called her mom, loud conversation could be overheard.
The emotion was coming from Leanna’s mom.
Mom to Leanna: “Why aren’t you crying? Why aren’t you reacting?”
Leanna: “I must be in shock.”
Leanna and Ross were put together at police station, wife and father put together. What was he emotional about.
“It was all about him. I can’t believe this has happened to me? Why am I being punished for this? What am I going to do. I’m going to lose my job.”
Wife: “Did you say too much?”
Ross to Leanna: “He looked peaceful. His eyes were closed. His mouth was closed.”
Stoddard: Actually, Cooper’s “eyes were not closed. Mouth not closed.”
Ross to Leanna: “I dreaded how he’d look.”
1:59 p.m.: Stoddard on when police talked to Harris after Cooper was found dead: "Harris is walking around, rubbing his eyes, look like he's trying to hyperventilate. Then nothing. No tears, no real emotion. "
Told him Stoddard was a jailer, a dispatcher. Used cop language.
DA: Did u ever see tears?
Stoddard: No
Leanna went to daycare: “I’m here to pick up Cooper. They told her he didn’t drop Cooper off.
In front of several witnesses she said, “Ross must’ve left him in the car.”
“They tried to console her, said there could be a million reasons.”
She said no.”
Showed “no real emotion” after being told Cooper was deceased. Didn’t ask to see Cooper. Asked to see her husband.
1:52 p.m.: Harris never mentioned he had returned to car in deck at lunchtime. Police looked at the surveillance video to find out. Also, Harris didn't tell police he went to Home Depot on lunch hour, purchased two boxes of light bulbs.
At lunch, he open driver side door, tosses light bulbs inside the car. Approaches from left hand side.
Shuts door, turns around and walks into Home Depot. Another person passes him walking towards his car. As person approaches him, he stops. Stops again, seemingly to distract passerby.
Received a group email from Cooper’s daycare.
1:49 p.m. : Stoddards says at Chick-fil-A Cooper was "active, talking, walking."
Inside the car, Cooper’s head would’ve been in-between two front seats. Harris strapped him in tight.
Cooper gives him a kiss. He gave him a kiss back. Always gave him a kiss in case of car accident.
“Wanted his last memory to be his Daddy loved him.”
1:45 p.m.: Det. Phil Stoddard, Cobb police is on the stand. Family woke up around 6:30. Leanna left for work around 7:15 a.m. Watched cartoons before leaving for work, stopping at Chick-fil-A. Everyone said child was normal that morning. No mediciations, no illnesses.
“Nothing out of the ordinary.”
Justin normally took Cooper to day care. Taking him “not out of his routine.” Chick-fil-A visits happened 2-3 times a month. “Daddy’s on time.”
Child appeared “wide awake and happy” at 9 a.m. , Chick-fil-A
Cooper seen walking around Chick-fil-A.
They left 9:19 a.m., drove “not even a mile.”
Arrived at work 9:25 a.m.
Left work at 4:15 pm.
Less than 2 miles from office, defendant pulled over into Akers Mill on way to movie.
Parked car, entered rear door, removed Cooper from car seat, placed him on pavement next to vehicle.
1:28 p.m.: The line to get into the old Cobb County courtroom started forming around 12:15 p.m., some 75 minutes before Ross Harris – charged with malice murder and second-degree cruelty to children after leaving his 22-month-old son locked inside his SUV for more than seven hours— was due to make his first public appearance since his arrest two weeks ago. By day's end he could be freed on bond.
Most were family members and supporters of Ross and Leanna Harris, who lived in the Tuscaloosa area until about two years ago. None of Harris’ relatives or friends would talk to the media. “We’ve been told not to by the lawyers,” said one.
The standing room only crowd pushed into the courtroom when the doors opened at 1 p.m., though some were left on the outside looking in. One woman could be heard yelling, “I’ve been here since 9:30 a.m.”
The probable cause portion of today’s hearing will provide the first glimpse into the prosecution’s case against Ross Harris, who claims he forgot he had left Cooper in his car seat inside the Hyundai Tucson.
