More than six months of investigative work by Cobb police and prosecutors has been turned over to lawyers representing Ross Harris, the Marietta father charged with intentionally leaving his son inside a hot car to die.
On its face, the list of interview transcripts, computer and cell phone files and other materials doesn’t announce the presence of any new bombshells. But there’s no telling what can be found in the fine print, said Dunwoody attorney Esther Panitch, who reviewed the index, which was made available Monday.
“It’s impossible to know whether they’ve uncovered anything new or groundbreaking,” Panitch said. “But it certainly looks like a very thorough investigation.”
The index alone is seven pages. Among the items listed are forensic analyses of cell phones and computers belonging to Harris and his wife, Leanna. There are dozens of interviews with friends, co-workers and people who witnessed the scene on the night of June 18, when Harris pulled his son’s lifeless body from his SUV.
Security camera video shows the father and son stopping at a Chick-fil-A restaurant that morning and documents Ross Harris’ comings and goings in the Home Depot office parking lot where 22-month-old Cooper died during seven hours in the sweltering SUV.
Ross Harris pleaded not guilty to the eight felony charges against him, including malice murder. An investigation by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution revealed that police appeared to overstate some of their evidence during the only hearing in the case thus far. But it is impossible to tell from the evidence list released Monday how much fresh material it represents.
In November, Harris’ attorney, Maddox Kilgore, asked a Cobb County judge to separate or bar much of the evidence prosecutors have outlined as central to their case. The defense argued that charges stemming from Harris’ alleged sexting with a girl younger than 18 are unrelated to the murder counts he faces and should be tried separately. Kilgore also moved to have evidence obtained from his client’s computers and cellphones, as well as statements made by him and his wife, ruled inadmissible on grounds that they were obtained in violation of constitutional protections.
A hearing on those motions was delayed until Kilgore received the discovery evidence, as mandated by law. Once Kilgore reviews the materials turned over to him Monday, another slew of motions could follow. That likely means that a trial date is still several months away. “Summer at the earliest,” was Panitch’s assessment.
Kilgore declined comment Monday. Cobb prosecutors have said they will not comment on the case until its conclusion.
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