An Atlanta father accused of fatally leaving his 22-month-old toddler in a hot car for seven hours was revealed to be sexting with several women on the day of his son's death, a detective testified Thursday, adding that he also possessed two life insurance policies on his son for $2,000 and $25,000.
Justin Ross Harris, who is charged with murder and child cruelty, intentionally left his son, Cooper, in the car on June 18, Detective Phil Stoddard told Cobb County Magistrate Court during a probable cause hearing Thursday, USA Today reported. He also revealed that the 33-year-old father had searched "how to survive prison" and accessed websites advocating "child free" causes.
On the morning of Cooper's death, Harris placed his son into a rear-facing car seat after having stopped at Chick-fil-A for breakfast a little after 9 a.m. Instead of taking his son to daycare, Harris drove straight to work and left Cooper in the car for more than seven hours, eventually killing him. He has claimed to have forgotten about the child's presence in the vehicle.
It wasn't until Harris was driving back home at 4 p.m., that he allegedly noticed Cooper's lifeless body and pulled over to check on him, Stoddard said. Cooper was pronounced dead after emergency personnel arrived. Autopsy results showed Cooper died of hyperthermia, and that the investigation "suggests the manner of death is homicide," the Cobb County Police Department said.
The detective testified that when he told Harris he was being charged with murder, Harris said, "there was no malicious intent." He also believes Harris is at "flight risk" and should remain in jail since there was evidence of a double life, with Harris claiming he had a family in Alabama and that he had law enforcement experience. "Evidence shows he has this whole second life ... with alternate personas," Stoddard said.
Warrants released over the weekend showed both Harris and his wife, Leanna, conducted Internet searches about hot car deaths and "how it occurs," with no details about when the online searches occurred, or under what context. Those details might possibly come out during Thursday's hearing.
Harris has pleaded not guilty and is being held without bond. A judge will decide whether to grant him bail at Thursday's hearing.
