Georgia man convicted in son’s hot-car death gets life, no parole

The Georgia man convicted of murder in the hot-car death of his 22-month-old son was sentenced to life without possibility of parole. During the trial, the defense described him as a flawed but God-fearing man who loved his only child.

Justin Ross and son Cooper at a baseball game.

From left: Cooper Harris and dad Justin Ross Harris.

Justin Ross Harris sentencing: Jurors believed the father planned his son’s demise so he could live an alternative life unconstrained.

Some feel Harris was on trial for his character – not the charge of his son’s death – including his ex-wife and Cooper’s mother, Leanna Taylor.

The prosecution said that Harris could see his son in his rear-facing vehicle seat, making it impossible for him to have “forgotten” his son was in the auto after he drove from their home in Marietta, Georgia to a Chick-fil-A for breakfast and then his place of employment. For example, when confronted with news of Cooper’s death, Mrs. Harris allegedly acted as if she had seen it coming. He was supposed to take Cooper to day care that morning, but instead, just minutes after the father-son pair had breakfast at Chick-fil-A, the former Home Depot web developer drove straight to work. Harris also allegedly told the woman that he missed having time to himself and going out with his friends. However, prosecutors successfully argued during the trial that Harris intentionally killed the toddler in order to escape his unhappy marriage.

But the prosecution was “draining”, too, Boring says – not so much financially as in manpower and emotions.

Kilgore has said Harris will appeal the verdict, though he has not specified the grounds.

Boring said only one sentence “reflects” the “evil” crime – life without parole.

“There is no justification”, lead prosecutor Chuck Boring said Monday in requesting the toughest punishment possible. Those charges stemmed from a finding that Harris tried to convince a minor to text him photos of her genitalia. A police detective also revealed that Harris had texted sexually explicit messages to six women, one of them as young as 17, while his son suffocated in the auto. “I mean, the sentence sheet was already prepared”, legal analyst Ashley Merchant said. The judge did not specify which jury members were alternates.

Harris was found guilty of leaving the toddler in a hot auto to die.

In 2014, the state announced it would not seek the death penalty against Harris.