Sexting Hot Car Dad Indicted for Murder in Young Son's Death
Justin Ross Harris, the father who allegedly left his 22-month-old son to die in a hot car in June, was indicted for murder today, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Harris, who received eight charges total, potentially faces the death penalty.
The Marietta, Georgia, father initially told police he had forgotten to drop his son Cooper off at day care on the way to work and didn't notice him in the back seat when he left the car. He returned several hours later, and Cooper was dead.
Several seemingly damning details emerged after his arrest that day: first, it was reported that Harris and his wife allegedly researched children and animals dying in hot cars before Cooper's death, and later, police claimed that Harris sexted with six different women, including a 17-year-old, while his son died.
CNN reported on Harris's strange alleged behavior in the moments after he ostensibly learned of Cooper's death:
Harris never called 911, and when an officer told him to get off his phone, he refused and even said, "F*** you" before an officer took his phone and handcuffed him, the detective said.
Harris later made statements that police felt were strange, including "I can't believe this is happening to me" and "I'll be charged with a felony," according to Stoddard. Harris also talked about losing his job, he said.
Leanna Harris, Cooper's mother and Justin's wife, has not been charged with any crimes, the New York Daily News notes.
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