change.org Justin Harris and his son Cooper, who was found dead in the backseat of the father’s SUV on June 18. Thousands are calling for authorities to drop the murder charge against a Georgia dad arrested after his son apparently died from being left for several hours in the backseat of a hot SUV.
More than 10,000 people have signed an online petition urging the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office to toss the charge against Justin Harris — who was cuffed after his 22-month-old son, Cooper, was found dead on June 18.
Harris, 33, claimed he forgot to drop his son off at a day care before going to work at a Home Depot in the Atlanta suburb and left the child strapped in the backseat of his SUV for seven hours as temperatures outside rose to nearly 90 degrees.
Although the father appeared panicked as he and several witnesses tried to revive the boy at the scene, police say they have uncovered more disturbing details that prove Harris was more than just a negligent parent. A source told WSB-TV that there is evidence the distraught dad actually knew the child was in the car before he pulled his lifeless body from the SUV.
“Much has changed about the circumstances leading up to the death of this 22-month-old since it was first reported,” Cobb County Police Sgt. Dana Pierce told CNN.
Cobb County police Justin Harris, 33, was charged with felony murder and cruelty to children in after he allegedly left his 22-month-old child in a hot car for several hours. “I’ve been in law enforcement for 34 years. What I know about this case shocks my conscience as a police officer, a father and a grandfather.”
Pierce said he could not elaborate on the details, because it was considered an ongoing investigation. But he said Harris’ story had a lot of holes.
“Within moments of the first responders getting to the scene and doing their job and questions began to be asked about the moments that led up to their arrival at the scene,” he told the news station.
“Some of those answers were not making sense to the first responders.”
Pierce said investigators were no longer sure if little Cooper had been in the SUV for as long as the father initially reported.
“I cannot confirm that the child, as originally reported, was in the car at 9 a.m.,” he said.
Harris, who has pleaded not guilty to murder and cruelty to children charges, was ordered held without bail until his next court appearance on July 15.
An autopsy has been completed by the county’s medical examiner, but the report has not yet been released.
WSBTV Harris said he forgot to drop off his son at day care before leaving him strapped in the backseat of his SUV for several hours in the Home Depot parking lot. Despite the confidence of investigators, one man who witnessed the frantic moments when Harris found his son in the backseat of his SUV said the father’s pain did not seem staged.
“I think it is impossible for this to have been intentional,” the witness, Leonard Madden, told WXIA-TV.
“There’s no way it would have been intentional — especially from the father’s reaction. You could feel his sorrow and his hurt because of the situation. I think it was insanity for him to be charged with murder.”
Another online fundraiser was created to collect money for Cooper’s funeral. As of Tuesday morning, the site had raised more than $ 20,000.
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