Mother Leaves Baby in Car; Baby Dies

[bottomfeeder]

Meanwhile, in Tuscaloosa:

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama - An Alabama man is charged with murder after authorities say he left his toddler son in his SUV for seven hours on Wednesday.

Justin Ross Harris, a Tuscaloosa native who goes by Ross, is being held without bond in the Cobb County Jail. He was booked into the Georgia jail at 11:56 p.m., jail records show.

The 22-month-old boy was strapped into a child car seat in the back seat of his father's vehicle. The temperature was 88 degrees outside the car at 4:16 p.m., according to a Cobb County arrest warrant affidavit. That was the time Harris apparently realized he had left his son in the vehicle all day, and pulled over into a shopping center parking lot screaming for help.

Witnesses reported hearing Harris yelling, "What have I done? What have I done? I've killed our child." Cobb police Sgt. Dana Pierce told the AJC, "Apparently he forgot the child was in the car-seat."

Harris is charged with first-degree cruelty to a child and felony murder. He is a 1999 graduate of Tuscaloosa's Central High School, and was formerly employed by the University of Alabama, according to his 2006 wedding announcement.

He graduated in 2012 from The University of Alabama with a bachelor's degree in Management Information Systems, and is currently a web developer for Home Depot, according to his Linkedin profile. He and his wife now live in Marietta, Ga.

http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2014/06/tuscaloosa_man_charged_with_mu.html

[War Eagle!!!]

Murder's way too much.  But negligence for sure.  It's not different than forgetting your child hasn't eaten in three days.  "I was so busy and I wasn't used to feeding him...." 

It scares me that this turns into a debate.  "It could happen to anyone!"  No, I don't think so.  I don't consider my son the equivalent of another bag that gets thrown into the backseat.  Even though mine is 12 months, and even when he was just 1 month, I always talk to him and acknowledge he's in the car.  I have my eye on him at all times when he's playing at home.  Even if he's safe in his crib and I'm only a few rooms over taking care of something, I'll have the monitor on just in case.

It's your first. Call me if you still do that on your second or third...

[GH2001]

It's your first. Call me if you still do that on your second or third...

Or in simp's case - 11th, 12th, or 13th.

[CCTAU]

This guy did not murder his child. He did not do this out of malice or intent. He made a grave mistake and the unthinkable happened.

As a parent, there are times that things happen and you think, "Lord. thank you for taking care of us". This man got tangled up in the vines of life and made an unthinkable error. I'm not sure there is a punishment we have that will be worse than the torment of a parent that realizes they caused the death of their child.   

Once again, sterilize the guy. He had his chance and botched it.

[Snaggletiger]

This guy did not murder his child. He did not do this out of malice or intent. He made a grave mistake and the unthinkable happened.

As a parent, there are times that things happen and you think, "Lord. thank you for taking care of us". This man got tangled up in the vines of life and made an unthinkable error. I'm not sure there is a punishment we have that will be worse than the torment of a parent that realizes they caused the death of their child.   

Once again, sterilize the guy. He had his chance and botched it.

Sense.  He just made it.

[GH2001]

Sense.  He just made it.

I'm so glad you opined here friend.

[AUTiger1]

It's your first. Call me if you still do that on your second or third...

I have two and I still don't see how you can forget one of them is in the car with you, especially after 7 hours. I think about mine constantly off and on through the day with their pictures being on the wall above my monitor, I would have thought "oh shit" within a few minutes of being at work.  Not saying it can't happen, just question how, especially if you are the one that is taking them to daycare.

[CCTAU]

I have two and I still don't see how you can forget one of them is in the car with you, especially after 7 hours. I think about mine constantly off and on through the day with their pictures being on the wall above my monitor, I would have thought "oh shit" within a few minutes of being at work.  Not saying it can't happen, just question how, especially if you are the one that is taking them to daycare.

You have a desk where you sit on your ass and think. Those people who hit work running and go for 8 hours just do not think like that. It would be nice of you to acknowledge the little people too.

[AUTiger1]

You have a desk where you sit on your ass and think. Those people who hit work running and go for 8 hours just do not think like that. It would be nice of you to acknowledge the little people too.

Oh, you mean sit on my ass and think just like a little person at my IT job just like the one he had?  My bad. I forgot how hard we work and hit the ground running all day.  So go fuck yourself and your high horse attitude.  I never said it couldn't happen and never said I didn't feel bad for the guy.  Just said that I have more than one child and I could never see me forgetting I left them in the car for 8 hours especially when I am the one responsible for taking them to daycare. 

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2014/jun/20/ga-man-charged-murder/

The 33-year-old father, friends said, is successful at his IT job at Home Depot, where he works at corporate headquarters in Vinings.

[Snaggletiger]

I hit the ground sitting for 8 hours.

[JR4AU]

Just don't see it.

Have to show depraved indifference. 
Have to show malice.
Have to show intent. 

It's not there.

Agree

[JR4AU]

This guy did not murder his child. He did not do this out of malice or intent. He made a grave mistake and the unthinkable happened.

As a parent, there are times that things happen and you think, "Lord. thank you for taking care of us". This man got tangled up in the vines of life and made an unthinkable error. I'm not sure there is a punishment we have that will be worse than the torment of a parent that realizes they caused the death of their child.   

Once again, sterilize the guy. He had his chance and botched it.

Agree

[JR4AU]

Murder's way too much.   It's not different than forgetting your child hasn't eaten in three days.  "I was so busy and I wasn't used to feeding him...."   

Agree with first statement as to the case being debated but strongly disagree with the second.  Far different IMHO.

[Townhallsavoy]

Agree with first statement as to the case being debated but strongly disagree with the second.  Far different IMHO.

How so?  How is this not negligence? 

[JR4AU]

How so?  How is this not negligence?

I could write a tl-dr....

Its at BEST....IMHO....GROSS neglegence....a differernt level of neglegence...a higher level of culpability.  At worst I think I could establish intent or depraved heart for not feeding a child for days.  JMHO YMMV

[Townhallsavoy]

I could write a tl-dr....

Its at BEST....IMHO....GROSS neglegence....a differernt level of neglegence...a higher level of culpability.  At worst I think I could establish intent or depraved heart for not feeding a child for days.  JMHO YMMV

Fair point.

Still negligence.  Still deserves jail time.

And I read today that they're searching his office for evidence.  I hope the Homewood PD did the same due diligence for the woman last year who (accidentally of course) left her daughter to die in a car seat.   

But there's also this quote:

"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. "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."

Who knows where this case may be going?

Nonetheless, it's still sickening to me that almost 10k people have signed a change.org petition to drop the charges against this guy. 

[JR4AU]

Fair point.

Still negligence.  Still deserves jail time.

And I read today that they're searching his office for evidence.  I hope the Homewood PD did the same due diligence for the woman last year who (accidentally of course) left her daughter to die in a car seat.   

But there's also this quote:

Who knows where this case may be going

Nonetheless, it's still sickening to me that almost 10k people have signed a change.org petition to drop the charges against this guy.

The DA is searching for a legal peg to hang the Murder charge on.  Sesrch warrants served at his home and office.  I suspect hoping to find drugs or some sign this was all planned.  I was contacted by a friend of mine who is a friend of his.  He has lots of support from those close to him.  IMHO the DA is going to do hus best to make an example of him to all potential absent minded parents.

[CCTAU]

Oh, you mean sit on my ass and think just like a little person at my IT job just like the one he had?  My bad. I forgot how hard we work and hit the ground running all day.  So go fuck yourself and your high horse attitude.  I never said it couldn't happen and never said I didn't feel bad for the guy.  Just said that I have more than one child and I could never see me forgetting I left them in the car for 8 hours especially when I am the one responsible for taking them to daycare.

Sorry. At the time, they only reported that he worked at Home depot. My assumption was the store, not corporate.

But then again, that place is considered a sweat shop from an IT standpoint.

Still, there must have been some serious crap going on at work or home to have him forget his child.

Has anyone heard from the mom yet?

(High horse. Funny. I work in IT and it gets busy at times, but nothing like working at one of the stores.)


 

[WiregrassTiger]

I hit the ground sitting for 8 hours.

Yep. You should see his hemorrhoids. They're horrid hemorrhoids.

[GH2001]

Still, there must have been some serious crap going on at work or home to have him forget his child.

And he was still negligent.