Georgia Father Who Left Son in Hot Car Pleads 'Not Guilty' to Murder, Prevented From Attending Funeral
The father of a toddler found dead after being left alone in an extremely hot vehicle has been charged with murder and banned from attending his son's funeral. Justin Ross Harris, 33, will not be present at his 22-month-old son Cooper's funeral in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
"We do not transport inmates to funeral services. That's it, that's our policy," Cobb County Sheriff's Department told Daily Mail.
The case brought national attention when Cooper's body was found inside the vehicle and Harris was hysterical, screaming, "What have I done? What have I done?" Harris initially told authorities that he had simply forgotten that Cooper was in the back of the vehicle when he went to work. He finally realized that the boy was in the back on his drive home. But by then, it was too late.
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Cooper died from hyperthermia, since the car reached 91 degrees inside and the boy was left there for seven hours. Harris was taken into custody at the scene of the alleged crime.
"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, some of those answers were not making sense to the first responders," 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."
Harris has pleaded not guilty to the charges of felony murder and cruelty to children. A judge refused him bond. Last week, officers took custody of Harris' computer and found an internet search asking how long it would take for an animal to die in the heat. That led officials to believe that Cooper's death was premeditated. Harris also returned to the car at some point in the day to put something in the front seat but again left Cooper in the vehicle.
People immediately sprung into action to defend Harris, who they thought had simply forgotten his son in the backseat and was being treated unfairly. But as new details have been revealed, the funding has stopped and so has support for Harris.
Cooper's funeral will be held Saturday, June 28, at the University Church of Christ in Tuscaloosa, with a private family burial following the service.
