Justin Ross Harris' Wife Now Suspected in Son Cooper's Death
Leanna Harris, the wife of accused murderer Justin Ross Harris, is now under suspicion in the death of her son Cooper. Cooper, 22 months old, was reportedly left to die in a hot car and passed away of hyperthermia.
According to reports, Leanna also conducted Internet searches for children dying in hot vehicles, but she told officers that it was only because it was her "worst fear" that Cooper could die in the same situation. It's already known that Justin conducted searches for children dying in hot vehicles, as well as the age of consent in Georgia, and he visited websites featuring people dying.
Prosecutors testified last week that Leanna's response to learning her son was dead was rather odd and she has expressed very little reaction during her time in court.
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"Ross must have left him in the car. There's no other explanation," Detective Phil Stoddard testified about Leanna's response to a call from Cooper's daycare reporting that he was not present.
"Did you say too much?" she reportedly asked Justin when the two reunited at the police station, Stoddard said.
Even Leanna's mother was a bit suspicious and questioning her daughter's behavior after learning that Cooper had died.
"Why aren't you crying? Why aren't you reacting?" she asked Leanna. Police said that Leanna's mother could be heard asking after Leanna called to let her know of Cooper's death.
"I must be in shock," Leanna responded, according to Stoddard.
Leanna delivered the eulogy at Cooper's funeral, which was well attended by family and friends. Justin was not permitted to attend the funeral but was able to phone in and be put on speaker phone so that he could speak and hear everything happening at the funeral. Leanna kept him on the phone until they walked out of the church with Cooper's casket. She made the comment that she would not bring Cooper back even if she could because "he's in the most peaceful, wonderful place there is."
In Georgia, spousal privilege does not apply in cases of the death of a child, so she could be called upon to testify against Justin when the case goes to trial.
"There isn't enough to make her a co-conspirator … yet," criminal defense lawyer Esther Panitch told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "Knowledge of a crime isn't prosecutable. A cover-up is."
However, the Harris' pastor, David Eldridge, said that Leanna is a true example of Christian behavior and forgiveness.
"What you saw here is what is truly in her," he said at Cooper's funeral. "There is an example here for all of us on how to deal with things. I'm not sure there's a better testimony to who You (God) are or what You do than Leanna."
