Before baby died in hot car, couple studied heatstroke death, cops say
Investigators said Justin Ross Harris was sexting with six women the day his son died of heat exposure after Harris allegedly left the toddler in a car for seven hours.
Both parents of the Georgia toddler who died after being left in a stifling hot car for seven hours told police they researched death by heatstroke before the tragedy, authorities say.
Cooper Harris, a 22-month-old boy, died June 18 while locked in the couple’s car as the summer heat reached 92 degrees in Atlanta while his father was at work, according to authorities.
His father, Justin Ross Harris, 33, has been charged in connection with his death and is being held without bond.
Harris told Cobb County police the incident was a tragic accident and that he forgot the child was in the car.
According to search warrant affidavits in the case, Harris told police he recently did Internet searches about child deaths inside vehicles and what temperature it would need to be inside a car for that to occur.
“Justin stated that he was fearful that this could happen,” the affidavits state.
The child’s mother, Leanna Harris, also told police she did similar searches about car deaths and how they occur before the day of Cooper’s death, according to the affidavits.
The exact timing of the searches is unclear.
Leanna Harris has not been identified as a suspect in the child’s death. She spoke at the child’s funeral Saturday, during which she defended her husband and called the death a tragic accident, according to reports.
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