Crime & Safety

Cobb Father Had Contact With Hot SUV While Son In It

Source close to investigation says there's evidence that the Marietta father did have contact with the vehicle during the seven-hour window when he said he was at work and the boy was in the vehicle.

WSB-TV reported late Tuesday afternoon that Justin Harris knew is 22-month-old son was in the back seat of his vehicle on June 18 when the boy was left in the SUV for more than seven hours.

Harris told authorities that his son, Cooper, was left accidentally in a carseat in the backseat of a four-door SUV during a day when temperatures reached the low 90s.

Cooper remained in the vehicle until he was discovered by a distraught Harris at a Cumberland-area strip mall parking lot. By then the unresponsive toddler had died.

WSB reported Tuesday that a source close to the investigation said there’s evidence that the Marietta father did have contact with the vehicle during the seven-hour window when Harris said he was at work at the Home Depot headquarters and the boy was in the vehicle.

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The medial examiner’s report has yet to be released.

Harris, 33, has been charged with murder and cruelty to children. He remains in the Cobb County jail without bond and is expected to be there this weekend when his son is buried.

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The Tuscaloosa, Ala., native’s next court appearance is set for July 15.

This is a developing story and check back with Patch for updates.

Note: The headline of this article has been edited since its original publication.

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