Cooper Harris

The number of headlines seem to be on the increase in reporting the deaths of children at the hands of their parents, or while in the care of their parents.  Cooper Harris is the toddler who recently died in his father's vehicle.  This case has taken some bizarre twists and turns, to the point, it is difficult to imagine Cooper's death to be an accident.  I keep telling myself, as I follow the case, in America we are presumed innocent until proven guilty.  The media sway is easy to follow.

I think of the case of Caylee Anthony a few years ago, and Lacy Peterson several years ago.  I don't agree with either outcome of those cases, so perhaps my perspective of this case will differ from the outcome, as well.  The one statement that continues to haunt my thoughts may be a misquote, maybe not.  When the father, Justin Harris, was making his statement about researching hot car deaths online, he was searching to see how hot it needed to be . . .  If those are his exact words, I find that troubling.

The mother's reaction is an enigma as well.  Perhaps she's in shock, but mothers get protective and angry over much less than a child's death!  Mothers will get angry over diapers unchanged, faces not washed, all sorts of trivial matters, by comparison.  Whether it's proven an accident or not, Cooper isn't my child and I'm mad at his dad!  I understand people can be distracted on occasion, but this isn't like he ran into the store thinking he'd only be a minute and got held up in line.  Since the mom worked from home, why take the child to daycare in the first place?  I was shocked at the mother's response when she went to pick the child up that afternoon . . .

I can't imagine parents conspiring to kill their child, but then I can't imagine all those online searches and doing nothing to take precaution, if the fear was that great.  A simple dog leash hooked to the underside of the car seat and the loop around the driver's door handle.

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/fundraising-site-cooper-harriss-family-shut-down/ngc9s/

http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/10/justice/hot-car-death-whats-next/index.html?iref=allsearch