Attorneys for Justin Ross Harris, a Georgia father accused of murder after his 22-month-old son roasted to death in his car in 2014, argued there was no financial motive to kill the boy, nor did Harris want to leave his wife to chase prostitutes and teens.
In a hearing to determine what evidence will be admissible at trial, defense lawyers called the death of little Cooper Harris a tragic accident. They insisted their client
simply forgot to drop his son off at daycare on the morning of June 18, 2014.
Cooper was left helpless and strapped into a seat inside a sealed car in the blistering summer sun for hours while his daddy was at work. A medical examiner declared he died of hyperthermia.
PHOTOS: Bobbi Kristina Brown’s Death House Goes On The Market — Shocking Pics!
Harris was indicted by a grand jury on eight counts, including malice murder, felony murder and cruelty to children in the first and second degrees. He pleaded not guilty.
The state claimed that Harris stopped by the car to drop something off and should have noticed the baby was trapped inside.
The prosecution further alleged that Harris met with prostitutes and other women, and sent audio clips to 18-year-old girls of him playing guitar. They also said he did not tell some of the women that he was married with a child.
PHOTOS: David Bowie: Last Photos Before His Shocking Death!
Prosecutors also claimed that Harris talked to six different women — none of them his wife — on the day Cooper died!
According to the state, 10 minutes before locking Cooper in the car, Harris told a stranger via the Whisper app: “I love my son and all, but we both need escapes.”
“Mr. Harris’ sexual activity and communications didn’t involve Cooper Harris,” defense attorney H. Maddox Kilgore told the judge.
PHOTOS: Kristin Cavallari Mourns The Mysterious Death Of Her Brother — Heartbreaking Pics!
Prosecutors pointed out that Harris was planning a vacation with his wife that would not have included Cooper — but his defense team argued that was not necessarily nefarious, since a romantic getaway might have helped with the couple’s marriage woes.
Harris’ wife, Leanna Harris, filed for divorce earlier this month.
Harris’ defense also asked to exclude any mention of a life insurance policy on the dead child. Since there is no evidence Harris was in financial trouble, his lawyers said there is no reason to suggest he wanted to cash in on the policy.
