Man who 'wanted child-free life' found guilty in death of toddler left in hot car
A US man accused of wanting a child-free life was found guilty of murdering his toddler by leaving him in a sweltering car to die two years ago.
Justin Ross Harris, 35, could be imprisoned for life for the death of 22-month-old Cooper, who was left strapped in his car seat for seven hours on a hot day outside his father's work on June 18, 2014.
Harris claimed he forgot to drop his son off at day care that morning and drove straight to his job as a web developer for Home Depot, not realising Cooper was still in his car seat.
The 35-year-old Georgia man won't be sentenced until December 5.
Jurors deliberated over four days before finding Harris guilty of both malice and felony murder
In addition to the murder allegations, he stood trial on charges of child cruelty and sex crimes related to explicit texts that he sent to a teenage girl.
"I believe justice was served today on behalf of young Cooper Harris," Cobb County District Attorney Vic Reynolds said in a statement after the verdicts were read.
Defence lawyers did not immediately comment.
During the five-week trial, prosecutors argued the father intentionally allowed his child to suffer so Harris could be free of his marriage and fatherhood and continue to pursue extramarital affairs.
Harris told police he didn't notice Cooper until he left work for the day to go to a movie.
The boy was dead, having sweltered in the car for about seven hours.
Phone and internet records showed Harris was sending sending sexual text messages to a teenage girl and asked for nude photos of her pubic area while his son was dying.
The defence countered that the death was accidental, saying Harris was a flawed man who simply forgot his son was in the car.
Harris' ex-wife, Leanna Taylor, testified that, though her ex-husband "ruined her life," she believed he would never have tried to harm their child.
Taylor said Harris was a loving father who, regardless of how unhappy he may have been in their marriage, would not have harmed their son on purpose.
Harris remained stoic as the verdicts were read on Monday. During the trial, he wept many times at the defense table, particularly when pictures of his dead son were shown to the jury.
The trial was held in Brunswick, 500 kilometres from suburban Atlanta, after the court failed to seat an impartial jury last spring.
