Dad in Ga. toddler’s hot-car death charged with murder

Associated Press

MARIETTA, Ga.

A Georgia man who prosecutors say sat in his office exchanging nude photos with women while his son languished for hours in a hot car was charged with murder Thursday, more than two months after the child’s death.

A Cobb County grand jury indicted Justin Ross Harris on multiple charges, including malice murder, felony murder and cruelty to children. The malice-murder charge indicates that prosecutors intend to prove Harris intentionally left his son, Cooper, in the hot car to die.

The eight-count indictment also includes charges related to sexually explicit exchanges prosecutors say Harris had with an underage girl.

“Today was another step in a long process,” Cobb County District Attorney Vic Reynolds said. “We look forward to the case running its course and, ultimately, justice being served in this matter.”

Harris will be arraigned in the next few weeks, and Reynolds said he will decide before then whether to seek the death penalty.

Harris has been in jail since his arrest the day his 22-month-old son died. Harris’ attorney, Maddox Kilgore, said his client is devastated after losing his son, his livelihood and freedom. Kilgore said the state has introduced several inconsistent theories about a potential motive in the boy’s death, which his client maintains was unintentional.