Jury views video of Harper's admission to wife he caused 3-year-old son's death

WARREN

An hourslong videotaped interview at the Warren Police Department shows the moment when Arthur Harper told his common-law wife, Judith Owens, he was responsible for her son’s death.

Tuesday was the first day of testimony in the murder, felonious assault and child-endangering trial of Harper, 45, of High Street Northeast. He’s accused of killing Russell Cottrill, 3, by causing head and spinal-cord damage to him Nov. 28, 2015, at their home. The trial resumes this morning before Judge Peter Kontos of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court.

A half-hour before the videotaped interview, Harper confessed to a Warren police detective he had used a professional wrestling move on Russell that left the boy unresponsive. Harper told the detective he wanted to be the one to tell Owens the truth.

Most of the day’s testimony related to the two interviews Detective Nick Carney had with Harper. The jury watched both of the interviews, including the hourslong second one Dec. 2 during which Harper finally admitted the boy’s injuries were not from Russell falling off his bed while taking a nap.

Read more about the case in Wednesday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.