Harper found guilty in 3-year-old's death after just hour of deliberations

WARREN

A jury deliberated an hour Wednesday afternoon before finding Arthur Harper guilty of murder, felonious assault and child endangering in the death or Russell Cottrill, 3.

The jury in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court heard two full days of testimony, much of it from Warren Police Detective Nick Carney and a recorded interview Carney had with Harper.

Hours into the interview, Harper confessed he used a wrestling move on Russell called a piledriver that went wrong.

Harper, 45, of High Street Northeast, told the detective and then his common-law wife that he made a “mistake” while “play rasslin’” with Russell that caused Russell’s head to hit the floor Nov. 28, 2015, in their home.

Initially, Harper said all he knew was that he heard a “thump” and found Russell unresponsive on Russell’s bedroom floor while the boy was taking a nap.

The boy suffered serious head trauma and died a few days later at a hospital. Russell was Harper’s common-law wife’s son.

Harper is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 25.

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