JUSTIN HARRIS INDICTED BY COBB COUNTY GRAND JURY ON MULTIPLE CHARGES
By Liz Gunn ||This story has made me physically ill from day one. Justin Harris, the Georgia father who left his 22 month old son in the car to die of heat exhaustion, has been indicted by Cobb County grand jury. He faces charges of malice murder, felony murder and cruelty to children.
I would like to say that I hope justice will be served, but there is no justice for a “man” who kills his own child. There is no punishment worthy of a crime so heinous.
It’s just too hard not to jump to conclusions here. He and his son ate breakfast at Chick-Fil-A before he headed into work. One would think that would make it harder to forget he was in the backseat. When people forget their children are in the car, and it does happen, it’s usually when someone is rushing or in a stressful situation.
He even went to his car during lunch that day to retrieve something. Reports later surfaced that he was “sexting” with multiple women while at work that day, one as young as 17. That doesn’t make him a murderer, but it certainly raises questions about his character.
Police also reported Harris visited numerous web sites that day that showed dead people or people dying. Circumstantial? Okay. Incriminating in the mind of a juror? Probably. That isn’t normal behavior for a “loving, caring father.” That’s not normal behavior for anyone, in my opinion.
This is just a very sad tragedy, and I hate that we live in a world where people like this exist. I don’t always support the death penalty – mainly because it has never been proven as a deterrent to violent crime. But I am very glad the state of Georgia employs it, and I wouldn’t mind if this guy gets it.
FITS wrote about vehicular heat exhaustion earlier this summer, and quite frankly – I disagree. I truly don’t think it’s laziness or stupidity when people legitimately forget their kids in the car. It has happened to nearly one in four parents. It would be hard for me to argue that 25 percent of the populations isn’t lazy and or stupid, because they probably are. But cases have sited doctors, professors and school principals have all been guilty of this horrifying lapse in responsibility.
Two key factors at play, according to research, are stress and sleep deprivation. Most parents of young children experience one or both of these at all times. If it’s something that worries you, I suggest looking at some of the prevention tips from Kids And Cars.
In the case of Justin Harris, however, I personally do not believe this was an accident. Of course it doesn’t matter what I believe because a jury will ultimately decide his fate. But I have a pretty good feeling about how this one is going to turn out.
Liz Gunn is a wife, mom, author, businesswoman, travel enthusiast, food snob, fashionista, lover of great wine and the No. 1 Gamecock football fan … ever. A graduate of the University of South Carolina, she lives in Columbia, S.C. with her husband and daughter.
45 comments
Why in the fuck was this article ever posted? Why are any of this writer’s articles ever posted? Seriously, these articles offer no information and no interesting point of view. It’s like the brain farts of a Mom standing in a checkout line.
If you can read the first three words “By Liz Gunn” you can just not read any further. It’s that simple.
Nicely done.
I wish I knew, I guess Will wants to draw in more middle-age, middle-class, female reader. If I wanted that I’d go read Brad Warthen’s blog.
HA! This has to be the funniest comment I’ve seen yet – Liz is neither middle aged or middle class so bringing her on would be a weird way to reach that audience. for someone who is perplexed and annoyed by her presence – I sure see you commenting on her posts A LOT. Awww Squishy has a crush. how cuuuuuute.
Did I say she was either of those? I mentioned that the articles she’s writing would draw in those types of readers. I’m guessing you’re a product of SC public schools based on your reading comprehension.
Speaking of crushes, how do you know so much about her?
“Squishy has a crush. how cuuuuuute.”
I don’t think so. Squishy despises females – read his posts. The only folks he likes are lily white males. You do the math.
“Seriously, these articles offer no information and no interesting point of view”
I really think you are being overly harsh. What would you consider to be an “interesting point of view”?
I do not even know what you mean when you talk about “brain farts of a Mom in a checkout line”? What’s your beef? You don’t like Moms? You think that standing in a checkout line is beneath you? Kids have to eat so somebody has to stand in checkout lines and often times that task falls on Mom.
Quite frankly your comments were not very informative or interesting. They were more demeaning than anything else. If you do not like the writer’s style or substance then click to something else.
“I truly don’t think it’s laziness or stupidity when people legitimately forget their kids in the car.”
What is it then? Low IQ? Short term memory loss? Irresponsibility?
Well – I saw this in an article on CNN.com — it’s something that is being studied, apparently.
Forgotten Baby Syndrome, is a “failure of prospective memory, which refers to the planning and execution of an action in the future.”
Two brain structures process prospective memory: the hippocampus, which stores new information, and the prefrontal cortex, which enables planning, he wrote. The hippocampus processes that a child is in a car. The prefrontal cortex enables a person to create a route, factoring in a change in plans like going to day care rather than going directly to work.
Forgotten Baby Syndrome seems to involve a “clash between prospective memory and another form of memory, referred to as habit memory,” he wrote. “Habit memory is formed subconsciously through repeated activities, such as learning how to ride a bike or, in the case of FBS, repeatedly driving to and from home and work.”
I get it, so this guy’s cortex was preoccupied with whacking off in front of his computer, so his hippocampus took a back seat to his boner.
Sounds familiar….
“But I am very glad the state of Georgia employs it, and I wouldn’t mind if this guy gets it.”
How can the state prohibit its citizens from murdering one another, yet commit murder itself? This maxim should especially ring true in a representative government, where the state’s power only stems from the consent of the governed, who themselves cannot murder. If one truly believes that human life is inherently valuable, it cannot condone the murder of another human being, even if it is “state-sanctioned.”
that’s a very good point. I was speaking more from an emotional standpoint than a legal one – but you’re right. It reminds me of people who are pro-life and pro-death penalty…doesn’t make a lot of sense.
Now Liz, can we really say that one’s view on abortion must be dispositive of their view on capital punishment?
I’m afraid that these subjects are far too distinguishable to make such a comparison. Perhaps I am wrong. Care to enlighten me?
Well if you truly believe that it’s wrong to take a life, no matter the circumstances – shouldn’t you be against both?
The distinction is an innocent life vs a not-innocent life. Big difference.
Sure it does. One hasn’t been given the chance at life and to be a positive member of society. The other has and decided to take another’s life.
But “an eye for an eye” is Old Testament, right? What if the guy on death row repents and turns over a new leaf?
“Eye for an eye” is not the basis for capital punishment. I would encourage you to read the SCOTUS opinions. (I posted the citations to a few of them higher in the thread).
Furthermore, invoking the Old Testament screams in the face of the Establishment Clause.
Hard to do after the needle and the damage done.
What if the guy on death row repents and turns over a new leaf?
Who determines whether or not someone has turned over a new leaf? If you can find someone who can quite accurately do so, remember that the alternative outcome is getting someone like Mike Huckabee, who ultimately unleashed this guy back into the free world:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_Clemmons
Capital punishment is not murder.
Irony in your comment = Some of the leading SCOTUS opinions re: capital punishment originate in Georgia.
See Furman v. Georgia, 408 U.S. 238 (1972); see also Gregg v. Georgia, 428 U.S. 153 (1976).
Furman hasn’t played Georgia in 39 years.
Ding Ding. We have a winner: stupidest article ever posted here. And that’s saying something. Are you unfamiliar with the “ham sandwich” analogy? As in a prosecutor could get a grand jury to indict a ham sandwich. True because only one side is presented to the grand jury, and there is no cross examination.
This whole situation is obviously a tragedy. Moreover, because of the emotions that will be involved in the trial, he will very likely be convicted. Almost makes you hope he did do it on purpose.
And I take back the “hotter” comment from before. Stupid ain’t sexy.
“[S]tupidest article ever posted here.”
In all seriousness, have you read every single article “here?” You very well may have done so. But if not, then wouldn’t it be mere speculation to claim that this one is unmatched?
Stupider than the ones about the 17 year old married to the 50 year old has been.
Oh dear…yawn…how will I ever go on?
Just to make you feel better, I think Will’s articles are stupider.
I gotta say Crooner sure has lots of time to respond to articles he doesn’t like and a writer he disrespects.. I am thinking unemployed blowhard living in mom’s basement looking for anyone to talk with via blogs.. All agree??
I drove a hearse around the midlands kidnapping, raping and torturing innocent folks. Some I knew some I didn’t. I bragged about kill’n people. I killed for fun. I killed for anger. I killed for pleasure. I killed causin I was bored. I killed because I could. Finally some cop got lucky and they got me up to the CCI, the old prison. Death row. Then I got me a radio. I wired it up and gave it to my neighoring celly. You know. That dude was annoying. Always crying. Well, I don’t knowed ifin it was boredom, meanness, anger or what. But I told that cracker. Hold it up real close to your head and turn the volume up as loud as it will go and it will work, you’ll hear the music. Well, he heard the music. The blast tore his head damn near’n slap off. That was my last murder. The state of South Caroliiiiner put me to death. I sure do wish they would have kept me around for a few more years. I sure do.
— I don’t always support the death penalty – mainly because it has never been proven as a deterrent to violent crime. —
It is a proven 100% effective deterrent. An executed person has never gone on to commit another violent crime.
An executed person has never gone on to commit another violent crime.
Sometimes an executed person has never committed a violent crime at all.
I am against the execution of non-violent offenders.
I’m not against the death penalty either, though I think there needs to be a very high bar as to who we execute.
Hopefully the mandatory appeals process takes care of these problems.
1. False confessions
2. Mistaken identity
3. Mishandled or misunderstood scientific evidence
4. Public or professional pressure on police and prosecution
5. Incompetent defense council.
“Well, we win some we lose some. Just try not to put yourself in that spot son.”
Just a note, to “lose some” is to murder an innocent citizen, so don’t treat that too lightly.
Actually, no person ever executed has gone on to commit another violent crime. Therefore, by deductive reasoning, I conclude that the death penalty is a deterrent.
Some things are truly that simple.
If this helps, why is a dog put down by the authorities when it attacks and injures a citizen? Dogs continue to attack helpless people everyday. By your reasoning, and many in your corner, putting that dog to death does not prevent additional dog attacks.
If this helps, why is a dog put down by the authorities when it attacks and injures a citizen?
1) The same reason why dogs are not afforded the alternative of life imprisonment, that is, because a dog’s life does not hold the same value in society as a human life. Should dogs be treated the same as humans? And conversely, should humans be treated the same as dogs?
2) Like humans, dogs have been “put down” by authorities despite clear evidence of not acting violently. There’s plenty of case examples of that on YouTube.
By your reasoning, and many in your corner, putting that dog to death does not prevent additional dog attacks.
Unless, you know, the owner buys another violent dog, or turns a regular dog violent through abuse and/or neglect.
oh hey captain obvious. so tell me – are murder rates lower in states without the death penalty? because that would be real proof that it’s an effective deterrent.
^^states WITH the death penalty
Why not just leave him handcuffed in the back seat of a police car for a few hours on a hot day?