Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Statement Analysis: Mr. Madden, Eyewitness in Toddler Death Case



We have already seen one witness who's motivation for fame led him to speculate, rather than give accurate testimony.

We now have another, going on television, who may be giving the defense ammunition from which to work.

This case is reminiscent of the "Tot Mom" case in which the jury pool was tainted by the incessant coverage of the Casey Anthony case.  Like Anthony, this now has some salacious sexual tangents.  Casey Anthony did "dirty dancing" while her daughter was "missing", and now Ross Harris is "sexting" while his child was "baking" in the vehicle, including the use of such inflammatory language.

This may draw more and more attention to potential jurors who may delight in attempting to make a name for themselves, perhaps landing a "reality" TV show, than justice.

Note even the language of the host, who, years ago, tagged "Tot Mom" as a bumper sticker phrase, which may be great for ratings, but little else.

I've shortened some of the host's lengthy questions and statements, and have added emphasis for instructive purposes.  The actual Statement Analysis is in bold type.

GRACE: Good evening. I`m Nancy Grace. I want to thank you for being with us.

Bombshell tonight. The tragic death of 22 month-old toddler boy Cooper, seemingly left alone for


 hours in a baking-hot car by Daddy. But  was the tot actually murdered?

Damning details emerge as Daddy sits unemotional until evidence comes out he`s sexting six different 


women, sending pictures of his erect penis,  while his toddler boy, Cooper, bakes dead in the car. 

Evidence indicating the baby`s scratching his face, crying out, abrasions on the back of his 

head as he bangs back and forth, trying to escape.

In the last hours, we obtain detailed information behind newly executed search warrants and the 


prosecution`s plan to seek the death  penalty.

We are taking your calls. As you all know by now, the father, Ross Harris, has been bound over from 


the lower court to a felony court. Now we  are waiting on a grand jury presentation. Now, what that 

means is this. The Cobb County elected district attorney, Vic Reynolds, will convene a  grand jury. 

This is the July/August term. That means there`s a new grand jury coming in, unaccustomed to 

hearing cases.

We are predicting he will wait several weeks while he amasses more information and breaks in the 


grand jury. In a couple of weeks, we predict  this case will go to a secret grand jury for indictment. At 

that time, we predict the district attorney will seek the death penalty on this father,  Ross Harris.

There you see him in court. There you see his wife on the front row, snapping gum and looking bored. But tonight, that`s not a good look for a  
woman that many people believe is being honed in on by 
police. Now, at this time, the wife, Leanna Harris, the mother of little Cooper, has not  been charged. She has not been named a person of interest or a suspect.

Straight out to Ninette Sosa, reporter with Newsradio 106.7. Ninette, all eyes now not on just Daddy but Mommy, as well. What can you tell us 

about these newly obtained search warrants?


Note the inflammatory language.  "Bombshell", "baked" and not just "penis" but "erect" penis, as if this changes the case.  
Note the use of the name of the prosecutor, which may not simply help his career (or gain traction for further career moves) but may be a signal of reaching out to him to be on the show, trading some fame for information and ratings.  In terms of justice, it is concerning.  
NINETTE SOSA, NEWSRADIO 106.7 (via telephone): Well, one of the questions is, is she a co-conspirator? So that might be one avenue that  
investigators are looking, you know, at her. About these new search warrants -- they`re aimed  involving Kaiser medical records for Justin  Ross Harris and...
Nancy Grace:   Hold on. I am just being joined right now by Mr. Madden. We all became familiar with him at the bind-over hearing. He actually saw the  tot, baby Cooper, pulled from the car dead. Mr. Madden, thank you for joining us.

Another eyewitness is now on television, going by the name, "Mr. Madden."
Note the phrase, "tot, baby Cooper"
MR. MADDEN, WITNESS (via telephone): No problem, Ms. Grace.

GRACE: Mr. Madden, I understand that you were there and you were with a colleague, and she was very upset. And you stepped over to see why she  
was upset. When you saw what was happening, what was the first thing you observed?

Note the lengthy introduction to the question, "What was the first thing you observed?"  This intro should be avoided, as an Interviewer does not want to influence the answer.  
MADDEN: The first thing after noticing that the body that was laying on the hot pavement was, in 


fact, a 2-year-old toddler. I was about four  or five feet away from him. Of course, that being Cooper. 

And then Mr. Ross. I was about three feet away from him. And he was hysterical. He 

was crying out. He was screaming. He was hollering, My son, oh, my God, my son is dead, oh, my 


God. It just seemed very real, very organic.


Note the theatrics in the description. 

"Of course" indicates he wishes us to take what he says without question.  Why the need to add this in?  This is concerning.  He is now alerting us to be on our guard about his statements.  

He was "hysterical", "crying out", "screaming", "hollering"; all words used to describe the way these words were delivered:  "My son, oh my God, my son is dead, oh, my God."

Note the use of the word "organic" 

GRACE: Yes, I noticed that was the phraseology you used on the stand. I want to get back to the child. You say that you were four or five feet  
away from baby Cooper. 

What did you observe about him?

MADDEN: Well, honestly, Nancy, he looked very -- he looked clean. I saw no bruises. I saw no 


abrasions. His hair wasn`t pulled back. It  wasn`t wet...

1.  "Well" is a pause to think.  He was asked a straight forward question, "What did you observe about him?"

2  "honestly" now signals that he may not always be honest but here, he wants to be believed

3.  "Clean"

4.  "No bruises"

5.  "No abrasions"

Note that in this high adrenaline emergency, he tells us what he did not see.  Eyewitnesses should tell us what they saw, and not what they did not see.

This should help the reader understand why he needed the word "honestly" in his statement. 

Note finally that he tells us that his hair was not pulled back nor wet.  

This is very concerning that he can "eye witness" what was not there, or not observed.  


GRACE: Well, was he laying on his back or on his stomach?

MADDEN: He was laying on his back.


He enters the language of Nancy Grace. 

GRACE: OK, because the abrasions mostly are on the back of the head, where we believe he was 


banging up against his carseat, trying to get out.

MADDEN: Oh.


This is in response to a rebuke.  The witness has used things he has read or heard to enter his language. 

GRACE: So was he pale?

MADDEN: No, he looked normal. He just was lifeless.


Would you describe "lifeless" as being "normal"?

This is yet another signal that self importance has entered into the language of this witness.  
GRACE: Now, were the child`s eyes and mouth open at the time? Because we learned during the hearing that the child`s eyes were open, the  
mouth was open and the tongue was protruding and the lips had turned bluish. That was the testimony by the police. What, if anything, did you 
observe?

Always avoid compound questions.  They allow the subject to pick and choose which to answer, and they give the subject language to use. 

Note how many questions and statements  this former prosecutor asked:

1.  Were the child's eyes and mouth open at the time?
2.  We learned this already
3.  The police testified that his eyes and mouth were open 
4.  The tongue was protruding
5.  The lips turned bluish 

Finally, "What, if anything, did you observe?"  This signals that the Interviewer has become a bit suspicious of the witness. 

MADDEN: I saw none of that. And again, I was about four or five feet away from him.


The defense attorneys should be taking notes.  

GRACE: Right.

MADDEN: He looked normal. I saw no discoloration. His eyes were definitely closed. His mouth was definitely closed.


He returns to "normal", contradicting "lifeless" and contradicting the sworn testimony of the police officer.  He uses the word "definitely" twice, to buttress his statement.  

GRACE: Interesting. And what were police -- when did they move the father to the back of the police car? Did you hear him yell out at the cops, "F you"?
MADDEN: Well, this was after one of the police officers had spoken very abrasively to him. And of 


course, he didn`t have his ball bearings  together, so he did yell "F you" to her, and then they approached him...

This witness could prove to be very difficult for prosecution.  He is not able to say what he saw without editorializing.  Note the "ball bearings" after "of course" in his answer.  He has attacked the police with "very abrasively"
GRACE: Well, wait a minute. Wa-wait. When you say the cop spoke abrasively to him, what did she say?

MADDEN: Well, she wanted him to step back and she said, Get back. But of course, he wanted to, 


you know, see after his son and see what they were doing and...

Note "of course" again, as he now tells us what was in the mind of the father.  
GRACE: Oh, really? Because was he performing CPR? Because we were told the minute other 


people got there, he quit administering aid and stood  back and got on the cell phone. Was that not correct?

MADDEN: Well, when I was approaching, that is accurate. When I was approaching, other people 


had came in and perhaps they told him that they  worked in the medical field or they had some history with giving or administering CPR.

Note that how, in his defense, Mr. Maddon reports how close he was in measurement of "feet", yet here, he says "I was approaching" twice, making it sensitive.  The distance this witness was from the scene is  a sensitive topic.  

This is not lost on Nancy Grace: 
GRACE: Well, do you know that they said that, or are you just guessing that they said that? Did you 


hear someone say, Step back, say I`m  a nurse or I`m a doctor?

The question is:  "Did you hear someone?"
MADDEN: I wouldn`t want to speculate, Nancy.


Instead of saying what he heard, he introduces the topic of "speculation" as something he "wouldn't want to do."

We all have done things we wouldn't have wanted to do.  This appears to be what Mr. Madden has been doing on the show.  
GRACE: Yes.

MADDEN: However, in a situation like that, I`m sure in the event I had history, I would want to tell 


the father that I did have history, as  opposed to being a novice and operating or just checking on someone`s child.

Mr. Madden wishes to be a commentator, and he is speculating, rather than reporting.  This is the second eye witness who is not reliable, but is interested in something other than simply stating the truth.  

Nancy Grace sees it now:  
GRACE: So if you did not observe it, what you did observe is the father four or five feet away from 


the child and other people were giving  the child CPR. Were the other people EMTs?

MADDEN: No, they weren`t. They were just...

GRACE: Really?

MADDEN: ... sensitive to the situation, you know, saddened by the situation. They were just trying to help out...


Rather than truthfully report what he saw and what he heard, he now tells us what the other witnesses were feeling. 


GRACE: And they were giving EMT -- was anybody giving EMT to the child?

MADDEN: EMT actually didn`t arrive until later.

GRACE: Well, was anybody giving CPR to the child? Let me rephrase that.

MADDEN: As I was approaching.

GRACE: They were?

MADDEN: Yes.

GRACE: OK, and those were just standers-by.

MADDEN: I wouldn`t be able to tell because, again I was approaching as they were doing it.


Prosecutors should doubt this testimony, particularly how close he was during certain events.  

GRACE: OK. Now, I`m not quite sure why the father ended up in the back of the car, in the back of the police car. When he yelled out "F you" 

to the police, I think that pretty much sealed it. What was he doing in the back of the police car?

MADDEN: Well, he was sitting there, and then there were detective -- homicide detective that came -


- he was about 100 feet away in a squad car, 

and they came and they began to speak with him. But he wasn`t acting out, wasn`t being violent in the back of the car.


GRACE: Well, he was handcuffed, right?

MADDEN: I`m sorry?

GRACE: Wasn`t he handcuffed?

MADDEN: He was handcuffed, yes.

GRACE: Well, OK. With me, everyone, is Mr. Madden, who we all remember testifying at the hearing with crucial evidence. He is also 

taking your calls.


UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, Nancy. Thanks for taking my call. I think that possibly maybe the two conspired together.

GRACE: And why do you say that?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, it sounds like she did the looking at home, and it was, like, he did 


the looking at work to maybe to throw people 

off. So I`m thinking maybe they co-conspired it together. And you know, both of them -- she didn`t act so totally surprised that it happened.

GRACE: No, not at all, Deborah in Oregon, but because unless she is clairvoyant -- unleash the lawyers, Danny Cevallos and Areva Martin.

First to you, Cevallos. She goes to the day care to pick up the baby. They say he was never dropped off. The first thing she says is, Ross left 

him in the car. Well, the day care worker goes, Well, it could be -- they could be at McDonald`s. They could be at the playground. He doesn`t have 

to be in a hot car. She goes, No, he left him in the car.

Now, Either she knew or she`s clairvoyant. Which one do you pick?



GRACE: And the first thing Mommy says when she goes into that police interrogation room to see her husband, whom she has chosen to see as 

opposed to seeing her child, Cooper -- first thing is not, What happened? Whether she`s blaming him or not blaming him, she didn`t say, What happened 

to Cooper? First question, one of the first questions is, Did you tell the police too much? Did you say too much? That`s one of the first things.

And correct me if I`m wrong, but Mike Duffy, when we were watching the testimony as it unfolded from the witness stand, her mother, Leanna 

Harris`s mother, was on the phone and said, What`s wrong? Why aren`t you reacting? Your child is dead. What`s wrong with you?

And they asked the cop, Mike Duffy, How did you hear that? They were on the phone. And the cop -- you know, never ask the question you don`t 

know the answer to because the cop said, The mother, the grandmother was screaming so loud, I could hear her. Just standing there, I could hear her 

on the phone. So she`s been stoic without -- throughout.

Mike Duffy, I want to talk to you. We`ve already seen the drive. We followed in the footsteps of police from work to Uncle Maddio`s, where the 

scene unfolded with the child on the asphalt. You have done another route. Tell me, where did you go, Mike Duffy? Let`s see it.

MIKE DUFFY, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER (via telephone): Yes, Nancy, it`s that clear frame of reference that most people don`t have. So what we did 

was retrace the drive from the Chick-fil-A, where dad and son supposedly had breakfast that morning, to work. And what we found is that it takes 

less than two minutes to get there. It`s less than half a mile. So in that time, the question is, Did Dad forget his son?

GRACE: OK, so you`re pulling out. You come back around the Chick- fil-A to get out on the highway. Take a look at this guy. That`s the left turn everybody is talking about. You turn back. There you go. This is 

from Chick-fil-A to the Home Depot office, the treehouse, so to speak, where the father, Justin Ross Harris, works.

Now remember, this time -- here`s the red light we`ve been telling you about, complete with camera -- complete with camera. Red or no, that 

camera is working. Now, remember, it`s just one minute and 20 seconds -- one minute and 20 seconds. He has only got that long to completely forget 

about his son.

Now, you`re seeing the street just as he saw that day. We`ve shown you the route home, where he goes through seven different stop signs, seven 

different red lights. This is from Chick-fil-A to the office, one minute, 20 seconds. That`s how long, according to him, it took for him to forget 

his child.

And here you see it. He`s pulling in at work.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)



GRACE: Welcome back. For those of you just joining us, as you know by now, a judge, Judge Fox, binds over the father of tot, 22 month-old 

Cooper Harris, for grand jury indictment. Now it is in the hands of the elected district attorney, Victor Reynolds. This, as we learn that search 

warrants go down. We obtain those search warrants. And the reasoning behind the search warrants, 


over the weekend, for medical records of the 

father. Was he really deaf in one ear claiming he couldn`t hear the baby? As he claimed in court. As his lawyer claimed. Had he had medical 

problems we don`t know about? Did the boy have problems like abuse or malnutrition, failure to thrive? 

We also know a search warrant goes down to search the home for light bulbs. He claims that he has to go with his friends from work at lunchtime 

to Home Depot. He is the only one that does any purchasing. He goes in and buys three light bulbs, comes back, leaves the friends, back to the 

car. There in the car, he carefully -- is not driving -- throws the light bulbs into the car, slams the door and leaves. Was it for real or was it a 

ruse to have witnesses state he did not notice the child? There you were seeing their rented condo. 

We also learned that HR, human resources records have been subpoenaed. Had there been some problem at work? To Ben Levitan, telecommunications 

expert joining me now, Ben, right now the case is in the hands of the district attorney, but to get all of the sexting, the sex text messages, 

the e-mails, the computer searches, the phone records, how long will that take? Give me a ballpark, Ben Levitan? 


LEVITAN: Well, Nancy, by law the phone companies and -- that has to be turned over in 30 days from the day you get a subpoena. But I work with 

these guys every day, and they`re very cooperative. It is likely within a week all this stuff will be turned over, especially because it is so high 

profile. They have to be more careful. Believe me, these companies comply with the law 100 percent. They have departments that do nothing but this 

all day. This is going to create an incredible digital diary of this guy`s activity for the past months. We`re going to know what he was doing every 

minute, because we got work computers, we got home computers, we got cell phones. 

GRACE: You know, another thing I think we better be looking for, Bill Levitan, is this. We learned at the hearing there was no texting between 

husband and wife the day the baby dies. For me, that is unnatural for people that have multiple cell phones, multiple laptops, hard drives,

Google Chromes, the works. They`re techies. He is in I.T. and doesn`t text his wife all day? I think it is very important, Ben Levitan, that 

they search back and see their texting and emailing history, because if they typically text 30, 40 times a day, and then suddenly that day they go 

radio silent, that is probative. It looks like they were trying to prove they had no communications that day, and there was never a chance for mommy 

to say hey, did you drop off Cooper? I find that very, very probative. Hold on, Bill Levitan, you are saying a couple of weeks to get all of those 

records. Michael Christian, think through this with me, are you with me? 

CHRISTIAN: Yes, ma`am. 

GRACE: Okay, Michael, this is what we know. In Cobb County, the grand jury meets once a week on Thursday. That means the grand jury, 

typically made up from 15 to 50 individuals, voters, get together. This is a new grand jury. They last two months. That is their term, July, August. 

A brand-new grand jury is just coming in, Michael Christian. 

Now, I presented to the grand jury hundreds and hundreds of times. A presentment takes two minutes to two hours. They need one witness. That 

would be the lead detective, probably the same way we saw the hearing. We`re going to see that detective in front of the grand jury. He will give 

a brief presentation, give the main facts and open it up to grand jury questions. 

Here is my prediction, Michael. They`re going to wait several weeks. They want to break in the new grand jury. Let them cut their teeth on

shopliftings, you know, carjackings, dope cases, before they get this case. So I`m thinking sometime in August, late July, they`re going to get all of 

their materials, Ben Levitan is talking about phone records and so forth, and take this to a grand jury. 

One more thing, Michael Christian. They`re missing something. Toxicology reports. How do you think that will play into the 

investigation, if at all? Toxicology on baby Cooper? 

CHRISTIAN: That could be extremely important, Nancy, because certainly if this baby was doped up, if there was any sort of chemical 

introduced into this baby`s system, that is something that the grand jury and the prosecutor would certainly want to know. Toxicology takes two, 

maybe three weeks to come back. So we will be expecting in a couple of weeks for the medical examiner`s office to release a final autopsy report. 

GRACE: Okay, hold on. I have got another thing. I got another thing. Unleash the lawyers, Danny Cevallos, Areva Martin, also joining me, 

Dr. Michelle Dupre, medical examiner. 

Areva Martin, this is what the state doesn`t want. They don`t want to indict prematurely and then get slapped with a speedy trial demand. That 

is a constitutional right you have that says, okay, you have indicted me. Now you have got one to two terms to try me or you cut me loose. If you 

don`t try that person in front of a jury within three to six months, they are acquitted. The charges are dropped. 

My point is, Areva, they have to get their ducks in a row, have everything ready. All their proof, toxicology, phone records, e-mails, the 

works, then indict. Because watch, they`re going to put a speedy on the state, and the state is going to have to move immediately to trial, Areva. 

MARTIN: You know, I think the state is moving cautiously because there is so much information, as you said, Nancy, to be gained here, these 

records. And this is a case that most people believe, as you will recall, that this guy just made a mistake. When these kids, 40 or so, that are 

lost or killed in cars, people think it is a mistake, not murder. 



GRACE: And this hour, the case in the hands of the district attorney, Vic Reynolds. So far Reynolds has a stellar record as an elected 

prosecutor. He trained in the office where I was a prosecutor in inner city of Atlanta, and actually trained under me, as well as with a lot of

other senior prosecutors. Never afraid to try a case, would take a case to a jury in a heartbeat. Right now many court watchers believing Reynolds 

will seek the death penalty in this case. 

On the other side, you got this guy. Maddux Kilgore, he is certainly no slouch either. Kilgore was a prosecutor in the state`s attorney 

general`s office. I recall also working with him, not against him. Kilgore at that time I believe was working on a habeas corpus and an appeal 

on a murder case I had tried, a very difficult murder case. And I recall at the time being very impressed with his skills. 

So, okay, that was his assistant. There is Kilgore right there. Both fantastic trial lawyers. 

We are taking your calls. Straight out to Lisa, hi, Lisa, what is your question? 

LISA: Hi, Nancy, I want to say first of all you have so much strength for doing these shows every night. And my question to the panel of 

possible pleas, I`d just like to know, if people don`t love, honor and cherish their child, then why do they have them? 

GRACE: You know, Greg Cason, psychologist, I don`t think any of us lawyers are qualified for that. I mean, I know what to do if somebody is 

charged with murder, but I don`t know the answer to that. Why do you go through so much to have a child? I know I did. And then start looking up 

living a child-free life? And not only that, Greg, I was just really disgusted. I remember the first time I wrote a non-fiction, "Objection." 

And I had to look up how people made blood money, money off murder cases. And the websites I looked at, by the time I finished writing that book, I 

wanted to throw away my computer. I was so just put off by all the -- the dark, dark leanings in our society. 

But Greg, this guy is looking up watching people die on video. Where is Greg Cason? He is watching them in the throes of death. And he is 

looking at websites, how to live a child-free life. And how long does it take a child to die in a hot car? And if you could, show the video of the 

veterinarian that we spoke with at length who created the video about animals dying in hot cars. Can you answer at least those questions, Greg? 

CASON: It is absolutely disgusting, Nancy, and I think for those of us who bond with our children and feel a great deal of need to have 

children and raise children and see them as the future of our society have trouble seeing that some people are just that depraved. And it may be that 

he wanted a child in the beginning, but then started to see the real stresses of having a child as you go through life and wanted to escape from 

that. And he chose one of the most heinous and possible actions a parent can take, if indeed he did. 

GRACE: At the get-go, I want to go back to Ninette Sosa, News Radio. At the beginning, I kept thinking, depending on the time of the search of 

dead animals in hot cars, if it were after the death of Cooper, I still thought maybe he could be innocent, but the more we hear, the worse it 

gets. What can you tell us about the stunning news over the weekend that the father, Ross Harris Cooper, excuse me, Justin Ross Harris, actually 

directs his family how to get the life insurance proceeds from behind bars. 

SOSA: The $27,000, exactly, there is two of those. And it was Friday evening, and he is telling his family how to cash out these policies for 

his child. That is quite grim, from behind bars, on a Friday. And he -- in a twist, it is the mom, though, I keep going back to Leanna. The eulogy 

on Saturday for her son, and she says toward the end of the eulogy to her husband who was listening via speaker phone from jail to this funeral, that 

she was doing it for him. And I was thinking, doing what for him, exactly. It left me more questions on her bizarre eulogy that she gave for her son. 

Yet it is about him, the husband. 

GRACE: Unleash the lawyers, Areva Martin, L.A., Danny Cevallos, New York. First of all to you, Danny, OK, he is behind bars, his child is dead 

of a gruesome death, a tortuous death, a cruel death, and you know the word cruel and tortuous plays into the language you use to get the death 

penalty, and he has the wherewithal to tell his family how to cash in on a life insurance policy. Hello? Home Depot already paid for the funeral, I 

think. So while his mind, I would think, would be reeling about the death of his baby, he is worried about the life insurance policy. Let me hear 

your spin on that, Cevallos. 

CEVALLOS: Yes, good, everyone keep focusing on life insurance policies and Internet searches. Focus on them all you like. They are not 

beginning to rise to the level of specific intent, malice murder, and even you have to concede, Nancy, even you have to concede, the prosecution is 

going to have to come up with something better than asking about a life insurance policy, which is something that you buy and cash in on--

GRACE: I don`t even know what you`re saying. 

CEVALLOS: You don`t?

GRACE: I don`t even know what you`re talking about.

CEVALLOS: You`re familiar with a life insurance policy, right?

GRACE: Have you actually tried a circumstantial murder case?

CEVALLOS: Of course I have, Nancy. Are we doing resumes now? 

GRACE: How did that turn out? 

CEVALLOS: Which one, Nancy? Listen, we both tried murder cases. 

GRACE: Because I don`t even know what you`re saying. This is actually how a circumstantial case is made. 

CEVALLOS: Well, beware everyone who cashes in on their life insurance policies, beware, buy them at your own risk. 

GRACE: No. You can go ahead and cut his mike. 

CEVALLOS: OK, I`m done anyway. 

GRACE: Areva, I think you will agree with me, even as a defense attorney, that it is not just the life insurance policy. It is the unusual 

death of the child, No. 1, which the medical examiner ruled as probable homicide. It is the statements that he made. It is the searching before 

the child`s death. How long is it needed for a child to die in a hot car? It is his reaction with his wife. It is sexting the women. It is looking 

up a child-free life. It is asking about the life insurance policy. That -- it is all of that together to -- you build a case. 

MARTIN: No doubt, Nancy, cumulatively all of these things look really bad for the dad. And in most of these cases when these kids die in hot 

cars, you have an overly emotional parent and you don`t have all of these issues. This case is quite unusual, and the dad has a lot of explaining to 

do. No doubt. 

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRACE: Straight out to Dr. Michelle Dupre, medical examiner and forensic pathologist. Dr. Dupre, thank you for being with us. Could you

explain the marks on the back of Cooper`s head? We know he was on the lowest setting possible for that car seat, which means he was in very, very 

tight. 

DUPRE: Yes, Nancy. Thank you for having me on the show. It seems as though he probably went into a normal heat stroke reaction, which is he 

becomes agitated, he`s trying to get loose. It`s a very scary situation and he`s scratching, he`s wiggling, he`s scratching, he may be even going 

into seizures, all caused from this. 

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRACE: Everyone, I want to tell you about a missing girl. It`s very important. Live to Washington state. This young girl disappears, and 

tonight we join the search for Angie Dean. With me is her mother, Lynda Jorgensen. Thank you so much for being with us. How did your girl go 

missing? Tell me. 

LYNDA JORGENSEN, MOTHER: Thank you for having us. On Monday the 23rd she left the house and hasn`t returned, and we`ve heard nothing from her. 

She left on the 23rd in the evening, about 9:30, and we have no idea where she is. 

GRACE: Where was she going that night, Ms. Jorgensen? 

JORGENSEN: We have no idea. We have no idea. 

GRACE: Okay. She took only what she was wearing. She had on black running tights, like white razorback tank top, white Nike shows. 

Authorities have discovered a cell phone Angie`s parents didn`t know she had. That is not unusual. The fact is, though, Ms. Jorgensen, did the 

cops find that cell phone? 

JORGENSEN: No, they haven`t found the cell phone but they know she was in possession of one. 

GRACE: To Dave Mack, syndicated talk show host. Dave, I do not think this girl is a runaway. So often the cops throw that term out there. I`m 

very concerned. What more do we know? Has she been spotted? 

MACK: She hasn`t been spotted. But what we know is the afternoon she went missing, she was dropped off at her house by a man looking between the 

ages of 25 and 30, driving an older Volvo and filled with a bunch of other people. Also, a couple of days prior to her leaving and disappearing, she 

left an ominous message for her boyfriend, indicating that his life was in jeopardy, as well as that of her family. I don`t think she left on her own 

either, Nancy. 
Nancy Grace was smart enough not to return to Mr. Madden's eye witness account.  

77 comments:

Linnet said...

Cooper's hair may have been dry if had been dead for a while. Dead bodies don't sweat. Hence his hair had time to dry.

My youngest daughter is sleeping beside me now. She is two years old. Like all sane parents, I ask myself "how can anyone do this?" I dont think I want to understand.

Cooper and Baby P from England will forever be in my heart.

BostonLady said...

I saw some of this interview and when the witness started editorializing, I stopped listening. I heard him stress he was 4 or 5 feet from the body. I wonder how many people were in front of him, blocking his view? I didn't believe much of what he was relaying to Nancy Grace. And based on her remarks and the looks on her face, she didn't either.

This witness wants his 5 mins of fame. He was projecting how he would feel if this was his child and was not observing what was actually occurring. I don't think he's credible.

Anonymous said...

i agree bostonlady- 5 minutes of fame and nothing truthful out of his mouth.

If Nancy Grace knows he is not telling the truth...well, she believed ron cummings and and that billie dunn, for a long time. So for her to suspect someone is lying...

Anonymous said...

Could someone explain this to me? Mr. Madden says, "It just seemed very real, very organic."

I have rechecked every definition of organic and it makes no sense to me. TIA

Tania Cadogan said...

it ammoys me when she uses'nicknames' such as toddler boy.

it seems to be all about cqatchu soundbites rather than actual journalism.

Tot mom, toddler boy and the ever present unleash the lawyers and bombshell.

It is a mockery rather than resposible.
She would have driven me nuts if she had stated a prosecutor.

Rather than asking someone to explain why they said what they said if they disagree with her , she sinply cuts them off which indicates bullying.
if youy want to be on my show you say what i want etc.

Anonymous said...

I hear "organic" as Mr. Madden's attempt at conveying he felt Ross seemed to react "naturally"; he seems to feel important using this term as, Ms. Grace points out, it was the same word he chose to use in court.

Anonymous said...

Could someone explain this to me? Mr. Madden says, "It just seemed very real, very organic."

I have rechecked every definition of organic and it makes no sense to me. TIA

July 8, 2014 at 5:48 PM
____________________________

When details of this case were first coming out, someone reported the father's actions as seeming overdramatic or staged. I'm wondering if Mr Madden read that report and wanted to make it sound like the father's actions were more natural or normal to the situation?

Anonymous said...

Anon, organic is a synonym of natural. He's saying it seemed a natural response rather than the fake or acting response that other witnesses reported.

People like this Madden character are so sad, cashing in on tragedy for a bit of attention. He sounds like he wants to be an authority on what happened and is making up his own narrative just to sound like he knows what he's talking about. Some people would rather bullshit than admit they don't know something. So sad,and potentially damaging to the case.

Tania Cadogan said...

The wife of Justin Harris, the Georgia man accused of killing his not yet 2-year-old son by leaving him in a hot car, was barred from visiting her husband Tuesday when she attempted to see him in jail for the first time since shocking details of the alleged crime were revealed in court.

Leanna Harris refused to answer reporters' questions as she left the Cobb County detention facility in Marietta on Tuesday morning, where she'd spent 36 minutes according to WXIA, except to shake her head 'no' when asked if she'd seen her son's accused killer.

Harris appeared at least passably distraught as she got in the back seat of an unidentified woman's car, though questions have already begun to arise about her role in 22-month-old Cooper's June 18 death precisely because of her behavior.

Police revealed this week that Cooper had been switched out of his forward-facing new car seat weeks before his death - even though he was too big for his old one.

Harris was found dead in his rear-facing car seat in a parking lot in Cobb County, Georgia on June 18 - after sweltering inside for more than seven hours.

According to Cobb County, Georgia police detective Phil Stoddard, Harris told his wife, 'I dreaded how he would look,' when he 'discovered' his son's dead body.

Harris faces a murder charge but insists he mistakenly left his 22-month-old son inside the car before heading to work at Home Depot.

With the boy in the rear-facing seat, Harris would not have seen his child if he looked over towards it.

During a probable cause hearing on Thursday, Cobb County Police Detective Phil Stoddard testified that the boy was 'several inches' too big for the child seat, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

He added that the parents had bought a new, forward-facing child seat just six weeks ago but they switched back to his old seat for reasons that are not yet clear.

'Harris knew the specific make and model of the seat and what the weight limit was for the child to be seated in it,' the warrants state. 'When the seat was inspected the straps for the seat were set on the lowest level for a small child.'

Harris told detectives his son was 'developing fine'.

Suspicions are also growing about what role Harris' wife may have played in the deat

Leanna Harris has not yet been charged with any crime but she expressed little emotion throughout last weeks hearing, despite a number of shocking allegations including that her husband had been sexting with six different women, some teenagers, on the day their young son had passed away.

Investigators also described her own behavior on the day her son died as odd, if not suspicious.

When workers at her son's day care said that Cooper had never been dropped off, she calmly responded: ‘Ross must have left him in the car. There's no other explanation,’ Stoddard said.

When reunited with her husband at police headquarters after he had been charged with murder, Leanna Harris asked him: 'Did you say too much?' according to Stoddard.

When she called home June 18 with the grim news of Cooper’s death, her mother could be overheard on the phone saying: ‘Why aren’t you crying? Why aren’t you reacting?’

Her response, according to Stoddard: ‘I must be in shock.’

Police had previously disclosed that, like her husband, she had researched children dying in hot vehicles prior to her son Cooper’s death, telling officers it was her ‘worst fear.’

Tania Cadogan said...

At Cooper’s funeral - and with her husband listening from jail on speaker phone - she said she held no anger toward him.

‘Ross is and was a wonderful father,’ she told mourners, before telling her husband of seven years: ‘I love you and I’m doing this for you.’

Some of Leanna Harris’ comments during her eulogy at Cooper’s funeral have also raised suspicions.

'Some of you might wonder how I’m standing here today and I ask myself the same question,' the deeply religious mother said.

'I should be crumpled into a pile of tears and snot on the ground. (The Lord) is standing behind me, holding me up.'

The 250 or so mourners who gathered at University Church of Christ gave her two rounds of applause as she said she wouldn’t bring her son back, even if she could.

'He’s in the most peaceful, wonderful place there is,' she said.

Detective Stoddard also told the court that several injuries were found on the boy's body, including visible marks on his face, revealing that he had struggled to escape as temperatures soared.

Justin Ross Harris remains in jail on murder and child cruelty charges. He has been denied bond.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2685107/Wife-man-let-son-die-hot-car-sexted-women-visits-jail-continues-stand-side.html

Anonymous said...

'Some of you might wonder how I’m standing here today and I ask myself the same question,' the deeply religious mother said.

'I should be crumpled into a pile of tears and snot on the ground. (The Lord) is standing behind me, holding me up.'

__________

When I read this, the quote was 'HE is standing behind me, holding me up."

I wondered if she was actually referring to Ross.

trustmeigetit said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
trustmeigetit said...

“Police revealed this week that Cooper had been switched out of his forward-facing new car seat weeks before his death - even though he was too big for his old one”

This sold me on his guilt. There is no other reason for him to return to a rear facing car seat.

But I think mom was in on it and they need to take her down too.

Bewk on gruseome 2some said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

I wonder why she was banned? Is that normal procedure? I think they should let her if the visits are monitored. They may pick up on things she might say, like when she asked if he had said too much, plus I'd be curious to see their behavior towards one another.

Anonymous said...

The witness testimony will be scrutinized by lawyers, I doubt he'll be deemed as credible. He was so close, he could see Cooper and describe his body (no markings), hair (not wet), mouth and eyes not open. Ironically these things had been described in polar opposite, mostly by LE, who definitely were up close to witness Cooper. When pressed, especially about CPR, he then changes his tune. I assume CPR was started after Cooper was removed from the vehicle. It was done by witnesses AFTER JRH had taken Cooper out and started CPR first himself (? Idk if he actually did, I thought it was stated that he didn't). This witness then says he was approaching AFTER CPR by witnesses had started. So when exactly did he really see Cooper so well to describe his body? Possibly Coopers eyes and mouth WERE closed by someone, after CPR.

Dacea said...

Somewhere last night, I think it was in the comments on this page somewhere, what happens in a hot car and what happens at each temperature as a child's body temperature rises. One of the symptoms of hyperthermia is actually dry skin.

Anonymous said...

80 seconds isn't much time. I'd think he'd still be sipping coffee or listening to the child. He does appear guilty.

unless... the breakfast tale was fabricated, too.

Anonymous said...

It was my understanding that the new car seat is in HER car, since she is his primary caregiver (picks him up from daycare, runs errands, takes him to doctor appts). I can understand that possibility, tho I believe Ross could've gotten some frequent flyer miles for buying a new car seat for HIS car, too. Sorry if that sounded snarky - for a moment I emphasized at the thought of how expensive car seats are, but then I remembered Ross ran up his charge card debt to get "frequent flyer miles". Welp.

Anonymous said...

Where was he planning to go with all those frequent flyer miles?

Anonymous said...

Perhaps investigators should review dashcam footage of all LE units that were on the scene. If lucky, at least one camera may have been angled just right to show who was where and when. Maybe this "witness" could be easily discredited. Just a thought. -Kitt

Anonymous said...

Kitt again. My first thought of how he'd use his frequent flyer miles? To meet up with some of his sext partners, of course.

Anonymous said...

I got such a sickening feeling regarding the "change" of one properly fitting age appropriate car seat, to one that was so much smaller and the straps were set tightly, as you would for a much younger, smaller child. Its pretty obvious to me "nobody" wanted poor cooper to be able to squirm his way out while he was suffering so terribly in that vehicle. I think both are guilty of planning the whole thing.

Katprint said...

Hobnob, I strongly suspect it was Ross Harris' defense attorneys who barred his wife from visiting with him. The jail staff wouldn't care and the criminal investigators would be delighted to get a recording of that conversation (like when Casey Anthony agreed to her parents visiting her, against her attorney's advice.)

Reading Madden's statement reminds me of what I learn when I drive past an auto accident or police making a traffic stop. For example, a few weeks ago I drove past a stopped car on the side of the road with police cruisers parked in front and in back of it. As I approached more closely, I saw that one police officer was standing on the driver's side and nad reached through the driver's window with both hands and grabbed the driver. The other police officer was on the passenger's side and was pointing a handgun at the driver through the front passenger window. I don't really know what was going on, but if there were some big news story about this guy like he was really Charles Manson recently escaped from Corcoran State Prison then folks like Nancy Grace would be wanting to interview me. If I were a particularly desperate attention-seeker, I could invent details to make a better story then backpedal a little if any of my invented details turned out to be provably false.

Kit said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kit said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

I don't understand how a wife can be barred from speaking to her husband in jail. Surely she has a lot to say to him. I hope she is innocent. This ordeal would be overwhelming for any woman

Anonymous said...

Katprint said...@10:45pm
Hobnob, I strongly suspect it was Ross Harris' defense attorneys who barred his wife from visiting with him. The jail staff wouldn't care and the criminal investigators would be delighted to get a recording of that conversation (like when Casey Anthony agreed to her parents visiting her, against her attorney's advice.)
*****

I think you could be right Katprint; I think his lawyers are aware that if this couple wind up implicating each other it will certainly be provable as a premeditated murder and the death penalty will become a certain possibility.

It's possible things are falling apart between the two and they are saying too much.

Anonymous said...

I wonder if the " University Church of Christ" is the same or a branch of "Church of Christ"? If they are, I would not find it weird that she said, she did not want her baby Cooper back. As only 144,000 are allowed in Heaven from the world, according to COC. Which might be a reason she would conspire with RH to kill the baby, yet secure his spot in heaven. I think this would be a reason for her to conspire to kill her son.

Also, organic is NOT a synonym of natural. Innate is, but organic is not unless you are using today's standards. Organic foods are natural, or without chemicals. And if you believe that, I have prime beach real estate to sale you, in Minnesota.

PH did a lesson recently and asked the things we see as false in advertisements, "Organic, Natural and Fat-free" came to my mind as "words used in a false way".



Anonymous said...

http://thesaurus.com/browse/organic

More words related to organic
bodily
adj. concerning animate structure
actual
animal
carnal
corporal
corporeal
fleshly
gross
human
material
natural
normal
organic
physical
sensual
somatic
substantial
tangible
unspiritual

Anonymous said...

It has been so hot where I live lately, and every time I get into my car and feel that brutal heat I cannot help but think of Cooper and all the other kids dying lately in such a terrifying, painful and horrific way. The fact that people like this Madden character are trying to capitalize in any way off the death of a defenseless child is sickening. I too wondered if there may be a connection with Madden and Harris somehow. I found out a year ago that my husband and I may never be able to conceive and when I read stories about these baby killing monsters I become infuriated! Justin Harris and his gum smacking wife need to burn for eternity if they intentionally killed their baby. Based on everything I've read it certainly looks that way.

Lemon said...

I wonder how long before Nancy Grace starts referring to Ross Harris as "Tot Dad Ross Harris" ?

Karen T said...

To Anon 12:55 Really? You come on a board & make a broad, uninformed statement about a particular church group? I am sure there are many different churches that go by the name of "Church of Christ". Not all of them are the same nor do they all hold the same doctrines. I could school you on that but let's suffice it to say, "shame on you" for even bringing a church group into this conversation. The death of this baby is the work of one evil person. Not the work of a particular group of church going people.

Anonymous said...

I wonder if the defense will ask Madden to stop speaking. As it is he has discredited himself as a witness. It wouldn't take a lawyer to show he's looking for his fifteen minutes and doesn't have a clue what he 'saw'. His memory of things goes against everything known at this point of Cooper's condition at the time.

I also wondered if Harris and Madden know each other; the thought had crossed my mind Madden was there for the express reason of being 'witness'...I just can't fathom why he would agree to do such a thing.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...@12:55am
I wonder if the " University Church of Christ" is the same or a branch of "Church of Christ"? If they are, I would not find it weird that she said, she did not want her baby Cooper back.

___________

I don't care which church she attends, I would and do still find it weird.

Even if she had the belief only 144,000 souls make it to heaven why would she feel his 'spot' would be secured if he died?

Katprint said...

@Anonymous on July 9 at 12:12:20am:

Prisoners don't have to speak to visitors just because the visitor would like to speak to them. They can refuse/decline, which is what their defense attorneys certainly advise them to do. Most modern jails in the US routinely record all conversations, regardless whether by telephone or in person visitation, for security purposes ie to prevent escapes, smuggling of weapons, drugs or other contraband, etc. However, everything said in such conversations is fair game for use by the prosecution. Or for use by the defense, I suppose, if someone came into the jail to taunt the prisoner about being wrongfully prosecuted for crimes that the visitor had committed.

So, my expectation is that the wife went to the jail and asked to visit her husband but her husband refused to see her. There does not appear to be any kind of court order legally barring her from visiting her husband. I think the reporter chose that word for its emotional impact, not its factual accuracy.

139.999 said...

BECAUSE 139,00\ baby boys have died in 2014,whick leaves spaces in heaven.

rkg said...

I haven't commented in a very long time, but I need to clear something up about the Churches of Christ and the congregation which goes by the name "University Church of Christ." The University CofC is in close proximity to the University of Alabama, hence the chosen name for their specific congregation (much like a specific congregation of, say, Baptists, who are located on Willow Street, would call themselves the Willow Street Baptist Church).

As a member of the Church of Christ (I was raised in and still attend faithfully and teach; all my extended family for generations back are members of the CofC), please permit me to address a couple of things mentioned here, just for clarification about the religious mindset of Leanna Harris. I am quite familiar with the University CofC in Tuscaloosa, and I know that their doctrine is nearly identical to what most other Churches of Christ adhere to: a cappella singing, baptism (immersion) for remission of sins/salvation, emphasis on life-long study of the Bible and high importance on knowledge of the scriptures; emphasis on training young people as leaders in the community and church; autonomous congregations with no man-made creed, only the Bible; extensive missions, prison, orphanage, hospital, inner city, disaster relief work, etc. The doctrinal concepts that seem to apply here, though, are male spiritual leadership and our view of the book of Revelation. (please continue to next comment for explanation)

rkg said...

(continued) First, we do not teach that men are dominant and women are secondary. We teach that the man is to conduct himself with the highest level of responsibility for his family. He is to regard his wife as his spiritual equal and his partner in raising their family. He is to conduct himself in such a way that his wife feels safe and highly valued and that gives her no doubt that she can trust his leadership. (We also teach that if a man is unwilling to conduct himself as a gentle and responsible leader, or if he is improperly leading, the wife is NOT expected to put up with his mistreatment of their family. She is, after all, his co-leader, and is encouraged to do what needs to be done to keep the family Christian-focused - even if that means taking the kids and leaving.) Leanna Harris is concerning to me, because she is taking the male spiritual leadership thing WAY further than the Church of Christ or the Bible advocates. She has decided to place herself in subservient submission, apparently, and it almost looks like that is either an indication of or an excuse for her collaboration with her husband in this crime.

The second point - our interpretation of the book of Revelation - is important, too. We in the Church of Christ, do not believe that only 144,000 souls will be in heaven. Revelation was a letter to Christians under extreme Roman persecution, written partially in code, by John during his exile on Patmos. The first portion of Revelation uses figurative language that the early Christians were familiar with, in order to convey information which, if written directly, would have been censored by the Roman officials. All the talk of "Babylon" was referring to the Roman government, for example. The "144,000" is also figurative. The number 12, and multiples thereof, were considered to signify "completeness" or "perfection." If you refer back to the Old Testament, Jewish history, and even the life of Jesus, you will find numerous references to the number 12 and its multiples, from the 12 sons of Jacob to the 12 apostles and lots in between. The reference in Revelation to "144,000 souls" is indicative of the day when Christ returns, gathers the saved souls still living on earth, takes them to heaven, and earthly time ends. On that day, the number of souls in heaven will be "complete," being comprised of all the saved throughout human time, and the judgement will be over and the count will be final. Obviously, it will be far more than 144,000 - if that were literal, that would easily mean that there is currently no more room and heaven is closed. Clearly, it was never intended to be taken literally.

As for Leanna and Ross Harris - these people, their actions, assertions, lack of morality, and irresponsible application of biblical concepts - they do not represent the teaching and values of the Churches of Christ. Additionally, they do not attend a Church of Christ in Georgia. I get the impression that Leanna was raised in the CofC, and that's where she attended in Tuscaloosa, or that's where her family attends, hence the reason to return to family and close friends to bury her son. Unfortunately, I fear that these things are being done to "appear normal" and cover a complicity with Ross in the murder of that sweet baby.

Anonymous said...

Gerry McGann arrested (Reuters).

Anonymous said...

Peter - remembering your post about actors & wonering if they all have split personalities/ childhood sexual abuse, ect.

google "beta kittens" and "illuminati".

all former mousekateers.





Anonymous said...

OT

This is a strange case of a missing teen. She had alerted adults that something was wrong. She left journal messages, and texted her boyfriend.

http://www.wfsb.com/story/25961261/missing-teen

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2684562/If-youre-reading-I-missing-dead-Disturbing-journal-entry-teenage-girl-mom-went-missing-police-suspect-human-trafficking.html

Anonymous said...

There are quite a few reasons why prisoners in jail aren't allowed to see visitors. First of all, visitation is not a right in jail. A prisoner who's acting up wont be granted the privilege, or a whole cell block could be denied. Some jails have visitation list, if you aren't on it you can't get in. Many jails also have time limits on visitation hours, limiting the amount of visitors to the prisoners, its pretty much a 'first come,first served' mentality with no exceptions made. The schedule of the jail comes first. The person visiting could have refused to adhere to the specific rules set forth for visitation (contraband found, starting a ruckus in the waiting area, bringing a cell phone, etc).

ima.grandma said...

Thank you rkg. Your synopsis cleared up questions for me. I appreciate the education.

Anonymous said...

I heard a reporter call in to Nancy Grace (yikes!), reporting that Leanna DID see hubby, for a 35-minute visit. I haven't heard/read anywhere else that this is the case. Reporter said they had a video visit, that it was set up 24 hours in advance, which the reporter said was standard for that facility. -Kitt

JenB said...

Re: the too-small carseat -- Having the shoulder straps at the lowest level would not necessarily keep the child in tighter.

I think the way the carseat was adjusted is more a symptom of them not caring about Cooper anymore -- they didn't want to spend the $ on a 2nd convertible seat. Maybe they never bothered adjusting it from the time C was born, or maybe it was a type that could be accidentally adjusted when one was installing it or moving it from storage. I am interested to learn a few things:

1) When did they buy the convertible (forward-facing) seat?
2) Which seat had JRH been using in his car -- had it always been the infant seat, and always rear-facing?
3) Had the shoulder straps of the infant seat ever been adjusted for Cooper, or did they never bother with that?
4) Are the shoulder straps such that one must rethread them in order to change the height, or can they be adjusted without rethreading?

Anonymous said...

Leonard Madden, Local press, labeled " Key Witness" he interviewed 7/8/2014 by local news reporter. Video of him is at the link.

He is quoted yesterday: he uses the word Organic (again) and the word grave, adjective to accident.

He told Channel 2’s Ross Cavitt the experience will forever cement his belief that Cooper Harris death was a tragic accident.

“His original reaction was just too organic for it to have been planned. His cries of desperation and passion and hurt, they were too heartfelt,” Madden said.

Madden testified to that during last week’s probable cause hearing as a defense hearing. He was mostly unaware of the explosive testimony that preceded his.

“I believe it was just a terrible and grave accident, however, I do not believe it was done intentionally,” Madden said.


Prosecutors disagree. Ross Harris remains jailed under charges that do not require malice, police seem to believe this was an intentional act.

“The evidence is the evidence. Accusation is accusation and speculation is speculation. I can only go off what I witnessed,” Madden said.

Madden will likely become a key witness if the case goes to trial.

He is not an authority investigating, to provide evidence. Accusation is accusation, is this his to prove? as he replied to Nancy Grace police spoke aggressive to Harris. What's left? speculation. His, I can only go off. He isn't a key witness, he was a spectator to the incident. His 15 mins to continue?

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/witness-says-he-doesnt-believe-ross-harris-murdere/ngb2h/

Unknown said...

Leonard Madden is a boob.

It cracks me up when idiots misuse a word repeatedly thinking it makes them sound smart or authoritative.

He followed up his comments on JRH's 'organic' performance, with his opinion that he didn't have his 'ball bearings' about him, lol.

True, a person can have their bearings, but I've never known anyone who had ball bearings, lol!

ritanita said...

As far as Mr. Madden is concerned, it's my opinion that he won't be of much use to the defense at trial.

First, his testimony that Cooper looked "normal" and had no abrasions or scrapes as well as saying that his eyes and mouth were closed fly in the face of the medical examiner and LE on scene's version.

If you listen to his testimony in court, he states it took LE 20 minutes to respond when it was almost instantaneous due to the fact that the cruisers were in the immediate vicinity.

Kosmo said...

anon 12:55
Also, organic is NOT a synonym of natural. Innate is, but organic is not unless you are using today's standards. Organic foods are natural, or without chemicals. And if you believe that, I have prime beach real estate to sale you, in Minnesota.


Don't get it?? I mean Minnesota is the land of 10,000 lakes with A LOT of beach property! Actually it has a lot more then 10,000....

What if it was Ross that decided he didn't want to see his wife?? Just a thought

Anonymous said...

JMHO but i don't think they'll use madden at all. he's been on TV and the state will pick that apart. he doesn't come off sounding very credible and that will also be a problem for the defense. i think he'll take a plea especially if they go for DP.
Cecelia

Anonymous said...

MK ULTRA

Obama
Amanda Bynes
Emenem
Al Roker
Britney Spears
Jay z
Beyonce
Katy Perry
Rita Ora

Kit said...

The defense attorneys banned her? You might be surprised at how little authority defense attorneys have over jail procedures. She probably just arrived at the wrong time of day, when they weren't taking visitors.

Kit said...

Btw, I was being sarcastic. Defense attorneys have zero authority at the jails. Even judges don't, which surprised me. I would try to get defendants into rehab programs at the jails and the judges would recommend it when I asked but explained that they had no authority to order it. Defense attorneys are officers of the court just as much as prosecutors and uphold the law in a more fundamental way than prosecutors and cops. The jury and defense attorney are your last and only defense against the power of the government to take away your freedom.

Anonymous said...

I've only read that Leanne shook her head 'no' when asked if she saw Ross. She may have seen him but opted to say she didn't. Until it is from an official source, I'm not taking her word for it.

Here is the quote from the article that states she didn't see Ross:


"Harris' wife Leanna was barred from visiting her husband on Tuesday when she attempted to see him in jail for the first time since shocking details of the alleged crime were revealed in court.
Harris refused to answer reporters' questions as she left the Cobb County detention facility in Marietta on Tuesday morning, where she'd spent 36 minutes according to WXIA, except to shake her head 'no' when asked if she'd seen her son's accused killer."


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2685365/EXCLUSIVE-The-shocking-tweet-Justin-Ross-Harris-accused-leaving-22-month-old-son-hot-car-die-NEW-INVENTION-Snooze-buttons-babies.html#ixzz3705ORIki
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

Katprint said...

Chris Hugh, I agree with you that the jail would not bar the wife from visiting her husband just because the husband's defense attorneys asked them to. However, they would surely have advised Ross Harris to decline any visit requests by anyone (friends, family, media) and especially by his wife (who probably has more than a few questions about her husband's sexting other women and at least one underage girl) and even more especially after his wife's earlier incriminating statements and questions along the lines of, "You didn't say too much, did you?" Similarly, the defense attorneys would tell him not to discuss his case with any of the other jail inmates.

I think the reporter used the hyperbole of the wife being "barred" from visiting her husband because it sounded good. I don't think she was actually "barred" in the technical, legal sense. If there were some sort of restraining order (for example, no-contact orders are often issued at the request of prosecutors prevent witness tampering and to protect victims from harassment by the accused) or some sort of disciplinary revocation of visitation privileges by the jail, those public documents would have been picked up by the media.

Ross Harris could have disregarded his defense attorneys' advice and agreed to speak with his wife despite knowing everything would be recorded by the jail. We've all seen the videos of Casey Anthony's jail conversations with her parents, against the advice of her attorneys (as she mentions in the video when she grows frustrated with their continued questions about what happened to Caylee.) Under the circumstances, however, it's not very surprising that he chose to stay mum.

GeekRad said...

I just read an article that Harris's wife visited him. Perhaps she was turned away yesterday because she was not on the visitor's list.

Kit said...

Interesting. I wonder if Casey Anthony was lying about that too. Advising a client not to talk about a case is standard. Advising a client not to talk to family members at all is something that wouldn't occur to me.

ima.grandma said...

TxTchr
Re: This article suggests a possible motive for Cooper's death. It's a Tweet from Harris to a friend about inventing a snooze button for babies.

I read that the other day skimming through his reddit account. If I remember correctly, it said he re-tweeted it from someone else. If you google: roscoeua reddit - you can find lots of info. You can find more with the search: roscoeua subreddit. He writes much about his move and career change. He's quite proud of himself.

ima.grandma said...

I am wrapped up with a project right now and don't have time to find the link to verify this so I hesitate but am throwing this out anyway. One of the moms that has her kid(s) in the same daycare posted that the daycare attempted to call Ross several times that morning but never got him to pick up the phone. One of you might be able to find it. It was in one of the reddit topics.

ima.grandma said...

Geez, I'm sorry but thinking while working caused me to remember the snooze comment, I typed in:
roscoeua baby
and it pulled up JRH's twitter account, that's where I found the original tweet and where he retweeted it. Sorry for the goofs, I'm so busy today...

Anonymous said...

The horrific final hours of young Cooper Harris’ life were re-created Tuesday by investigators as they continue to build their case against the toddler’s father.
Cobb police spokesman Michael Bowman said the department turned over Ross Harris’ SUV and Cooper’s car seat to investigators with the district attorney’s office who conducted the “heat test.”

http://www.myajc.com/news/news/local-govt-politics/investigators-re-create-final-hours-of-cobb-toddle/ngcJT/?ref=cbTopWidget&icmp=myajc_internallink_cbpopular_bottom

Annonymous17 said...

"What, if anything, did you observe?" does not necessarily indicate that she doesn't believe him. This kind of questioning is taught to attorneys to allow us to avoid leading questioning. "What did you observe?" presupposes that something was observed, and can be considered leading in a direct examination. When a long-time attorney asks a question that includes "if anything," it's more an indication of habit.

Anonymous said...

I am not reading comments until I am done with the analysis but I wanted to touch on this: Why do some people say "hello"?

It's ingrained in us from when we are little and it's a habit. If you aren't really in a panic needing help, your synapses would be firing normally and a normal conditioned response is a greeting.

There is a part of your brain, the amygdala, that is where your fight or flight center is and when the amygdala is engaged, "normal" isn't possible. Your brain is bathed in cortisol and adrenaline and the conditioned response is overridden. Sorry, I'm a neuropsych geek

Anonymous said...

Thank you rhg for the Church of Christ explanation. I believe they were currently members in their local town because a church children's minister spoke on his behalf in the hearing. I feel terrible for his wife and the grandparents. Besides the pain of losing their precious baby, they have the humiliation of the father's lewd behavior made public. I'm sure any jailhouse communication would be stiff and difficult knowing every word was being recorded. How is statement analysis affected when the speaker is aware his/her words are being analyzed?

TxTchr said...

Thanks for the info ;)

Elizabeth said...

Agree with everything you wrote. Also, 911 phone calls are not a social gathering so social niceties are not necessary. When I've had to call 911 (due to sudden health problems of my elderly parents) the operator who answered didn't chat me up, she immediately stated her locale (XYZ emergency services) and asked "what is your name and address?" I gave my name and address. Then she would ask "what is your emergency?"

In return I said "my mom/dad is blah blah blah.". Operator would then ask case specific questions about the emergency.

There was never chit chat or "hi/hello/blathering-that-wastes-time.

The 911 transcripts Peter posts boggle my mind at how evasive and unhelpful the callers are.

S + K Mum said...

Does anyone think Leanna knew of his infidelities before Cooper was murdered?

Statement Analysis Blog said...

S & K Mom,

I do.

JenB said...

I do too, S & K Mom. In the probable cause hearing, I believe the detective testified that there were texts between Leanna and JRH indicating she knew of prior infidelity... But I feel like she knew about a lot of this recent stuff, and possibly even went along with it, whether begrudgingly or enthusiastically.

Anonymous said...

JRH referred to himself as" harmless" on a social networking site. The exact quote was " I'm harmless." I find this weird and indicative that he was anything but harmless.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
JRH referred to himself as" harmless" on a social networking site.
____________

He wrote it on a fake account that has been found.

http://www.hlntv.com/video/2014/07/10/harris-justin-ross-online-secret-life

Anonymous said...

Investigators in Georgia are trying to figure out exactly how hot it got inside Justin Ross Harris’s SUV when his son Cooper died while strapped inside.

CNN’s Victor Blackwell reports they did an hour-by-hour re-creation in the same parking lot where the tragedy occurred.

Prosecutors haven't released the results of the tests yet, but some experts believe it could've gotten as hot as 140 degrees in the car.


http://www.hlntv.com/video/2014/07/10/investigators-conduct-grim-hot-car-rerecreaton?clusterId=2037#videoplayer

Anonymous said...

His pics of himself that have been found on his secret online accounts are strange...is it always the same pic but he photo-shopped different hair or glasses on himself?

Anonymous said...

Leanne Harris has hired a lawyer...


She's avoided the public spotlight since her husband was charged with murder last month and now Leanna Harris has hired Cobb County defense attorney Lawrence Zimmerman, he told HLN on Thursday.

Leanna Harris' husband, Justin Ross Harris, is currently behind bars and accused of felony murder and second-degree cruelty to a child after the couple's toddler, Cooper Harris, was left in his hot car for hours while he went to work.

Leanna Harris has not been charged with any crimes but has raised some eyebrows in the last few weeks. At her son's funeral, for example, she told the audience that it had "never crossed" her mind to be upset with her husband and that she wouldn't bring their son back into this "broken world" if she were given the chance.

The lead detective investigating her husband's case also testified at a preliminary hearing last week about her bizarre behavior following her son's death. The first thing she allegedly said to day care workers when they told her the toddler hadn't been dropped off that morning was that her husband must have left him in the car. She also later asked her husband at the police station if he had "said too much."

Read more: Is Justin Ross Harris the next Casey Anthony?

Many are speculating that charges against Leanna Harris could be on the way in the coming days.

Here's what we know about her new lawyer:

Zimmerman, her attorney, grew up in Miami, Florida. He attended the University of Florida for his undergraduate degree in political science and went on to study at the Roger Williams University School of Law in Bristol, Rhode Island.

After graduating law school in 1998, Zimmerman packed up and headed to Atlanta, Georgia, where he sat for the bar exam. He worked for a local attorney for six months and then, in June of 1999, decided to open up his own law practice, where he still is the sole practitioner.

Watch: Justin Ross Harris' online double-life revealed

Zimmerman holds several leadership positions in the local legal community and became certified to defend death penalty cases in 2006.

He's in good standing with the Georgia Bar and has no public disciplinary issues.

So is Leanna Harris gearing up for a legal battle?

Not necessarily.

"Getting an attorney isn't surprising at all. In fact, the only surprising thing to me is that she waited this long," said criminal defense attorney Darren Kavinoky. "The right to counsel is enjoyed by the innocent and guilty alike."

But, again, if she does end up facing charges in the future, she will end up needing legal counsel.

Watch: Why was boy in rear-facing carseat?

"My prediction is that some kind of charges will be filed against Leanna, or she will cut a deal for providing testimony to avoid them," Kavinoky said. "Her suspicious reactions suggest something much more sinister -- namely that this wasn’t just criminal negligence, but a purposeful undertaking, that this hot car was used as an instrument of death. That's what we call first-degree murder. Leanna's testimony, whether or not it is to save her own skin, would be critical to the prosecution to establish this."


http://www.hlntv.com/article/2014/07/10/leanna-harris-lawyer-lawrence-zimmerman-hot-car-death

S + K Mum said...

I didn't know that JenB, thanks for sharing that info, just makes this all seem even more bizarre!

S + K Mum said...

I thought so too. Did Ross blame his cheating on Cooper i.e. Leanna too busy with the baby and he felt unloved. No baby, no cheating husband.