A father from Georgia, who was convicted in a high-profile case involving the death of his toddler in a hot car, has been released from prison after serving time for the tragic incident. Justin Ross Harris, who had been sentenced to life without parole in 2016 for the death of his 22-month-old son Cooper, was freed on Father's Day from Macon State Prison. Harris had moved to the Atlanta area for work in 2012 and on June 18, 2014, he inadvertently left his son in the back seat of his car while he went to work as a web developer for The Home Depot.
Tragically, Cooper died after being left in the car for about seven hours in the summer heat. Prosecutors had initially accused Harris of murder, alleging that he intentionally left his son in the car due to personal issues. However, the Georgia Supreme Court overturned his murder and child cruelty convictions in June 2022, citing prejudicial evidence presented at trial. Despite this decision, Harris remained convicted of three sex crimes against a 16-year-old girl.
Following his release from prison, Harris was transferred to Cobb County's jail to serve the remaining two years of his sentence. He had been serving time for a felony conviction of attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, along with two misdemeanor convictions for distribution of obscene materials to minors. Harris' case garnered significant global attention and sparked debates over the circumstances surrounding his son's death.
The presiding judge had relocated the trial to Brunswick on the Georgia coast due to the extensive pretrial publicity that made it challenging to find an impartial jury in Cobb County. While the case has now concluded with Harris' release from prison, the tragic incident continues to serve as a reminder of the importance of child safety and the devastating consequences of leaving children unattended in vehicles.
