Harris is accused of murdering his 22 month old son Cooper by leaving him in a hot auto in 2014.
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Prosecutors argue that Ross Harris purposely neglected to drop his son Cooper off at his daycare on June 18, 2014 and left him strapped into his vehicle seat for seven hours.
Cobb County District Attorney Vic Reynolds announced in September of 2014 that the state would not seek the death penalty against Harris if he is convicted. Phil Stoddard testified on Monday during additional pre-trial hearings and said that Justin Ross Harris had online and in-person affairs and wanted to be free of his family.
In today’s hearing, defense attorneys tried to convince the judge to separately try charges that Harris had inappropriate online exchanges with an underage girl separately, but the judge declined to separate the cases, the AP reported. The boy died on June 18.
Harris’ attorney objected, saying Harris’ sexting and evidence of marital and financial problems had nothing to do with Cooper’s death, an event they called a tragic accident and nothing more.
Harris is a native of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and moved to Georgia in 2012 to work for Home Depot. Harris messaged six women, sending and receiving explicit texts, a few including nude images.
According to Stoddard’s testimony, his response qualifies as one of several motives to kill.
An eight-count indictment against Harris includes: malice murder, felony murder, felony murder, first-degree cruelty to children, second-degree cruelty to children, sexual exploitation of children, and two counts of dissemination of harmful material to minors.
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Harris has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
