Tuscaloosa Native and Bama Alum Needs Help

[bamaphil]

A Tuscaloosa native, high school classmate of mine, and a fellow Bama alum needs your prayers and help.  You may have heard about this on the news.  Ross Harris forgot to drop his son off at daycare Wednesday and left him in his car while he went to work.  This has happened to many other people and is not an indicator that Ross is a terrible person or a bad parent.  Cobb County has charged Ross with felony murder and child neglect and is being held without bond in jail, leaving his wife to grieve alone and make funeral arrangements without her husband and the child's father.  Regardless of whether you think he deserves to be charged or not (personally I think it's absurd) it's a terrible injustice to keep him locked up at this time.

Here's a brief story on the most recent developments:

Click here for link

There's a fundraiser that's been set up to help the family with funeral, living, and legal costs if you have the ability and willingness to help:

Click here for link

And here's an online petition asking Cobb County officials to drop the charges:

Click here for link

(If one of the mods wants to move this to another forum that's fine.  I put it here so people will see it more easily.)

[Catch Prothro]

Thank you for posting this bamaphil.  My wife knows Ross...  This is a tragedy, a terrible, terrible heart-wrenching mistake, no amount of criminal prosecution can punish Ross more...

[McBaman]

Don't mean to be insensitive, however, criminal or not, how can a father FORGET to drop off his child at daycare?  Is there more to this story?

[Marshal Dillon]

Don't mean to be insensitive, however, criminal or not, how can a father FORGET to drop off his child at daycare?  Is there more to this story?

I, too, find these situations incomprhensible. People become too engrossed in other things, like work, finances, daydreaming, etc. The number 1 priority is the kids. Plus, the parent does not even realize it for many hours. I just don't get it.

[Catch Prothro]

I think it's the fatigue factor.  Father normally didn't drive the kid, so probably went on autopilot on his drive into work.

[ricky023]

He needs some prayer and then more prayer. I do not know his state of mind but I am sure it is not up to normal. I too think maybe they should research the story more before incarceration. JMHO. RTR!

[Marshal Dillon]

I think it's the fatigue factor.  Father normally didn't drive the kid, so probably went on autopilot on his drive into work.

That could be part of it, but to be on autopilot for 7 hours & never once think of your child? I still don't get it. I guess it's about priorities.

[bamaphil]

Don't mean to be insensitive, however, criminal or not, how can a father FORGET to drop off his child at daycare?  Is there more to this story?

The first time I heard of a case like this I thought the same thing.  But if you do a little research you'll learn that this happens around the U.S. multiple times a year to a wide spectrum of people.  There was a case in Birmingham last year.  If I remember correctly the woman had tried for years to have a child, finally had one, was described by everyone as a wonderful loving mother, but one day she left the child in her car for entire day while she worked and he/she died. 

[N.AL-Tider]

Regardless of the "why's" about this incident it is truly sad.  The poor child had to suffer even if it was just for a few hours until he died.  No child deserves that kind of death.  I truly hate this happened and I hope that the child's mother can somehow find some comfort.  I do have a very difficult time giving the dad here a pass though.  When a couple becomes parents their priorities have to shift to #1 being that/those children, no matter what!  Whether fatigue or distracted by his cell phone (as so many young people are these days) he should know that nothing comes before the child and I mean NOTHING!  One cannot simply "forget" they are in the back seat for any reason.  While I can forgive him if I need too I still feel that he should face his legal responsibilities and be made to accept whatever justice a jury of his peers and/or the judge deems appropriate.

[XBAMA]

no winners here , none at all   


after raising four , this is a good time to
thank God a tragic event like this never happened
in Jesus name I pray , Amen

[2Stater]

no winners here , none at all   


after raising four , this is a good time to
thank God a tragic event like this never happened
in Jesus name I pray , Amen

Truer words were never posted. Prayers to the entire family. In one fell swoop, the mother/wife lost a child and husband.

[cbbama99]

no winners here , none at all  


after raising four , this is a good time to
thank God a tragic event like this never happened
in Jesus name I pray , Amen

Truer words were never posted. Prayers to the entire family. In one fell swoop, the mother/wife lost a child and husband.

Agreed. Although I cannot absolve the father here of his responsibility, from what I can tell by those who knew him he probably would gladly trade places with his child at this point. It is a truly terrifying and unbelievably tragic situation, and I just pray for the mother AND the father at this time.

[Catch Prothro]

Apparently the matter is still under investigation:

Click here for link


But yeah, this should be moved to ... Ferguson?

[XBAMA]

Police Sgt. Dana Pierce told CNN. He would not elaborate, citing an ongoing investigation, but his words made it clear this was not just another case of a young life left and lost to heat exposure in a hot car.

here we go  ....   

[Marshal Dillon]

Uh oh, sounds like they are hinting at premeditated murder. Did they find an insurance policy, did he not want too have a child, was the wife talking about leaving him? This sounds like it is going to get much worse.

["I've been in law enforcement for 34 years. What I know about this case shocks my conscience as a police officer, a father and a grandfather," said Pierce

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