CbabyRKO
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LINKThe last images of 22-month old Cooper Harris before his death were shown to jurors on Wednesday as the first-degree murder trial of his father Ross Harris reconvened.
The pictures showed Harris, holding Cooper in his arms and ordering some food in a local Chick-fil-A. The toddler seemed content to be in his daddy's arms, having no idea that just minutes later he was locked in a car that reached 120 degrees and left for seven hours to die as Harris went off to work.
Court resumed after several days of a hurricane-imposed break in the trial of Harris, charged with malice murder, felony murder and child cruelty in the hot-car death of his toddler son.
The 35-year-old web developer was an employee of the Home Depot Corporation near Smyrna, Georgia.
Police said he intentionally left his son strapped in a car seat and locked in the family's SUV for seven hours while he worked on a hot day in June 2014.
Kyle Weston, assistant manager of the Chick-fil-A restaurant in Vinings, Georgia, verified the authenticity of security camera video clips that showed Harris at the counter, holding his son in his arms as he placed his breakfast order.
Chris Redmon, manager at the fast-food restaurant, told jurors he recognized Harris as a regular customer and remembered shaking his hand as he introduced his son to the him.
Redmon said he was bringing ice to the front counter when he saw Harris and his son. 'I asked "Who is this little guy?" and then I said "Hey, Coop",' as he completed their order.
He said he'd seen Harris maybe a dozen times in the restaurant on previous visits.
Harris seemed to 'love his child', Redmon told defense attorney Maddox Kilgore.
Harris's defense rests on persuading jurors that he simply didn't remember his 22-month-old son was still strapped in his car seat as he headed to his job - even though they had shared breakfast at a Chick-fil-A just minutes before the brief drive from the restaurant to his office.
Paramedic Peyton Barwick told jurors he saw no emotion from Harris while questioning the dad as he sat in the rear of a patrol car.
Barwick needed information about his son for his report and noted that Harris seemed 'very dry and emotionless'.
'He told me he ate breakfast about 8:45 and arrived at work at 9. He rolled up the windows and locked the car,' before walking into his office,' Barwick said.
'Harris asked, "Is he dead?" I said, "Yes sir, he is deceased",' Barwick testified. 'There were no tears.'
Cobb Police Capt James Ferrell told jurors he arrived on the scene and crawled close to Cooper as he lay on the ground to examine the body.