Georgia man convicted in son’s hot car death sentenced to life

MARIETTA, Ga. — A judge on Monday sentenced a Georgia man to serve life in prison without the possibility of parole after a jury found that he intentionally left his toddler son in a hot SUV to die.

Jurors last month convicted Justin Ross Harris, 36, of malice murder and other charges in the June 2014 death of his 22-month-old son, Cooper.

Prosecutors argued throughout the trial that Harris was unhappily married and intentionally killed his son because he wanted an escape from family life. Defense attorneys maintained that Harris was a loving father and that while he was responsible for the boy’s death, it was a tragic accident.

Harris did not testify at trial and did not speak at his sentencing hearing.

Cobb County Superior Court Judge Mary Staley Clark told Harris she thought about statements Harris made during conversations with police and his wife the day his son died about wishing to be an advocate to keep anyone else from ever leaving a child in a hot vehicle.

“Perhaps not the way you intended, you in fact have accomplished that goal,” she said as she gave him the maximum sentence.

Prosecutors had decided not to seek the death penalty, and Cobb County Senior Assistant District Attorney Chuck Boring, the lead prosecutor on the case, said the sentence Harris got was appropriate.

“I don’t think you could have any other sentence that would be appropriate when somebody’s been convicted of intentionally taking the life of a 22-month-old child — not only doing that but doing it such a painful and deliberate way,” Boring told reporters.