COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Justin Ross Harris’ ex-wife issued a blistering response to a Glynn County jury’s decision to convict the Marietta web developer of purposely killing their only child by leaving him in a hot car to die.
“For those of you who want to know if I am ok. The answer is no,” said Leanna Taylor, who divorced Harris earlier this year. “I have not been ‘ok’ since the moment I was told my son was dead. I have not been ‘ok’ since the moment my life was put on this path that has led to Ross being found guilty of maliciously murdering our child.”
Taylor testified at Harris’ trial that she did not believe he intended to kill their 22-month-old son, left strapped in his seat for roughly seven hours in June 2014.
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While her testimony was considered crucial to the defense, she said she had little use for her former spouse.
“He destroyed my life. I’m humiliated,” Taylor testified. “I may never trust anybody again, the way that I did. If I never see him again after this day, that’s fine.”
In her Facebook post, Taylor said justice was not served.
“But guess what, you can convict every parent that this has ever happened to, and I can promise you 2 things,” she wrote. “#1 it will never bring our children back and #2 it will not prevent this from happening in the future. Next summer, as this begins to happen over and over again, ask yourself, ‘what can be done?!’”
“The problem is not the parent!” she continued. “The problem is a society that refuses to believe this can happen to them! Wake up! Accept it! And by accepting it you will be protecting your child!”
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Taylor, who, according to the lead investigator in her husband’s case is not a suspect in her son’s death “at this time,” said she did not care what the public thought about her. Due to her placid demeanor after she learned of Cooper’s fate, police initially believed she may have been complicit in the murder.
But she was never charged, and investigators have never offered any evidence that might implicate her, let alone a reasonable motive.
“I don’t care what your opinion is in my situation. I don’t care what your opinion is of me!” she wrote. “It does not matter! Your opinion will never bring back my son. So called ‘justice’ will never bring back my son. Nothing will ever take that pain away. “
She concluded her message by urging parents to be vigilant.
“Be the wise parent, and accept that this can happen,” she said. “And you will never have to walk the path that my family has had to walk. And I pray YOU never have to walk this path.”
We will stream sentencing LIVE on WSBTV.com/Ross-Harris-Trial. There you can also find minute-by-minute coverage as well as a daily summary from each day of the trial. Like Ross Harris Updates on Facebook and follow @RossHarrisTrial on Twitter for updates.
Cox Media Group
