What Happened: In June 2014, Justin Ross Harris left his 22-month-old son, Cooper, in a hot car for seven hours, leading to the child's death. Harris was convicted of murder in 2016 and sentenced to life without parole.

A Georgia father, whose toddler son died in a hot car, has been released from jail after serving time for related charges. According to court records, Harris was released from jail on June 16.

What Happened: In June 2014, Justin Ross Harris left his 22-month-old son, Cooper, in a hot car for seven hours, leading to the child’s death. Harris was convicted of murder in 2016 and sentenced to life without parole.

Legal Developments: In 2022, the Georgia Supreme Court overturned Harris’s murder conviction, citing prejudicial evidence presented during the trial. Prosecutors decided not to retry Harris for murder, acknowledging the challenges posed by the court’s decision.

Current Status: Harris was released from Macon State Prison and transferred to Cobb County Jail, where he served out the remainder of his sentence on pornography charges.

Catch Up Quick: Harris’ original conviction was overturned because prosecutors relied heavily on character issues that the Georgia Supreme Court ruled were not pertinent to the death of Cooper. With that evidence being deemed irrelevant and inadmissible, prosecutors determined they would be less successful retrying the case.

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What Happened: In June 2014, Justin Ross Harris left his 22-month-old son, Cooper, in a hot car for seven hours, leading to the child's death. Harris was convicted of murder in 2016 and sentenced to life without parole.
B.T. Clark
Publisher at 

B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.