Ross Harris murder trial: ‘but there was no malicious intent'

The lead detective for the Ross Harris murder investigation took the stand Monday morning, detailing some specific terminology Harris used that raised red flags for investigators from the very beginning. 

Cobb County Police Detective Phil Stoddard said that when he told Ross Harris that he would likely be charged with felony murder charges in the death of his soon Cooper, Harris responded ‘but there was no malicious intent. Prosecutors thought that was a very unusual response.

The state has said the Cobb county father was leading a double life.  Harris seemed to admit that in his own words as prosecutors read more than 30 minutes of Whisper and KIK conversations where Harris says he prefers sex with strangers, is cheating on his wife, is only married because of his son and has a sex addiction.

One of the people Harris was communicating with told him she was 14 years old. 

Earlier in the day, prosecutors showed jurors several videos of the quick drive from the Chick-fil-A, where Ross was seen on surveillance video holding his son Cooper, to the Home Depot parking lot, where Harris worked. Each time, the drive was less than five minutes.

Prosecutors seemed to imply that it was hard to believe that Harris forgot his son was in the back seat during the short ride.

Detective Stoddard said Harris argued with police about the criminal charges.

Another point that prosecutors made was that Harris neglected to tell Stoddard about his lunchtime visit the Home Depot and to his car as Cooper sat in the backseat of his hot SUV.

Testimony ended Friday with playing the police interrogation video, where Harris could be seen openly weeping when police were not in the room and asking, “What have I done?”

RELATED: Ross Harris trial: Police interrogation video

Trial evidence shows Harris swapped sexual text messages with a teenage girl while his toddler son was dying in his car.

The young woman who exchanged the texts with Justin Ross Harris testified Friday that he asked for a photograph of her breasts, and she sent him one in reply, on the afternoon of June 18, 2014. Harris' 22-month-old son Cooper was found dead just a few hours later in Harris' SUV.

Harris is charged with murder as well as disseminating harmful material to a minor and criminal attempt to commit sexual exploitation of a minor, offenses dealing with the sexual texts. The witness said she was 16 and 17 during the months she and Harris exchanged sexual banter and photos online.

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