Ross Harris trial: Ex-wife to prosecution: 'He destroyed my life'
BRUNSWICK, Ga. - Tuesday began with the continued cross examination of Leanna Taylor, Harris' ex-wife.
Taylor told the court in an angry tone that Harris ruined her life and she knew nothing about his dark behavior with other women.
Prosecutor Chuck Boring asked Taylor, "Were you aware Harris was using Craigslist to set up meetings with men and women for sexual relations?"
Taylor responded no. Then defense attorneys asked her how she feels about Ross now.
"He destroyed my life. I am humiliated. I may never trust anyone again. If I never see him again after today, it is fine with me," Taylor said as her voice cracked.
Taylor filed for divorce earlier this year. She also told attorneys she moved to Alabama to be closer to her new boyfriend.
Taylor went on to say how some of her behavior on June 18 appeared odd, but she didn’t recognize herself after going back and watching interviews.
The defense further their case with former Home Depot co-workers Jason Abdo, Aundrae Brown and Jelani Etiene.
Abdo asked Harris what was it like to have kids. He say Harris responded with a music analogy since both of them were musicians.
"As much as you love music, you will live your child 100% more," Harris told Abdo.
Leanna's best friend, Angie Bond, said she really didn't like Harris that much, but she did make one observation.
"He loved that little boy very much," she told Defense Attorney Maddox Kilgore.
Bond says she was so upset about the lies that were being said about Ross and Leanna that she went on a network TV show to tell the truth about how much the couple loved their son.
"They offered me a $1,000.00, but I did not take it because I wanted to tell the truth, not take money," Bond said.
The defense also called Harris older brother Michael Baygents to the stand. Baygents is a police Sergeant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He described his half brother as extremely talkative and sometimes annoying. But Baygents told jurors there was one thing he knew for sure. "Ross loved Cooper more than life itself." The sargent said.
The defense will continue its case tomorrow morning.
Monday, Taylor started crying within minutes of being called to the stand, telling jurors her late son, Cooper, was amazing and she misses him so much.
Taylor defended her ex-husband and said he was a "very involved" dad, who was home every night. However, she said Harris had a larger than life personality and was absent minded at times.
"Ross was easily distracted," said Taylor, who said Harris would forget to cash his paycheck and was not good with time.
Taylor told jurors her marital issues with Harris started in 2008 and were sexually related, with intimacy.
"It was very forced," she said.
Taylor went into more detail about her marriage, saying in 2008, two years after getting married, Harris told her he had a problem with pornography. Two years later, she said she found a "sexting" type message on his phone.
"One of the more vivid fights I can remember," Taylor said.
Taylor said she asked Harris if he wanted a divorce, but he replied, "That is the last thing I want." Taylor later told the Prosecution that if she had known that Ross was physically cheating on her, that would have been her breaking point. The Prosecution shot back by asking her why she didn't stop visiting Ross in Jail after she learned of his infidelity.
On the day Cooper died, Taylor said she went to check him out from school, but learned he'd never been checked in for the day, and the teacher asked what she was doing there.
"I thought she was joking," Taylor recalled. "I went into a panic and didn't know what to do."
She said when she found out her son was dead in Harris' car, she couldn't cry, she was so confused.
Harris was seen in court Monday with his head buried in his hand as Taylor gave her tearful account of learning her son was dead. She told the jury she had never seen Harris so "raw" and "broken" as when he was at the police department follow their son's death.
"The whole thing was like an outer body experience," said Taylor, who also said she didn't understand why her husband, at the time, was being charged. Later Taylor told the Prosecution that it took her a long time to process what had happened.
"I asked [Harris] 'Did you say too much?'" Taylor said, telling jurors it was typical for Harris to be chatty regarding irrelevant questions to police officers.
Taylor testified her and Harris had an irrational fear of leaving their son in a hot vehicle, explaining why she said certain things to police.
"I lost my son, I lost my husband. I buried my son," said Taylor, stating the police were not nice following her son's death. Taylor described the Cobb County Police Department as being "stern" when they searched her home.
The Defense played video of Harris singing with Cooper, playing the guitar, and whistling. Taylor was emotional watching the footage. She called Harris a "hands on" father." Harris can be seen teaching Cooper to say 'bananas.' Defense played cell phone video from a family vacation to the beach where Cooper can be seen playing in the sand.
The cross examination on Leanna Taylor began in the afternoon. She told the state, "I knew Ross better than most, but I did not know about his dark side with women."
Taylor told the state that she did not know that Ross was sleeping with prostitutes, but would not directly answer if Ross acted like a different person at home. She said, "he seemed lost."
The state rested its case against the Cobb County father Friday after 50 witnesses and 16 days of testimony.
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.