The Georgia Supreme Court on Wednesday vacated the murder conviction of a man accused of killing his 22-month-old son by leaving him in a sweltering SUV because he wanted a child-free life.
The court ruled in a 6-3 decision that evidence of Justin Ross Harris’ affairs should not have been admitted and may have unfairly biased the jury in its 2016 decision. Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court David E. Nahmias overturned the first-degree murder and child abuse convictions in the case that had attracted international attention. Harris, 41, was sentenced to life in prison without parole plus 32 years.
It is now up to Cobb County District Attorney Flynn Broady, Jr. to decide whether to start a new trial. A spokesman for the prosecutor’s office could not immediately be reached for comment. Harris remains in prison for 12 years for exchanging indecent texts and photos with an underage girl.
Harris had told police he forgot to drop his son Cooper off at daycare and drove to the Home Depot offices for work, unaware that Cooper was still in his car seat in June 2014 after an accident.
Prosecutors argued that Harris was unhappily married and killed his son to free himself.
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