Father found not guilty in child's death

[Meg 368]

Father found not guilty in child's death

By Gregg MacDonald

Source: Loudoun Times-Mirror

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17 2008

A Fairfax judge handed down a not guilty verdict in the case of Purcellville resident Miles Harrison, 49, who was charged with involuntary manslaughter after his 21-month-old adopted son was found dead in an unattended vehicle in Herndon on July 8.

On Dec. 15, Harrison and his attorney, Peter Greenspun, waived the right to a jury trial and agreed to accept the ruling of Fairfax Circuit Court Judge R. Terence Ney.

On Dec. 17, Ney ruled that although Harrison was "plainly negligent," he did not display "gross and culpable negligence," one of the standards in defining the involuntary manslaughter charge.

Judge Ney said that based on court testimony, Harrison was not himself on July 8 and was deeply concerned about a contract that his office was negotiating with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The contract was the largest government contract that Harrison's company, Project Solutions Group in Herndon, had ever pursued.

He said that Harrison was "clueless" and "oblivious" that the child, Chase Harrison, was in the vehicle, believing him to be at a day care facility in Ashburn.

Ney called that belief "tragic and erroneous" but called Harrison a "dutiful and devoted father" and said that "the only atonement can take place in his heart and soul." He added that "no finding of Involuntary Manslaughter will bring this child back to life."

According to the Herndon Police Department, a preliminary investigation found that the child, Chase Harrison, was left unattended in the vehicle for "an extended period of time" when the father forgot to drop him off at a day-care facility between Purcellville and Herndon before going to work that July morning.

David Zorger, a co-founder of the Project Solutions Group, said a co-worker first noticed the boy in the silver GMC Yukon parked in front of the consulting firm at 580 Herndon Parkway and notified staff. At the time, Miles Harrison was managing director of PSG's relocation management division.

The boy had been restrained in a child safety seat, police said, and was not discovered until after 5 p.m. He had been left in the car all that day. "The windows of the vehicle were rolled up," Herndon Police Lt. Jeff Coulter commented.

According to Weather.com, the high for Herndon that day was 91 degrees.

Miles Harrison, who ran out to the vehicle after being told of the situation, had to be immediately hospitalized at Reston Hospital Center.

He was eventually released, but he had to be hospitalized at a private medical facility a second time after questioning at the Herndon Police station. His wife, Carol, was also questioned by police.quote>

 

This one bothers me.  How do you strap a toddler into a car seat then forget he is there and leave him to bake to death?

I don't know the laws in Virginia.  Apparently this doesn't meet the standard for involuntary manslaughter.   But the fact remains that his "clueless" neglect lead to the toddler's death.

Is there some reason he wasn't convicted of child abuse?

The article implies that the guy lost it and had to be hospitalized so maybe they are thinking he has suffered enough?

 

 

 

[Explodingsims 3]

I don't see how you can forget your beloved child in the car.

Gotta love these reminders of just how easy it is to become a parent.

[Meg 368]

Originally posted by: Explodingsims

 I don't see how you can forget your beloved child in the car.

Gotta love these reminders of just how easy it is to become a parent.quote>

Easy?  This kid was adopted from overseas!

[Explodingsims 3]

Originally posted by: SkiGeek

Originally posted by: Explodingsims

 I don't see how you can forget your beloved child in the car.

Gotta love these reminders of just how easy it is to become a parent.quote>

Easy?  This kid was adopted from overseas!quote>

Okay, I didn't see that in the story.

My bad there. BUT, this is not the first time something like this

has happened. And in most other cases I've heard about, it's a much

more pathetic excuse like, "They were just going in for a few minutes, and forgot about their kid."

Still, if the kid was adopted, you'd think that would wave an even bigger red flag to the guy.

[Meg 368]

Originally posted by: Explodingsims

Okay, I didn't see that in the story.

My bad there. BUT, this is not the first time something like this

has happened. And in most other cases I've heard about, it's a much

more pathetic excuse like, "They were just going in for a few minutes, and forgot about their kid."

Still, if the kid was adopted, you'd think that would wave an even bigger red flag to the guy.quote>

You're right.  That wasn't mentioned in that story.   That was my bad.

It was mentioned in this one.

Not, it's not the first time it happened.   But I don't understand how you can just forget your kid.

[panthersimcity4 162]

I think anyone who would actually forget about their child being unattended in a car is unfit to be a parent all together.

[joeboyferret 0]

But NINE hours, surely someone must have noticed the baby in the car!!

Is there camera that was on that car? If so, the police better look that up and see if there were anyone who passed by that car after noticing the baby was inside, they should be tried as murderer(s)!

Edit: I cannot imagine if that happens to my nephew, dying slowly while it's so hot in the car!