Tragic details of the injuries suffered by a toddler who was left to die in an overheated car have been revealed.
Cooper Harris died after enduring temperatures topping 90 degrees in Atlanta, Georgia, last month.
His father Justin Ross Harris has been charged with felony murder and cruelty to children in the second degree.
Temperatures were topping 90 degrees when Cooper Harris died
Harris denies the charges and insists he left the little boy in the family car by accident, having forgotten to drop him off at daycare and continued to work.
On Thursday Cobb County Police Department Detective Phil Stoddard told a court several injuries had been found on the toddler’s body.
In comments reported by HLNTV, Det Stoddard said: “Marks on the child’s face. It would have come from the child or a scratch being made while the child was alive and then not healing or scabbing over or anything after that, soon after he passed away.”
Justin Ross Harris says he forgot his son was still in the car. He has been charged with murder
He added there were also abrasions on the back of the little boy’s head, which the Mail Online suggests were evidence the toddler was rubbing his head against the car seat in a bid to free himself.
It adds: “The details that emerged from Stoddard’s testimony paint a harrowing picture of Cooper’s final moments, which the little boy possibly spent scratching his face with his nails and squirming to escape from the car seat.”
Arrest warrants released on the same day state the car seat was set to its lowest level, meaning Cooper would have been strapped in as tightly as possible.
Leanna, Justin and Cooper Harris
Last week it was also revealed Harris was exchanging nude photos with as many as six women as his son perished.
Det Stoddard said Harris had virtually been leading a double life and had intended to kill Cooper.
He also revealed Harris and his wife Leanna had two life insurance policies for the toddler, totalling $27,000.
Harris is also alleged to have viewed websites which advocated against having children, and performed internet searches for “how to survive in prison”.
Investigators say CCTV reveals Harris returning to his car midday to put something into the car – arguing he would have noticed Cooper was there.
The 33-year-old was refused bond and will remain in jail until the trial
Leanna has not been identified as a suspect in Cooper’s death.