Local
Trial begins Monday for father accused of leaving baby to die in heat
By: Freeman Klopott
Examiner Staff Writer
December 14, 2008
The trial of a Purcellville father accused of leaving his infant adopted son to die in the back of a sweltering sport utility vehicle is scheduled to start Monday.
On July 8, Miles Harrison, 49, went flying from his work desk around 5 p.m., ran into the parking lot, threw open the car door and tried to revive his son, Chase. Co-workers and later emergency responders joined him, but Chase was already dead.
That evening at the hospital, a Fairfax County detective and hospital employees overheard Harrison calling out with remorse, court documents said.
“I want my son. I left my son, I left him in the car. Look at what I did. I left him in the car,” Harrison could be heard saying. “Day care keeps him, I forgot to drop him off.”
Harrison was meant to drop his Russian-born son off at KinderCare in Ashburn, but the task evidently slipped his mind and Chase was left baking in the parking lot for several hours, police said in court documents.
Still at the hospital, Harrison seemed filled with remorse. “I can’t live like this. How did this happen. ... God take me. He should not have taken my son,” Harrison said, according to court documents.
“I want to die,” Harrison later said as he continued to plead with God.
The death of Chase, born Dmitry Yakolev, sparked strife between Russia and the United States over adoption regulations. The Russians opened an investigation into European Adoption Consultants Inc., the company Harrison and his wife, Carol, used to bring Dmitry to Virginia.
Russian officials called on the United States to tighten its standards and banned two other unnamed international adoption agencies.
Harrison spent the week following Chase’s death under close observation in a hospital. The staff there is among the more than a dozen witnesses the defense and prosecution plan to call during the trial. Also included on the list are Fairfax County police and emergency responders, adoption agency representatives, and doctors who have cared for Harrison in the past, court documents said.
When he was released from the hospital, Harrison was formally charged with manslaughter. He promptly retained high-profile defense attorney Peter Greenspun, also known for defending Beltway Sniper John Allen Muhammad and sportscaster Marv Albert.
Both Greenspun and Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Raymond Morrogh did not return calls for comment.
On July 8, Miles Harrison, 49, went flying from his work desk around 5 p.m., ran into the parking lot, threw open the car door and tried to revive his son, Chase. Co-workers and later emergency responders joined him, but Chase was already dead.
That evening at the hospital, a Fairfax County detective and hospital employees overheard Harrison calling out with remorse, court documents said.
“I want my son. I left my son, I left him in the car. Look at what I did. I left him in the car,” Harrison could be heard saying. “Day care keeps him, I forgot to drop him off.”
Harrison was meant to drop his Russian-born son off at KinderCare in Ashburn, but the task evidently slipped his mind and Chase was left baking in the parking lot for several hours, police said in court documents.
Still at the hospital, Harrison seemed filled with remorse. “I can’t live like this. How did this happen. ... God take me. He should not have taken my son,” Harrison said, according to court documents.
“I want to die,” Harrison later said as he continued to plead with God.
The death of Chase, born Dmitry Yakolev, sparked strife between Russia and the United States over adoption regulations. The Russians opened an investigation into European Adoption Consultants Inc., the company Harrison and his wife, Carol, used to bring Dmitry to Virginia.
Russian officials called on the United States to tighten its standards and banned two other unnamed international adoption agencies.
Harrison spent the week following Chase’s death under close observation in a hospital. The staff there is among the more than a dozen witnesses the defense and prosecution plan to call during the trial. Also included on the list are Fairfax County police and emergency responders, adoption agency representatives, and doctors who have cared for Harrison in the past, court documents said.
When he was released from the hospital, Harrison was formally charged with manslaughter. He promptly retained high-profile defense attorney Peter Greenspun, also known for defending Beltway Sniper John Allen Muhammad and sportscaster Marv Albert.
Both Greenspun and Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Raymond Morrogh did not return calls for comment.
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