Death Penalty Sought In Nancy Cooper Murder

I've been following the murder investigation of Nancy Cooper, a resident of North Carolina, since her body was discovered this past July in a drainage ditch near her home. Her husband, Brad Cooper, said she left a couple of days earlier to go jogging but never returned.

Search warrants were issued for the couple's house and Brad's work. Results of the search warrants and the autopsy reports were sealed and no information was released for quite some time. The couple's two children were given to Nancy's family for temporary custody.

Just recently, Brad Cooper was arrested on charges of first degree murder in the death of his wife, Nancy Cooper. Through his lawyers, he still maintains his innocence, but will have a hearing in December to determine if he will face the death penalty.

In North Carolina, first degree murder is punishable by the death penalty or life in prison without parole. No one has been put to death in North Carolina since 2006 when four inmates were executed.