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Published January 13, 2015
The husband of a jogger found dead near her North Carolina home was charged with her murder, capping an emotional, months-long investigation.
A grand jury in Wake County, N.C., indicted Bradley Graham Cooper, 35, for the murder of his wife, Nancy Cooper, who was missing for days before her body was discovered by a man walking his dog near a cul-de-sac.
Brad Cooper was arrested Monday on first-degree murder charges and escorted to jail, according to the Wake County prosecutor's office and the Cary Police Department in Cary, N.C.
He could face life in prison or the death penalty.
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"With this very sad arrest, it should now be clear to everyone that Cary citizens have been and are safe," Police Chief Pat Bazemore said in a prepared statement. "This was not a random act of violence but rather a case of domestic violence of the very worst kind, and I encourage every person in a challenging relationship right now to take the steps necessary to keep themselves safe.
"Don't wait, and don't think it can't happen to you."
The Coopers have two little girls, both of whom have been staying with their mother's family in Canada. They had been having marital problems and were on the brink of a separation when Nancy Cooper, 34, disappeared.
Her parents, Garry and Donna Rentz, said they were grateful for all the support they'd had "during the most complex 108 days of our history."
They thanked their daughter's friends and authorities, praising the investigation as "tireless and thorough." They continued to decline requests for media interviews.
Last week, a judge ruled that the young Cooper daughters would stay with mother's sister in Canada.
Wake County District Judge Debra Sasser on Wednesday granted another temporary custody order allowing the Bella, 4, and Katie, 2, to live with Nancy Cooper's twin, Krista, and her husband, Jim Lister.
The girls' father had been fighting for custody of them before his arrest.
Police investigated Brad Cooper for months in his wife's killing. He told detectives that she went jogging on the morning of July 12 and never came home.
Nancy Cooper's body was found two days later at a construction site about three miles away.
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FOX News' Catherine Donaldson-Evans and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
https://www.foxnews.com/story/slain-north-carolina-joggers-husband-charged-with-her-murder