Nancy Cooper, 34, of Cary, N.C. #9

[panthera]

It is possible that he wanted certain clothes washed before he went out for tennis. I know my husband is particular about having just the right outfit and if he wanted it washed for that day he would go out at 6:30 for detergent and we live in the country!

He doesn't seem like someone who wouldn't have had those clothes ready the night before instead of just realizing they weren't clean. And if the tennis date was so important to him, why wasn't he just a little bit upset that Nancy had left him alone with the kids and not come back? He contradicts himself in his statement, imo. Saturday is supposed to be her "day off" so it wasn't unusual for her to be out, yet he'd scheduled a tennis game at 9:30am?

 

[Just the Fax]

I find it INTERESTING that Brad's affidavit bothers to mention the detergent purchase. You realize that means that he indeed was out EARLY buying detergent so that little factoid appears to be true.

And I don't care how meticulous someone is, there is no freaking way a husband is going to run out to the store just to get some laundry detergent at 6am! A husband who was not known to be around much, let alone one to do his own or the children's laundry.

NO WAY.

In fact, I would challenge the Harris Teeter store to search their databases from the last 2 years and find one other instance of someone buying just laundry detergent and/or bleach at 6am. I bet Brad is the only husband to do so. And what a COINKY DINK that HIS wife just happened to be murdered that same day.

Common sense tells you why he was at that store.

Actually, his story was buying milk for Katie at 6:15 and then returning at 6:30 to buy detergent.......smells to high heaven

 

[Zeke]

I'm sure there's photos of him in the paddle boats; He most likely has credit card receipts; Both therapists will file affidavits; The Harris-Teeter purchases are recorded on video and in the computers; The cops can testify about the transfer; I've never believed the withholding money for food allegation and I really don't see much in his testimony that couldn't be easily verified.

ETA: ...and his cellphone records should show the phone call about the juice and unless one of the kids called or he had an accomplice in the cover-up, it could be reasonably assumed that Nancy was alive at 6:40 on Saturday morning.

By any chance, do those fancy BMWs have any technology that would record recent driving activity?

 

[Crazy Canuck]

If he did dump the body later that morning where were the girls???

 

[SleuthyGal]

Actually, his story was buying milk for Katie at 6:15 and then returning at 6:30 to buy detergent.......smells to high heaven

{cough}{/cough}

Sure enough he's starting to dig himself in. I like the theory of him hiding his cell phone near the store. Wonder if there are any surveillance cameras outside/around that area that might have captured him hiding or going back to retrieve his phone. That would be quite a coup if such a thing existed and was found.

 

[raisincharlie]

I find it INTERESTING that Brad's affidavit bothers to mention the detergent purchase. You realize that means that he indeed was out EARLY buying detergent so that little factoid appears to be true.

And I don't care how meticulous someone is, there is no freaking way a husband is going to run out to the store just to get some laundry detergent at 6am! A husband who was not known to be around much, let alone one to do his own or the children's laundry.

NO WAY.

In fact, I would challenge the Harris Teeter store to search their databases from the last 2 years and find one other instance of someone buying just laundry detergent and/or bleach at 6am. I bet Brad is the only husband to do so. And what a COINKY DINK that HIS wife just happened to be murdered that same day.

Common sense tells you why he was at that store.

I'm not sure I agree. From reading all those affidavits it seems clear that Brad limited how much food and supplies Nancy could buy. He even followed her to gas stations so he could limit the amount of gas put in her car. His first comment about the store in his affidavit was his first trip was to buy milk for Katie. Given his propensity to keep money from Nancy it is quite possible there was no milk in the house. When he returns is when he says he noticed the detergent and went back - Nancy then called to have him get juice. So it seems to me the video from that store and the receipts should show that if he is truthful. Store receipts have probably also been checked. The phone call is easily verifiable and probably has already been checked by LE. I'm not inclined to believe that these purchases are indicative of him killing his wife before 7a.m.

 

[raisincharlie]

That 2nd trip to HT is what did it for me. Then when I saw "Nancy called from the house" I knew it was pure fabrication

Is there also a Harris Teeter on Waverly Place ?

 

[Just the Fax]

Even though her body was obviously in bad shape (dental records to identify her), the ME can use naturally occurring blowflies to get a good estimate of TOD

After 2 1/2 days, the blowfly larvae would be 10 mm long...14mm after 3 days, ect

 

[Just the Fax]

Is there also a Harris Teeter on Waverly Place ?

Waverly place is a shopping center directly across from the HT on Kildaire Farm rd

 

[momto3kids]

Is there also a Harris Teeter on Waverly Place ?

No, only Crescent Commons. Waverly Place is across the street.

 

[raisincharlie]

Waverly place is a shopping center directly across from the HT on Kildaire Farm rd

Okay Brad said he went to the one at Waverly Place - wasn't sure if they are one and the same. Must be. This is located due west of the residence approximately one mile. The body location is close to three miles south-southeast of the residence.

 

[Just the Fax]

By any chance, do those fancy BMWs have any technology that would record recent driving activity?

The so called 'black box' can record MPH and breaking after a crash.
Though they likely had GPS, the units would not record or time a route.

 

[Just the Fax]

If he did dump the body later that morning where were the girls???

Since Mommy was dead, you would assume they were asleep at 6 -7 am he was gone.

Since nancy did not work, I bet the older girl did not go to pre-school until 9 or so......prolly not very early risers

 

[SleuthyGal]

Even though her body was obviously in bad shape (dental records to identify her), the ME can use naturally occurring blowflies to get a good estimate of TOD

After 2 1/2 days, the blowfly larvae would be 10 mm long...14mm after 3 days, ect

My recollection from the extensive testimony about bugs in the Danielle van Dam 2002/2003 murder trial is that blowflies can help narrow down TOD to within days, and maybe to within a day, but in this case we're really talking about a max timespan of probably 6 to 8 hours (i.e. was Nancy killed between midnight and 7am or sometime after 7am?). I doubt any bug evidence will be able to tell them with that degree of preciseness. And of course it depends on where her body was and was it 'stored' somewhere, etc.

I think everyone pretty much agrees with the fact that she was dead at some point on Saturday morning, and thus was not held captive somewhere and then killed Sunday or Monday.

Other measure are used to determine TOD (rigor mortis, liver temp) but those are used when the death has occurred and the body found within 24 hrs. The level of decomp on Nancy may well have precluded any of that information being possible to gather.

 

[panthera]

If he did dump the body later that morning where were the girls???

And the later it gets in the morning, the more likely chance of being seen, imo.

 

[panthera]

Even though her body was obviously in bad shape (dental records to identify her), the ME can use naturally occurring blowflies to get a good estimate of TOD

After 2 1/2 days, the blowfly larvae would be 10 mm long...14mm after 3 days, ect

Isn't it going to be pretty much accepted she was in that place since Saturday morning though? The only thing that could narrow down the TOD, imo, would be stomach contents if any remain after such decomposition.

 

[Just the Fax]

My recollection from the extensive testimony about bugs in the Danielle van Dam 2002/2003 murder trial is that blowflies can help narrow down TOD to within days, and maybe to within a day, but in this case we're really talking about a max timespan of probably 6 to 8 hours (i.e. was Nancy killed between midnight and 7am or sometime after 7am?). I doubt any bug evidence will be able to tell them with that degree of preciseness. And of course it depends on where her body was and was it 'stored' somewhere, etc.

I think everyone pretty much agrees with the fact that she was dead at some point on Saturday morning, and thus was not held captive somewhere and then killed Sunday or Monday.

Other measure are used to determine TOD (rigor mortis, liver temp) but those are used when the death has occurred and the body found within 24 hrs. The level of decomp on Nancy may well have precluded any of that information being possible to gather.

Actually, blowflies will almost immediately arrive when a body is exposed outside. The flies will immediately lay eggs in the eyes, nose and mouth. Like I said, If the ME finds larvae 10mm, that is very close to 2 1/2 days.
Much longer and the flies mature and the evidence is weaker.


And, like you say, if he killed her at say 1 am and 'stored her body' inside for 5 hours, the fly method is moot

 

[raisincharlie]

And the later it gets in the morning, the more likely chance of being seen, imo.

You might re-think that. Scott moved Laci from their home to a warehouse early in the morning. How far and at what time of the day did Scott Peterson haul Laci's body to dump her in the bay ? Something like 90 plus miles between 11 am and 1230 pm. Then a ride in a boat out into the bay to dump her.

No one noticed a thing.

 

[SleuthyGal]

Actually, blowflies will almost immediately arrive when a body is exposed outside. The flies will immediately lay eggs in the eyes, nose and mouth. Like I said, If the ME finds larvae 10mm, that is very close to 2 1/2 days.
Much longer and the flies mature and the evidence is weaker.

Yes, the key words being "when a body is exposed outside." If someone is killed but the body is not exposed where blowflys can be attracted to it for a couple hours, you wouldn't get blowfly activity immediately. So the blowflies don't give you a precise TOD...it gives you a good estimate of how long a body was exposed and AVAILABLE for the blowflys to discover it and start laying eggs, multiplying, etc.

Hopefully the M.E. will be able to determine TOD from other factors if not the bug activity.

 

[Just the Fax]

Isn't it going to be pretty much accepted she was in that place since Saturday morning though? The only thing that could narrow down the TOD, imo, would be stomach contents if any remain after such decomposition.

He knew she ate at the bar-B-Q around 7 pm.
Since she was killed 5 hours later...at the earliest....the food would be digested