On Friday, November 25, police in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, arrested 16-year-old Joshua Cooper for murder after he allegedly posted a video confession on Instagram.
Fox News says that Cooper showed an Instagram video chat with a teenage girl a murder victim. He is then said to have asked for help getting rid of the body. The girl’s parents then called the police, who went to Cooper’s home in the Top of the Ridge Trailer Park in Bensalem. There, they found the body of a dead girl. Soon after, the suspect was caught.
Joshua Cooper will be charged as an adult with criminal homicide, having tools of crime, and tampering with or making up physical evidence, according to the Bensalem police.
Joshua Cooper Is Accused Of Shooting And Killing A Minor
CNN reported that while the victim’s name has not been released, authorities have determined she was fatally shot in the suspect’s bathroom.
Additionally, authorities confirmed to ABC7 that the victim is a minor. William McVey, the director of public safety in Bensalem, told the Courier Times that the victim was a 13-year-old girl who was not a resident of the city. McVey also stated that she had no relationship with the suspect.
The case is still under investigation, and Bensalem authorities have not yet disclosed possible motives for the murder.
Bensalem Police reported that when they arrived at the crime scene, 16-year-old Joshua Cooper attempted to flee before being apprehended at the intersection of Newport Mews Drive and Groton Drive. Officers reported in an affidavit of probable cause that the teen told them the death of the young girl was an accident.
In a press release, Bensalem police summarised the allegations against the adolescent. The assertion read:
“During the video chat, the 16-year-old stated that he had just killed someone. He then flipped the video image and showed the legs and feet of someone covered in blood. He then asked for assistance with the disposal of the body.”
The police also said that the teen had tried to hide the crime.
The statement continued:
“There were also indications that substantial steps were taken to clean up the crime scene.”
CBS says that the murder has shocked the small town of 60,662 people in Bensalem, which is about 200 miles from Philadelphia.
Charlie Petree, who lives at Top of the Ridge, talked to CBS reporters about the crime. Petree said:
“I have seen the police in and out over the 30-something years, but it’s not like an everyday occurrence.”
ABC said that Joshua Cooper is being held at the Edison Juvenile Detention Center at the moment. At a preliminary hearing on Friday night, bail was not given to the teen. His arraignment is set for December 7, but the name of his lawyer has not yet been made public through online court records.
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