After her alleged 16-year-old killer: Joshua Cooper allegedly confessed to the crime via Instagram video chat, police say they located a girl who had been shot dead in Bensalem. According to the Bensalem Township Police Department, the alleged murderer called a teenage friend over video chat on Friday, November 25, in the afternoon.
Before turning the camera and seeing a person’s bloodied legs and feet, Cooper made the announcement that he had unintentionally killed the victim.
The criminal complaint claims that investigators became aware of the event after a mother called them at 4:11 pm on Friday to say that the 16-year-old had regularly texted her daughter as well as video-called her, asking for help in disposing of the body.
Who is Joshua Cooper?
Authorities claim that the 16-year-old in question has since been identified as Joshua “Ash” Cooper of Bensalem’s Gibson Road. During the call, Cooper allegedly said that he had just killed someone and shown the victim’s bloodied legs and feet. The 911 caller claims that he then pleaded for help in disposing of the body.
When police arrived at Cooper’s home, they found a young girl lying dead on the bathroom floor from what appeared to be a gunshot wound. The victim was 13 years old, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, as stated by Law & Crime.
The police continued, “There were also signs that significant efforts were made to clean up the crime scene.” Near his residence, at the intersection of Groton Drive and Newport Mews Drive, further responding officers caught the defendant. His arrest was said to have occurred at 4:41 PM, exactly one hour and thirty minutes after the initial phone contact.
In addition to criminal homicide, Cooper, who is charged as an adult, is also accused of possessing criminal instruments and tampering with or manipulating physical evidence.
The victim’s identity remains a secret. The victim was a 13-year-old girl, the Bucks County Courier Times reported on Friday, citing court records. The victim is not a Bensalem resident and is not related to Cooper, according to law police.
The victim was shot once in the chest, according to William McVey, director of public safety for Bensalem, and no reason for the shooting is yet known. According to sources, “the gun was located inside the mobile home, and authorities are looking into who owned the firearm and how Cooper obtained access to it.”
The teenager is facing adult charges of criminal homicide, possession of criminal tools, and tampering with or manipulating physical evidence. He was sent to the Edison Juvenile Detention Center after his request for bail was denied.
