KEYSTONE HEIGHTS, Fla. – The State of Florida filed notice of intent Tuesday to seek the death penalty for Joe Arthur Turner, who is charged in the death of a 25-year-old Keystone Heights woman.
Turner is charged with the sexual battery and murder of Jordan Cooper. Cooper's body was discovered in the attic of her home more a month after she was reported missing by her mother.
Recommended Videos
Turner was also charged with burglarizing Cooper's Clay County home. Investigators said the burglary of tools from Cooper's house led them to evidence and Turner's arrest.
In November 2017, deputies began investigating a burglary at Cooper's home. Records show the stolen tools were pawned, which led them to serve an arrest warrant on Joe Arthur Turner's home in December.
Turner was found hiding in the attic of his home.
Also in the attic of Turner's home, deputies found a bag of women's clothing, some of which matched clothing missing from Cooper's home. At that point, detectives returned to search Cooper's attic. Her body was found that evening, hidden under layers of insulation.
After DNA from a bandage found in Cooper's attic was matched to Turner, he was charged with murder, burglary and sexual battery.