FLEMING ISLAND, Fla. – The State Attorney’s Office has released new audio recordings of a Clay County contractor who is accused of killing his client.
The audio files are of Corey Binderim, the man charged with second-degree murder in the death of Susan Mauldin, a British widow who disappeared from her Fleming Island home in October 2019.
The recordings are between Binderim and the lead detective investigating the case. One recording took place on Oct. 29, 2019 -- four days after Mauldin was reported missing.
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In that recording, Binderim is asked when was the last time he saw Mauldin, to which he said Oct. 24, 2019. That’s the day before she was reported missing.
At the time, Binderim was doing renovations to the woman’s home.
- Binderim: “I was supposed to be there between 8 and 8:30. I got there about 8, maybe a little sooner.”
- Detective: “Was she expecting you?”
- Binderim: “Yeah, we had a meeting there.”
Records show Binderim’s truck was seen parked outside her Fleming Island home that morning. He said they decided not to do business anymore.
- Detective: “What was her state of mind when you left her? Because you were the last person to talk to her.”
- Binderim: “Oh, I am?”
- Binderim: “There wasn’t any indication that she wasn’t okay.”
The other recording is from Nov. 1, 2019 -- when deputies obtained a search warrant for Binderim’s truck. Additionally, Binderim is asked for a DNA sample.
- Detective: “You’re on a long pier right now and you’re coming to a short end. So I’d like to talk to you about that before we get to the end of the pier. If you’d like to do that.”
- Binderim: “I haven’t done anything wrong.”
- Detective: “I’m not saying you did, but -”
- Binderim: “Well, your saying, checking boxes, but I don’t necessarily believe that. I think you guys have pegged me, and I think you’ve got tunnel vision. You’ve talked to me twice. You’ve checked my storage unit. Now, you’re more than welcome to take my truck regardless of whether you have a warrant or not. I don’t have anything to hide.”
Binderim complies, but becomes defensive.
- Binderim: “I know what you think. This display that you guys put on. This isn’t fair. I didn’t do what you think I did. And this is absolutely not fair.”
- Detective: “So can you tell me what happened to her?”
- Binderim: “I don’t know. I don’t have any clue. We shook hands. I left. That’s it.”
Documents show Mauldin kept track of her concerns with Binderim’s work up to two days before she disappeared. She noted that he was forgetful or didn’t show up.
- Detective: “She had an extensive, extensive, meticulous, detailed list of things of why she did not want to talk to you and why she was done with you.”
- Binderim: “I didn’t know that.”
- Detective: “Like all the times you were supposed to be working there and you didn’t.”
- Binderim: “That doesn’t have anything to do with her missing.”
Also in the recordings, Binderim is asked about money that Mauldin paid him for the renovations.
- Detective: “She gave you 12 grand? That’s what the receipt said.”
- Binderim: “It was only $1,200. Yeah, it was only $1,200.”
- Detective: “For the the whole thing?”
- Binderim: “Well, I don’t take any money for labor.”
In the recording, the detective begins to get suspicious about the amount Binderim told him.
- Detective: “I don’t know why they would supplement that it was $12,000. That’s a big difference between 12,000 and 1,200.”
A few days later, when the detective visits Binderim at his home for the truck and DNA request, the money was brought up again.
- Detective: “You know you’re lying to me right?”
- Binderim: “About what?”
- Detective: “You owed her $12,000. And I have all the checks that she wrote out to you... Why would you lie about that? Because 1,200 is a big difference from 12,000.”
- Binderim: “Because, after I left, I’m sure you’ve pulled my phone records. She was going to let me do the master, but that’s not until January.”
- Detective: “So where is the rest of the 12,000?”
- Binderim: “The rest of it is for when we do the master, for cabinets and everything else.”
Mauldin’s remains were found in a Folkston, Georgia landfill after more than 7,300 tons of trash had been searched.
It’s unclear how she died.