Slain North Carolina Woman’s Family Gets Custody of Kids

By Anastacia Mott Austin

The family of North Carolina woman Nancy Cooper, who was found murdered earlier this week, won temporary custody of Cooper’s two children after filing an emergency petition.

Citing their observations of Coooper’s husband Brad as "mentally unstable," Cooper’s parents and twin sister successfully convinced a local judge that the two girls, aged four and two, would be better off in their custody.

According to the petition, Brad Cooper would withhold household money from his wife, was having an affair, and "yelled at and belittled" her in front of the children.

While Brad Cooper has neither been named as a suspect or a person of interest in the murder of his wife, he has been asked to submit DNA samples to the Cary, North Carolina police department handling the case.

Police Chief Patricia Brazemore told reporters at a press conference, "This custody issue is a private civil matter. It was not initiated by the town of Cary and was not a part of the investigation into Nancy's murder."

Added Brazemore, "We have still not named a suspect or a person of interest. Everyone in this case is still cooperating."

Brad Cooper was not at the press conference, though Brazemore said he had been invited to attend. But he did release a statement to the public through his attorney, reading in part, "He has and will continue to assist in law enforcement efforts to bring his wife's killer or killers to justice," said the statement. "We ask that anyone with information about Nancy's death please convey what you know to the appropriate authorities immediately. We also ask everyone to respect his family's privacy during this difficult time."

The Coopers had moved to North Carolina eight years ago from Canada, after Brad had been transferred through his job at Cisco. Nancy was reportedly very close with her family, including her parents and her twin sister, Krista.

No statements were available as to Brad Cooper’s reaction about the custody decision.

According to police records, Nancy Cooper was last seen on Friday night at a dinner party, and her husband said she had left the house Saturday morning at about 7:00 in the morning to go jogging. When she failed to show up at an appointment with a friend, the friend called police.

Cooper’s body was discovered on Monday by a man walking his dog near the park where she had frequently jogged.

The cause of death has not been released.

Said Brazemore to reporters, "The search for our Nancy is over. Nancy was murdered and our investigation is now a homicide. We will not stop until we find [the killer]."