KEYSTONE HEIGHTS, Fla. — (The video above is from a previous report)
The man charged with killing a Keystone Heights woman with mental deficiencies will be sentenced Friday after pleading guilty earlier this month.
Joe Arthur Turner, 31, was charged with murder and sexual battery in the death of Jordan Cooper.
Cooper was 25 when she went missing in Keystone Heights, Florida in November 2017. She was later found dead in her attic in early December.
Through DNA evidence, the Clay County Sheriff's Office was able to arrest Turner, a man who lived down the street from her at the time.
Court documents show he entered a plea of guilty on March 10, 2022. The move likely comes as a way to escape the death penalty, which the State was seeking in this case.
Officials say Cooper had the mental capacity of a 13-year-old. A few weeks after she went missing, she was found dead in the attic of her home, under layers of insulation, according to the Clay County Sheriff's Office.
DNA evidence collected from a band-aid that was left at the scene, as well as evidence gathered from a sexual assault kit, led to the arrest.