It's extremely sad, but I pretty much don't go out alone. I might run to the grocery store, or to the coffee shop, but I'm always in places with lots of people around, and I'm always hyper-aware of my surroundings. When I was younger, I did a lot of dumb stuff (running by myself, early morning walks, going for long drives without telling anyone where I was), but the sad truth is that you just can't do that stuff as a woman. It's aggravating and frustrating and unfair, but it's just the way it is. I go on walks with my husband or a friend, and always call someone when I'm driving to let them know what time they can expect me.

Ten years ago I got a large, very protective, loyal dog to go with me everywhere I go.

Here are a couple of rules/suggestions that may help: Always carry ID with you (put into your running shorts pocket or attach to your shoe); choose running routes that are on major streets, not hidden; drive to a populated location then start your run; wear a reflector so cars can see you; draw your regular routes and put them on your fridge (a good motivator to get out there, too).
There's nothing anyone can do to prevent such a horrible thing from happening. But we should take this opportunity to remind ourselves of what we can do and be vigilant.
25 years running , RunnerMom author.

Please forgive my cynicism, and I will gladly admit it if it turns out I am horribly wrong. But I think the way you don't end up like this poor woman is to avoid marrying the wrong man, and to run for your life when you realize that you did.  Far more women, even those who may at first appear to have been attacked/abducted by a stranger, are actually killed by their partners than grabbed while they're out for a walk or run.

I agree with "Bellaparola". It has been proven via research (in the US and other countries) that more women are at risk for violence from their partners than strangers.

I cannot, however, explain the murder of Eve Carson which was a random act of violence at the hands of young men she had never seen before.

I felt strongly that he should have been the one to call 911 - I would have. That gives me a very bad feeling right there. Runner safety tips? I'm not sure she needed any - she may have been killed in the home and never had a chance to start her morning jog - did she tell anyone else she was going out on Saturday morning at 7:00 a.m. to run? I doubt it. But like a previous comment - I hope I'm wrong. But I have a feeling I'm right.

The "Never Returning from her Morning Jog" story was all cooked up. It is very obvious that the soon to be ex-husband did this to Nancy. Interesting how he lawyered up today once the heat was turned up. My heart absolutely breaks for these two little girls. They lost their best friend their mother. The Cary PD knows they have their man. They are just dotting all their I's and crossing all their T's so all the evidence is there to lock this guy up and throw away the key. What a selfish SOB he is to take something so valuable away from his two INNOCENT little girls. I hope he rots.

It is unfortunate that people are already jumping to conclusions. While it is certainly possible that the husband is responsible for this tragedy, it is rumor and innuendo which will ultimately negatively affect his family.

I sincerely hope that you do not teach your children that it's ok to accuse someone of this type of behavior without some shred of proof.

Mr. Cooper, by all accounts, has been doing EXACTLY what he should be doing at this point. He's been cooperative with the police and has let them search and re-search the house. It is only logical that he hire an attorney now that the police obtained a warrant. That's not the behavior of a guilty man... it's the behavior of an intelligent one.

I also do not understand how people can be concerned about the timeline. There are hundreds of instances where I (or my spouse) is late in coming home... and neither of us would EVER think to call the police and report the other one as missing. We're adults... which means that sometimes we change our minds, our plans and our actions.

Oh yeah, and sometimes we forget to tell the other one where we are and when we're coming home. That doesn't make us missing. And the other one - worrying about other things (such as taking care of the kids or doing chores, etc) doesn't sit nervously counting the minutes.

So from my perspective, the really strange behavior is that of the "friend" whose house she had planned to visit. How many of your friends do you think would call the police if you failed to stop by? Right... NONE. You'd get a snippy voicemail about forgetting to come.

All in all, give Mr. Cooper the benefit of the doubt. If he did it - the police will find evidence and he will be charged. If not, your statement of "obviousness" will just seem silly. And while you'll only look silly for saying it, Mr. Cooper's family may ultimately suffer more.

I think the person who posted the last comment is thinking too much into this thing. My feeling is that close friends such as a the lady who called the police and possibly her family knew how bad the marriage was with her husband and since the close friend was already very suspicious of the husband right when the wife did not show up where she was supposed to be and did not answer her phone and stuff the close friend was very concerned and called police.
I am sure it was one of those situations were close friends and family knew things but from the same token they never dreamed the husband would murder her. Unlike Scott Peterson and other men that have done similar things this husband is probably very remorseful and regretful about what he did that is why he is cooperating with authorities so much. He is probably too mad and upset at himself to try to hide things or run. I will be shocked if he is not either arrested today or tomorrow though which would be a 48-72hour window after the body was found.

Talk about "thinking too much into this thing".

So, your feeling is that the family and friends, knowing WAY more about the intricacies of Mr/Mrs Cooper's relationship, knew to call the police at the first hint of Mrs Cooper disappearing?

And somehow, that (plus his cooperation with the police - and thus, by your intuition, showing his remorse) makes Mr. Cooper guilty?

Wow. Please make sure to come up with some excuse about having to stay home with your babies when you're called for jury duty.

Given the combination of the following facts:

1 The couple was having marriage problems

 2 Police have stated this is an isolated incident and assured a killer is not on the loose.

3 Once again the same jogging story we have heard from several other killers in the past

4 and the fact she was reported missing by a friend and not her own husband

 Due the math I would say those 4 facts there make the probabilty very high that the husband was the killer.

Numbers 3 and 4 I will admit can be interpreted differently but facts 1 and 2 are facts and are what they are. If this was an isolated incident and not a serial crime who else would have done it besides the husband she was having maritial problems with.

1. Why would Mr. Cooper say that they were having marriage problems? Are you married? Would you ever purposefully admit anything like that to the press?

Quite frankly, most couples I know have "problems"... it's the nature of taking two unique individuals and putting them together for long periods of time. Add a few stressors (work, family things, kids) and problems are 100% sure to develop. Mr. Cooper's statement, in my opinion, sounds like the comment made by a man under duress. Cameras and lights shoved in his face... he says something off-handed, like "sure, we had difficulties... but nothing that would cause her to leave...".

It only takes one time of watching one of the video press conferences and then to read the newspapers and tv reporters versions of the same conference that you just watched to see how the truth is turned into something never actually intended.

2. Of course the police are going to say that this is an isolated incident. Do you think that if they had the next Ted Bundy on the loose that they would alert the public in this way? It does no good, even if you know that you have a serial killer, to say so - it merely incites panic in an already tense crowd of folks.

3. The jogging "story" is confirmed by everyone she knows. She had a history of running. Convenient excuse? Maybe. But doubtful.

4. Again, I would never report my spouse "missing" after only a few hours. And I pray to god that they wouldn't report me missing either, unless they had SOME indication that there was a problem (ie: a dropped wallet on the driveway next to broken glass from a shattered window). In other words, the mere fact that you can't find me doesn't mean I'm missing.

And please... I would think that it sounds WAY more suspicious that the friend would be THAT trigger happy to call the police based on Mrs Cooper's absence from the scheduled appointment. Geez... if I called the police every time one of my friends was late or missed an event that they said they would be at... I think you remember the boy who cried wolf story? Well...

Over all, the FACTS as they are known to the public today don't implicate ANYONE. If you want to go on FACTS, all we REALLY know with 100% certainty is that Mrs Cooper's body was found two days ago. A warrant was issued to search the home, cars and obtain forensic evidence from Mr. Cooper.

Those are the only facts. Everything else is conjecture.

BRAD COOPER MURDERED HIS WIFE. To all who believe he didn't check out the petition that was made public today regarding the emergency request for custody of the children. The man was cheating on his wife, verbally abusing her in FRONT of her children, WITHOLDING MONEY from her to FEED & CLOTH her children, TRIED TO KILL HIMSELF this past winter (To bad he didn't succeed because she would be alive today if he did) etc. WHAT OTHER PROOF DO YOU PEOPLE NEED?!?!?!?!? SHe is dead and he has the blood of his wifes death on his hands forever. Death right now would be the nicest form of punishment for him. Let him rot in solitary confinement in a maximum security prison somewhere. Nancy Cooper DID NOT DESERVE THIS!!!! Her husband is trash and should therefore be treated that way.

This is not a matter of accusing someone of something that they DIDN'T DO. It is VERY OBVIOUS that he killed her Friday night and cooked up a story about her running. My heart goes out to her sweet family. God Bless them all. What a nice family she has. My heart breaks for her little girls. I am so happy the family has them now. Her deranged husband was likely to harm them or takeoff with them had they not stepped in to take custody of them. What a sad case this is for our community. Kudos to the Cary PD for getting all their ducks in a row and being tight lipped on this case so they can FRY Brad Cooper on this. Thank you Pat Bazemore for all the help you have extended to the family. You should be very proud of the officers who are working around the clock to nail the killer.

Innocentuntil, some of your points are valid; however, many are not. The jogging story has not been confirmed by ANYBODY. NO ONE saw her go run, on Saturday. The fact that she "did" run does not CONFIRM any story about SATURDAY.

You need to read the current headline story about the custody. Emergency custody disputes in which a genetic parent loses custody are RARE. There must be probable cause of harm to the children. THOSE are the facts.

Society has to be trained to never underestimate anything. If you feel your spouse or lover is abusive at all and there is any doubt in your mind they could possibly harm you then you have to run from them immediately. Most peoples instincts even though they have fears it could happen tell themselves no that is not going to happen to me.
Society really has to start publicly speaking out and tell people to run far away. It is sad though because situations like this are almost impossible to prevent. If you really want to kill someone bad enough there is almost no way to stop it.

I've read every story and have seen every press conference. As I said before, the only facts as of this moment are that Nancy is dead and that a search warrant was issued.

Everything else is called hearsay. It's merely someone's "statement" of belief. That even includes the stuff that Mr. Cooper has said (the jogging story, etc) and the things alleged in the custody petition brought by Mrs. Cooper's family (his suicidal tendencies, affairs, etc). That doesn't make it true. We have a justice system that states that EVERYONE is innocent until proven guilty. It may turn out that Mr. Cooper killed his wife, is suicidal and did every other horrible thing alleged by his in-laws. But until there is proof, there are no facts, just conjecture.

If you don't like how these laws work, you're welcome to leave the country and find one that suits you better - perhaps a dictatorship or other society that allows for punishment based solely on accusation. But I'm going to continue to give Mr. Cooper the benefit of the doubt until evidence (and not just words) prove otherwise. And if he did, in fact, harm her, then it will be even more of a tragedy than it already is.

But if you're still having trouble understanding our legal system - or the conceptual idea of innocence until being proven guilty... then just look at your own life. Think about your spouse and your children. Now assume that your spouse is killed. Who do you think is going to be the prime suspect? Yep, you.

Now... assume that you're innocent. Do you want support or do you want hatred directed towards you? Because right now, you're assuming that Mr. Cooper is guilty... that he deserves to lose his children and that he is an awful person. And you're directing hateful feelings in his direction. You're assuming that everything negative said about him is 100% true. Would you want someone to think those things about you? I would guess that you wouldn't.

So why are you willing to jump to those conclusions in this case? Is it because you don't have a personal stake in the outcome? Is it blood-lust that makes you want "justice" from the first person to be potentially responsible? Or is it just a feeling of helplessness - that you want someone to take responsibility... and it's easy to point to Mr. Cooper?

To Scoot's point, I'm not underestimating Mr. Cooper. I'm sure that he's capable of killing (in fact, almost everyone is). I'm also not assuming that he's innocent and turning a blind eye to the evidence. I'm PRESUMING his innocence because that's how *I* would want to be treated in a similar situation - and how I would treat YOU as well. If the evidence proves his guilt, I won't proclaim his innocence.

But I won't stand idly by and let him be convicted by hearsay in the court of public opinion.

Ozgirl:

I appreciate your opinion. But knowledge from watching TV isn't enough. Courts make custody decisions based on the best interests of the child. Allegations of any safety issues are always taken seriously and decisions are made to ensure immediate safety for the children.

Which results in biological parents temporarily losing custody of their children prior to a fitness hearing, solely on the basis of hearsay and opinion. This is quite common - it is better for the child to pull them from the home temporarily than leave them in actual danger. And in fact, if you read the news reports immediately prior to the stories on the petition, you'll discover that Mr. Cooper voluntarily gave temporary custody to his in-laws BEFORE the petition was granted.

The hearing on the 25th, however, will be the first time anyone actually has to produce any evidence to support the allegations that Mr. Cooper is a danger to the children.

Yet again, a conviction in the court of public opinion isn't good enough in this country... it's disappointing that it appears good enough for this community. Hopefully none of you will ever have to experience this.

I understand that you give people the benefit of the doubt, but when you are dealing with someone who is as unstable as Nancy Cooper’s husband you begin to wonder what really happened. Knowing people who know the family would understand why the husband should be suspected in this case. Nancy was trying to take her children back to Canada to get away from her and Bradley did not like that idea and he took their passports. As far as trying to blame the friend who called the police that is just plain absurd. If there were deeper problems going on then Nancy probably confided in a friend and she called the police probably knowing that if she weren’t to show up then something bad is wrong. She may have called the husband to find out where she was and he may have sounded weird or said something that may have tipped the friend off that something was wrong. I commend the friend for calling the police because I would definitely call the police if one of my friends who was having problems with her husband and I was scared of her safety. Also, what man leaves his home and buys bleach at 4AM and leaves his two young children at home sleeping? That is a clue right there. Also, what man even buys cleaning products? So, if you want to sit around and be completely naïve to what goes on in your community then I feel sorry for you. I hope you will open your eyes and look at the evidence which don’t lie. Also, why would a judge give custody of the children to her parents and allow them to go to Canada if the judge did not think there was something fishy going on. The only way you can get custody that fast is if the judge feels as if the situation in which the children are in could be dangerous or unable to be cared for. There have been many mother’s who have been murdered and the husbands did not do it and their children were able to stay with the father. I just hope someone is brought to justice really soon!!

Classy: I'm completely willing to believe that Mr. Cooper is guilty - if it's proven with facts and not conjecture, innuendo and assumptions.

The following things are NOT facts and are actually just GUESSES by people like us, typing away on the internet: the bleach purchase (any purchase at all, actually), scratches on his arms (the reason he was wearing a long-sleeved shirt when he made his public speech), Mr Cooper taking away the passports, Nancy confiding in friends, Nancy's desire to take the children back to Canada (while it was written into the custody complaint, it's only the word of her parents... not truth).

All I'm asking is that people look at the FACTS and wait until they have all of the facts before rushing to judgment. Mr. Cooper's life (and his childrens' lives) is/are forever affected already. It would only make it worse if he's wrongly accused and has to constantly defend himself against these assumptions.

But if the evidence, real evidence, proves his guilt in a court of law, then I would expect him to suffer the consequences.

As for the custody issue - it's a twist of our normal justice system. For issues where "imminent harm" is alleged (even without solid evidence), a judge will act in the immediate best interests of the child. The logic is that it's a small inconvenience if it turns out that the child was never in danger, but that if the child was, in fact, in danger, then it was the right thing to do. The judge isn't looking for anything "fishy" - they're just acting swiftly because it's playing it on the safe side.

On the 25th, Mrs Cooper's parents and sister will have to prove with more than their word that Mr Cooper is a danger to the children. If they're unable to support their statements, Mr. Cooper will regain custody.

I agree 100% with you !!!!!!  It is truly sad, it breaks my heart to really think about what happened to this Mom.  She was just being the best person she could be to her kids and she was taken away from them by some selfish SOB....She'll never have a chance to see those precious little angels grow up, let's all hope that justice is served with this...I hope he rots as well !

And let's add a #5 - extra marrital affairs

Who can tell me why the News Observer has not published nancy's obituary? I know she'll be buried in Canada, but you'd think they would publish an obit here...does anyone know why they haven't? Thanks.

Yes, Deyne... let's add #5 to the list of hearsay items that haven't yet been proven.

How come we've not seen any of Brad's family? How about the other woman? Interesting in the Scott Peterson case we found out who the other woman was fairly quickly. It's so great that the girls are going to Canada with their grandparents and Krista mom. What a kind and sweet family Nancy has. My heart just aches for these people. How brave they are to let us all grieve with them right now. I firmly believe that Brad killed Nancy. Period. The end. Having his attorneys come out and make statements does no good. The only reason why he is grieving is because his tail is headed to jail soon.

What no one has mentioned here is that this was a very caring mom. Just the fact that she didn't come home or call all day would certainly raise a red flag that something was wrong. When my child was 2 years old I would never just go out all day and not check back in. That fact alone is what would make me suspicious. My opinion is, sadly, he did it.

Sadly, I don't think that anyone is really understanding (or even cares to try to understand) what you are saying "innocentuntilprovenguilty." It is disheartening to think how quickly the majority of people jump to a conclusion based on accusations and heresay and not facts. Just because something is published in the newspaper or spoken by understandibly griefstricken relatives, it is automatically taken as absolute truth. Of course we all want to side with the victims of this crime and those left hurting by it. We all want to see justice done for this innocent woman who was taken much too soon from her family. But are we doing anyone justice by pretending that we know everything about a case because of what we've read or heard in the media? Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion, but I sincerely hope that if any of you were sitting on jury, you would base your verdict on facts and evidence, not emotion and speculation.

I agree, lkgnkpa. And I'm not inclined to debate it with people who don't have the capacity to understand.

But your statement about them sitting on a jury is what really scares the crap out of me. These would be my "peers" - yet can't understand the basic distinctions between fact/hearsay and truth/conjecture.

What I think is kinda' funny is that LuvMyGirl asked a pretty good question but couldn't see the irony. She wanted to know why the newsmedia hasn't yet found "the other woman"... but then goes on to profess her opinion that Mr. Cooper is guilty.

The reason why the "other woman" hasn't yet been found is that her existence isn't yet fact. And it would be ultimately impossible to find someone who doesn't exist.

Sigh. Oh well. I'm done here. I think I've made my point well enough for people who have the capacity to understand. Maybe those on the border will get it, too.

For those that still want to proclaim Mr. Cooper's guilt prior to a lawful conviction... I sincerely hope you never have to rely on your peers to decide whether you've done something wrong... since it appears that the presumption will be that you did, regardless of the facts.

To Nancy Cooper's family, my sincere condolences. I have lost immediate family unexpectedly and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I hope you are able to gain expedient closure to this horrendous experience.

Just curious, are the following statements conjecture or truth:

So from my perspective, the really strange behavior is that of the "friend" whose house she had planned to visit. How many of your friends do you think would call the police if you failed to stop by? Right... NONE. You'd get a snippy voicemail about forgetting to come.

And please... I would think that it sounds WAY more suspicious that the friend would be THAT trigger happy to call the police based on Mrs Cooper's absence from the scheduled appointment. Geez... if I called the police every time one of my friends was late or missed an event that they said they would be at... I think you remember the boy who cried wolf story? Well...

The reason why the "other woman" hasn't yet been found is that her existence isn't yet fact. And it would be ultimately impossible to find someone who doesn't exist.

But your statement about them sitting on a jury is what really scares the crap out of me. These would be my "peers" - yet can't understand the basic distinctions between fact/hearsay and truth/conjecture.

First off, let me say this tragedy is very sad and my heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to Nancy Cooper's dear family and friends. Last year when the Jessie Marie Davis case was going on, I lived 20 minutes from her in Akron, Ohio. We moved to Raleigh, NC July 4th and Nancy lived about 15 minutes away in Cary, but thats neither here nor there. Ok....here's my opinon on this!! 1. The weeks before Nancy died, she went to Canada to see her family. It's very possible she told her parents and her siblings about the marital problems they were having. Keep in mind her version of marital problems may be different than his version. But, she may have told them she either was sure, or suspects he may be having an affair. withholding the money? tried to commit suicide when he was a teenager? etc....who's to say that Nancy's family either told the very truth or stretched it a little bit....too early to tell. 2. The fact she was found outside her jogging route???? Raises an eye brow. Her car was at home that morning with her purse in it. She usually would drive to Starbucks, get coffee and jog from there and return to her car, that didn't happen here. When her friend, Jessica Adam, called Mr. Cooper wondering where Nancy was, he said she went jogging at 7am with a friend, I think her name is Carrie. He asked her if she knew Carrie's number, she didn't. He said he would look for it and quickly hung up. 3. Taking the girls passports out of Nancy's purse. He probably had a feeling she was going to take off to Canada and in no way, shape, or form, he was going to let her. 4. Nobody has mentioned this BUT is it possible if a divorce was about to happen, did he really want to pay child support? He would have had to pay for at minimum 14 years for Bella, and 16 for Katie. 5. We really don't know these people, how Mr. Cooper may have reacted to Jessica's call, did he sound nervous, strange? Something prompted her to call police. Even the daycare where the girls attended, the teacher even knew what was going on in Nancy's home. I heard her mention it on News 14 Carolina. 6. They have not given a cause of death because they aren't ready to, either because they need to complete the investigation or they may have to do a toxicology test which takes 4-6 wks and also to mention, she did have Crohn's disease. Once they have a cause of death, they probably will put the obituary in the News and Observer I would love to give Mr. Cooper the benefit of the doubt, for the children's sake, and his own but this isn't sitting well with me but the bottom line is that it will all come out in the wash!!!

Very sad situation, especially for the little girls, but sadder that you all have already convicted the father, without any real facts or evidence....just rumor...if he's guilty, let him rot in jail for the rest of his life...but if he's innocent, how sad is it that you all have already convicted him...

LuvMyGirl obviously has a personal relationship with the victim...so we can understand her emotional comments...i hope the truth comes out...but the facts, after having read all the articles, do not point to any concrete evidence...i find it interesting that the police has not names Mr. Cooper even a person of interest ? They must not have any evidence that allows them to point to him. Also, the custody situation, if he is distraught, he might not have the energy to fight a temporary order...again, all opinions, with out facts...

Actually FACTSRIT I don't know any of the Coopers or Rentz's. Brad Cooper KNOWS what happened to his wife and won't own up. He's a creep and I am so tired of seeing his UGLY mug on the morning & evening news. My wish for Nancy's beautiful girls is for them to move to Canada to be surrounded by those that love them unconditionally. How comforting it must be to look at their aunt and immediately see their mothers face each day. That is the silver lining to this very dark cloud.

LuvMyGirl...so if he is innocent, which is possible, don't you think he has the right to raise his daughters ? How do you know he doesn't love them unconditionally ? Your strong opinion is clouding your judgement. Again, if he's found guilty, I agree 100% with you...

I was saddened to see how many people have come to the conclusion that Mr. Cooper is indeed guilty. Humor me, if you will, and let's make the imagination work:Situation One: Brad Cooper and his mistress desire to start a life together, but the problem is Nancy Cooper. How do they eliminate her? Brad Cooper informs his mistress of his wife's supposed jogging path and the mistress "does the dirty work" by murdering Nancy Cooper - Brad's plan was to call the police as a worried husband, but a concerned friend beat him to the punch, putting a hole in his plan with the mistress. The two are in on it together.Situation Two: The concerned friend IS Brad's mistress - and no one knows it yet, which is why we don't have a name. They were in cahoots and decided to take Nancy out of the picture.Situation Three: Brad and Nancy Cooper are having marital problems and Brad decides, when his children are sleeping, that he will murder his wife and dispose of her body in a remote area, not far from where she would routinely jog. Situation Four: Brad hires a hitman to take out his wife. I'm sure we're going to discover a large deduction from his off-shores bank account before long... Situation Five: Brad's mistress is insanely jealous that she can't be with Brad publicly. She waits for Nancy to go on a jog early one Saturday morning and murders Nancy. Brad is completely unaware of what his mistress decides to do.Situation Six: Nancy is randomly targeted and attacked on a routine morning jog. Brad is at home taking care of the couple's two daughters, assuming that after her jog, she is going to meet with another friend. Because of their marital problems, there has been a lack of communication with some bitter feelings about their PERSONAL life together. Brad isn't as alarmed, thinking that his wife is taking some time for herself. Naturally, when his wife turns up murdered, Brad is automatically the number one suspect. He discloses up front about the marital problems they've been having, because he knows that if he doesn't, it will come up later and look even worse for him. Situation Seven: It was Mrs. Peacock, in the library, with the lead pipe.Gosh - the imagination sure can run wild! Obviously, this is NO JOKING MATTER, but my last situation was only to show that we can all speculate, we can all chose to believe what we hear, we can all forget that there are ALWAYS two sides to every story. Grief stricken parents who know of marital problems that existed are bound to jump when it comes to protecting their grand children. I agree with 'innocentuntil..." and "lkgnkpa" 100%. While this is incredibly tragic, the FACTS do not yet point to Brad Cooper. The FACT of the matter is: the general public does not know all that the authorities have discovered in this case and unless we knew Brad and Nancy Cooper personally, we are all UNAWARE of their marital situation, what happened with the passports (perhaps, Brad Cooper, as a father, didn't want to risk his wife running away with their daughters - he's a father and has a right to protect and love his children too...), we are unaware of how Nancy and Brad Cooper arranged their finances. Brad Cooper was smart to get an attorney, and his cooperation could be that of a guilty man who is remorseful (as someone allured to), or that of an innocent man who is saddened by the tragic death of his wife, the mother of his children, regardless of his marital difficulties. For those of you who have already convicted him, I agree with you in that IF he is guilty, he deserves the maximum punishment allowed by the law. He is a horrible person and how in the world could he do that to her and to his own children... etc. etc. etc.......On the same note: I agree with InnocentUntil... completely - Brad Cooper is not even an official suspect yet that we (general public) know of. He has just as much going for him as he's got going "against" him (according to 'facts' - and I use that term in jest, as they are not 'facts' at all.)In an event like this, it's easy to point a finger. It makes some feel better knowing that they've solved the mystery - a regular Sherlock Holmes. Just remember how you would want others to react if you yourself were involved in something like this and were indeed innocent. Tragedy causes lots of emotions to run wild and we all want an answer, but again, we're only going to get bits and pieces as the police and media see fit to disclose to us. Therefore, unless we're directly involved, we cannot convict a man based on the information at hand.

Hi Facts

If your first comment you posted is in reference to my posting, I didn't convict Mr. Cooper of being guilty of murder. Did I say he did it?? NO!!!! I said it doesn't sit well with me which means I don't have a good feeling based on what I have heard and read but the truth will come out . Now as far as a suspect or person of interest, they have to say that they don't have a suspect or person of interest until they find concrete evidence(stuff taken from home, etc.) before they can arrest anybody,in any case.

The fascination I have with this case is that Nancy Cooper could be my sister, my neighbor, my work colleague, my friend. She looks like us, has children the same age as our children, has similar interests and a close knit group of friends from her neighborhood. I can't let it go.

And like Nancy, don't you know someone, maybe it's you, who has a marriage that isn't all it should be. You worry about your mental health, but you're working your way out of it. What if you don't get out in time.

The facts are the most partners are most vulnerable to physical abuse at the time they are leaving a relationship than at any other time. And most people in a relationship are at risk to physical violence from their spouses than from strangers. This are the facts - not just in the U.S. but in other countries as well.

No one can say that Brad Cooper did it for sure, time will tell that story. But it sure doesn't look good for him. And that's a fact!

I've been lurking on this board for a few days. While I tend to disregard the 4th Estate's manipulations of the facts and the Court of Public Opinion, I'm surprised no one's mentioned the fact that if this family had been of lesser means, Brad Cooper would most certainly have been placed in custody already...regardless of his potential innocence. The police have treated this matter with kid gloves. Even the fact that the children have been allowed out of the country is shocking to me. Money talks I guess.

zpjsmom - that's exactly what has struck me about this whole case. She is just like so many of us around here. I can't imagine not being able to watch my child grow up.

POINTS TO PONDER ...Let's introduce these elements:1. Nancy Cooper was not wearing jogging clothes at the time of the attack.2. Her insignificant other is said to have been at a gathering with a friend, not his espoused, the night before Ms. Cooper's death. 3. Ms. Cooper shows up at that function and is not amused.If you combine other aspects of the case, there may be reason to start asking more serious questions, like:1. Did anyone besides her husband report that Ms. Cooper was jogging?2. What about Carrie, the real or imaginary jogging partner? Do any of Ms. Cooper's other friends know Carrie?3. Who is the alleged other woman and what's her story?4. Has the chief suspect earned the presumption of guilt?Just asking.

Is this possible? Nancy having an affair with a married man in neighborhood. Man fears it will be revealed and takes Nancy out.

Is there a possible jogging trail from Mrs. Cooper's house to the location where her body was found?

Not sure, yankees....all I have read in the paper is that she would drive to a local Starbucks to get coffee, her jog would start at that location and she would jog her regular route and back to her car, at Starbucks. But where the body was found was 3 miles from her home.

wow...this gets even more interesting...now appears she had an 'affair' as well...spendaholic...both had issues...again, very sad for the young girls...but for all those that spread all the rumors and made him out to be this monster...she doesn't sound so great either...

True, and the same could be rumors about Nancy's shopping addiction too. Right now, everything we hear and discuss is pure speculation and rumor. Please get the facts out soon and find Nancy's killer!!

Did Nancy's friend Jessica ever call Carrie to confirm they were planning on running that morning? There's been no follow up to Carrie and the three girls were training for the 1/2 marathon together.

There is so much dis-information floating around here - it's hard to weed through to the truth. but, of course, we have yet to learn the truth. One day I say "Yeah the Husband did it", and the next day I think "Well, it's just not adding up that he did anything". Tough to say. Tough to know, until, well, we know. I hope this does not turn into a Ramsey case where the officials are "certain" family members are involved (in this case Brad), and spend years spinning in circles, while the killer gets away. And they never can quite prove anything. On the other hand, if he did do this horrific thing, killing the Mother of his 2 children, may they firmly grasp the evidence and lock him up and throw away the key.

But, what if? What if he had nothing to do with this? What if they were a more typical marriage than others are willing to admit about their own marriages? Quarreling over money (having too little or spending too much) - is everday stuff. Childish acts of hiding passports, happens. Men (and I am one) are childish at best when something may be taken away. Not all, but some.

I guess - I am on the fence until we are told more "truths" by the folks we pay to do the investigative work...I hope they find the killer, and really do hope it is not Brad - the children have lost their Mother - losing their Father would be a tragedy for them. (refer to my earlier statement if it turns out he did do it)...as they say down here "fry it up" - albeit - let him fry if he's involved.

If you don't think you can get murdered running alone through Lochmere, think again. I had the most terrifying experience in Lochemere. I worked in Regency Park at the time, and would go for noon runs. Noon! Through Lochemere! One day I was running and noticed a pickup truck passing on the other side of the street. I always am on alert, so I always glance around to make sure cars/trucks keep moving. Suddenly, this truck made a U turn. I glanced around and noticed that I was in an isolated stretch of road (cruise down that road and you'll see there are many!). I paniced and started running faster, trying to think how to get away. I was SO isolated and felt doomed. Suddenly I look ahead, and turns out this lady in this van saw what was happening. She made a turn and tried to get on my side of the road. She opened her van door and screamed at me. The guy was now on foot chasing me, but he saw the van and ran into the woods. I hopped into her van - totally shaken and bewildered.
I read Brad Cooper's affidavit. It is 100% possible that Nancy was murdered by a stranger, and the Cary PD is lying to us. "Not random" - why should we believe them? What evidence have they given us? That statement "not random" has turned all eyes toward the husband - he's been crucified by the press. Tell me her family isn't dysfunctional - talking to the press, televising the funeral. Read Brad's affidavit. Imagine his innocence - I for one believe she was murdered by a strange killer, the PD is lying to us (where is the autopsy results??) and we are buying their ham and egg story about this is "not random".

Chipmunk...i am starting to agree with you...based on all the rumors it is very hard to determine what is fact...but now hearing boths sides of the story, she was as at fault as he was in terms of the marital issues...and it is completely possible that she was murdered randomly...

trackerb - I was wondering whatever happened to Carrie, too. She's not one of the ones who filed an affidavit or has made a statement of any kind. She would be KEY here. Did they have plans to go running? If I were Brad I would make sure that she got out there and confirmed that she and Nancy had a date. That's key information to this case. If they never had a date, then it looks bad for Brad. If they did have a date to run, the stranger theory starts to sound possible.

and Chipmunk...WOW! So glad you got away! Did you report this to the police? They should have a record of something like this happening so they can refer to it when another case comes up such as this.

Chipmunk...I run in Cary too and about 4 years ago I had two female friends that were chased down in Ritter Park. Fortunately they were very fast runners and out ran the guy but you are right don’t run by yourself unless you are on a major street or with friends. There are some facts to this whole situatio: 1) Nancy is dead and 2) no one has been arrested. I am assuming that Nancy did not die of natural causes, therefore I can assume there is a killer out there. I also think we are all under the presumption that who ever did this to Nancy was a male…why couldn’t it have been a female?

tracker n zpjsmom...i'm not sure if Carrie even exists because when Mr. Cooper asked Jessica Adam for Carrie's number, she didn't know it or even have it, then he said "I will look for it and quickly hung up". I know Jessica and Nancy were training for the marathon.

If I'm missing something, please tell me!!!

I think in Jessica's affidavit she says that she, Nancy and Carrie were training for a half marathon. She couldn't believe Nancy would plan to run with Carrie at 7 AM when she had plans to be at Jessica's house at 8 AM, and especially without telling Jessica or inviting her along. Jessica sounds very scared in her 911 call.

All this aside, don't you think it is really astounding that all this detailed personal information has been released to the press/public in the custody hearing? If anything should have been sealed, surely that should have been! It is about the personal family life of two little girls! I don't know WHO dropped the ball, not to get it sealed, but it certainly is not in the best interest of Brad, the girls, or Nancy's family, for it to be released - never mind the PD or the District Attorney. Where are they going to find an impartial jury, if - in the worst case scenario for Brad - he should eventually be charged? Whenever information is released, we all begin to form our opinions. A jury needs to enter the trial with no opinion whatsoever.

I have my own opinions, just like the rest of you - but one thing I realized many years ago when they announced the aquittal of O.J. Simpson - as I watched the crowds of African Americans cheering on TV, I realized that I was "prejudiced," and that one's own life experience will determine who and what one believes. It didn't make me believe what I believed any LESS, I just realized that I lived in a different reality than some other people. There is no such thing as truly impartial. We see through our own eyes, and it is all we can possibly do. We do have to realize that other people see through their own eyes, and it is different.

zpjsmom - I totally agree with you about Carrie. Her testimony is critical to this whole case, and it really looks bad for Brad if they didn't have a date. I'm surprised we haven't heard from her; she's the first one I'd want an affidavit from.

Why didn't Brad check Nancy's cell phone for Carrie's number? He was calling around, but the first thing you'd think he would do would be to look for Carrie's number on Nancy's cell. Or at least check 'calls dialed' 'calls received'. He didn't say that he did this. If Carrie was a consistent running partner of Nancy's, surely her name was in Nancy's phone.

I'm a runner and training for long distances involves planning. You don't just decide upon waking up to go for a long run. You might decide to go for a short run - 2,3 miles. I listened to Jessica Adam's 911 call and this was her first red flag. Nancy was supposed to be at her house at 8am. Nancy had 2 partners who were training for a half - and one wasn't Carrie. Seems to me those partners would know about the run, or be on the run with her. That part doesn't add up to me.

That said, it's still possible that Nancy decided suddenly to go for short run, for whatever reason, and that someone randomly killed her. After my Lochemere incident, I never go for a run alone. Never ever ever. There's nothing more terrifying then being hunted when you are totally isolated. I consider it a miracle that the lady and her van showed up for me.

According to Jessica Adam's Affidavit, which I just reread, Carrie definitely was one of Nancy's running partners. She says that the three of them made plans together for training runs, and that she (Jessica) would not have been left out of plans for a run.

There could be a lot of reasons we haven't heard from Carrie, and one of those reasons might be that what she has to say is important to the criminal case. The affidavits we have seen are only in the custody case, and it is possible that the lawyers saw the need to keep her statements out of the press and public eye - or perhaps she is a new friend who doesn't really know a lot about the domestic situation. I feel sure the police have located her and talked to her, and know when she last saw Nancy. I am sure the police have also verified cell phone records of all the calls that Nancy made in the last days she was alive.

There is more than one reason Brad might have said Nancy had gone for a run with Carrie, when she apparently didn't. He might have been lying, or he might have been merely mistaken. I think you, Chipmunk, are absolutely right when you say that Nancy's cell phone was an obvious place for Brad to look up Carrie, if he wanted to.

There is still more we do not know about this case, than what we do know. So, I agree with those of you who say, it is too soon to say for sure.

I'm still surprised they have not yet arrested Brad...is no one else thinking they already have enough to have set up a solid case? Why hasn't he been arrested, yet?

Even if Carrie didn't really know Nancy or her family very well you would still think the press would've gotten a hold of her by now - I think this is key to the case - which may actually be why we aren't hearing anything about her. The more I read about the case the more I wonder if it actually was a random act of violence. At first I had NO doubt Brad did it, and actually I'm still leaning that way, but there has to be a shred of decency in Brad - specifically for his daugthers - because Nancy trusted him to care for the girls while she went for her long runs and/or when she stayed out later at neighborhood gatherings. If his daughters where afraid of Brad or didn't want to go with him I'm sure there would've been major scenes and I can't imagine Nancy would've made the girls stay with him or go home with him, whatever the case may be, if the girls were that upset. I know when my own 2 1/2 year old daugher doesn't want to go with Daddy there are major tears and fits! I just feel for these little girls and it breaks my heart.

The Cary Police Department were out this past weekend between the hours of 6am and 9am distributing flyers - looking for anyone who might have seen Nancy jogging (same hours). No doubt now that she was wearing jogging clothes, although they refuse to tell us those details. I think hummingbird is correct. Carrie must be part of the criminal investigation. One thing strikes me tho - if Brad really killed her, why drag Carrie into his alibi?? That doesn't make sense. He'd have said Nancy went out alone for a jog. The walker who found the body noticed it because of the vultures. I wonder, after 3 days, if they could establish a cause of death.

ozgirl: If Brad Cooper was from the trailer park or the ghetto, he would have already been arrested, regardless of his innocence. Per my earlier comment, this is a case of special treatment for a privileged family in a privileged community.

Culbreth, thanks for your reply.  I agree.  While I am big on presumed innocence, my non-judgmental gut tells me he is as guilty as O.J. was.  The sickness I felt when O.J. was acquitted has returned - I just have an awful feeling that although he killed her, he will walk...I hope they are crossing Ts and dotting Is....that's all I can hope.  It is eerily quiet, in Cary...less and less press coverage, understandably...and I see the case fading away...cold and unsolved.  =(

I get the same feeling ozgirl. It's bad PR for the PD dept. to announce this was 'not a random' crime, yet come forth with no arrest nor further information. I think they lied to calm everyone - but they don't have enough to go on to finger the husband. Imagine all the time hubby had to cover up.

Now we've heard from Carrie. But I agree with a previous post. I am amazed that the press was not all over her before she gave this affidavit as she is mentioned so prominently by all who gave sworn testimony and was the Brad's explanation about why Nancy wasn't home. When the story first broke, I told my husband, it is so weird that a friend would bypass the husband and make the 911 call. There's more to know here. I feel the same way about Carrie just coming forward now. There is more to know about how she fits into the story. Just a gut feeling.

Okay, Carey Clark (a.k.a. "Carrie") has now spoken. Some questions for Brad Cooper, based on what I have seen on the previous blogs: 1. Why did you say Nancy was running with Carey when she says she was not? 2. Why were you buying bleach at 4:00 am the morning your wife disappeared? 3. Why was Nancy NOT found in her jogging clothes? 4. Why are you criticizing your dead wife's expensive tastes and spending habits when you yourself enjoy driving a BMW vehicle? Just wondering. . . .

Heads up girls, statistically, you are much more likely to be killed by an intimate acquaintance than a total stranger. If you run alone, as I do myself on a regular basis, carry mace and don't use head phones. I think it is highly likely that Brad killed Nancy Cooper. The odds and facts point to the spouse.

innocentuntilpr sounds like one of Brad's family members, or for that matter, Scott Peterson's mama....

Obits are paid ads that Nancy's family would have to pay for.  They are expensive!  When my father-in-law died ten years ago we had a six-inch long obit and it was over $700.00, it must be even more $ now.  Perhaps Nancy's family figured that there was enough news coverage.  Personally, I think an obit it a nice way to honor someone and talk about the highlights of their life, regardless of the expense.  It's one of the final things you can do to honor them.  I would have liked to have read one for Nancy.

You are right that people deserve a fair look at the situation.  On this one, I hate to disappoint, but he did it.  Very very sad.

While looking at the sworn testimony of Scoott Heider, it seems that there is a weird relationship between he and Brad Cooper. From his statement he mentions that it was his wife who had an affair with Brad Cooper! Shocking! I do not know anyone who would sleep with their friend's wife, and remain buddies. Not only buddies, but such good friends in fact, that when the Cary PD comes to his house to investigate the possible crime scene, Brad Cooper goes to this friend's house to stay until things blow over! I would be taking a closer look at the home of Scott Heider, this could possibly unveil some clues about Nancy Cooper. Also in his statement,he mentions that he travelled with Brad to Arizona for an athletic event; as well as seeing him at least four times a week for over the past year. I believe if I was involved in this investigation, I would be examining this relationship a little closer.

I just happened to finish the book "Deadly Dose" about the Eric Miller/poisoning case. The thing I learned from that book, is that it took years to build a solid case against the wife. Even though it was clear to the authorities right off the bat, that the wife poisoned him, they had to proceed with caution, because if you screw up a case, try it to soon, you risk justice if you don't have your ducks in a row. I'm not saying Brad Cooper did it (I don't know) I'm simply saying that we don't know EVERYTHING the authorities know, and sometimes it's a painstaking process to build up a case, and it can get hung up with all sorts of unforseen complications. The Eric Miller book was really eye opening about the process.

I'm frankly blown away by the quantity of activity in this forum compared to all the other forums. Lots of passionate opinions here! Is there any new news in the media about the case?

Do you think lawyers ever read blogs like this to influence how they present their case? --Basing their case on public opinions and reactions? I suppose good lawyers already know what their jury will think before they begin. But reading this may help them.

Did anyone read in the paper this morning about the Jason Young case? Same thing I was talking about before-looks like they have alot of evidence, and are in the process of putting together a case, but it takes time. How do you all feel about the fact that attornneys for the media are pushing to have everything (search warrents, etc) in the Cooper case open to the public? Why is it so imprtant for everyone to know everything the authorities know? If they feel it could jepordize the case they're building, I for one, can wait......

Asperger’s! look it up – read it- learn it.
No empathy – got it.

This is your answer. Learn about it- read the forums on Delphi.
I knew right away in this case that this was the Cooper Case.
( and the Young case now that I see that story)

If you live with an ASP – you can tell right away.

There are about 20 signs in this story on this.
MY opinions and thoughts

Yes – he cheated – he admitted it. A name was put out there. An Asp. person doesn’t see anything wrong with ‘just sex.’ They are not emotional

Money is king to them – he was losing a lot of money

They do have tempers and can snap. They also have depression issues.

The exercise is their self- med.

A lot of are Engineers. ( like mine)

They like projects – they like to clean.. Brad cleaned due to frustration of what he did I am sure.

I tell my friends things like this too.. so in case something happens. They too would know right away if I didn’t show up.

Nancy didn’t think Brad would do this.. But I have been watching a few cases like this now.. and realize – they can and will.

I tell others – do not live with them while divorcing. It can be deadly.

I read Brad’s triathelon blog… saw how busy he was- didn’t mention the family – isn’t around much for them. You couldn’t blame her for getting upset and wanting to be with her family.

Yes, in my eyes- guilty – right away and they know it.

How about Brad's attorneys this week coming out and shooting their guns, asking for evidence to back up those affidavits? Smart move. A lot of those comments in the affidavits sounded like opinion to me. Not that he didn't do it, but let's see some real evidence before we hang the guy.

Chipmunk: are you a liberal lawyer? you can't be a common sense housewife/working Mom
Are there any other suspects running around? Why aren't we being told "beware" the killer is still on the loose.. ( like the OJ case)
Her friends knew right away there was a problem due to her telling them about all issues. Didn't he even steal back the kids passports ( before her death) Hmmm that says 'controlling.' He controlled her by not giving her money during their separation.

common sense tells you 'who done it'

Did someone creep into their home at 4:00 a.m.?

If he gets off - due to a good lawyer.. you can go date him. He seems 'so nice'

Looks like the lady who called in the "missing" report to the authorities the day that Cooper was missing would be a major suspect. Why in the world would someone call the police when someone is a couple of hours late for a morning coffee clatch? She seemed to know something, I wonder if the police find that as suspicious as I and several others do? Why in the world is the court even considering a shrink test for the father to get custody of his kids back? Why have they not considered shrink tests for the grandparents and the sister also, before they can even be given temporary custody. These three were mad at their daughter/sister for marrying this guy and moving to the US, maybe they killed her and framed him to get even.  The law needs to look into that one too!

Enough already. I'm ready to see the husband shackled and being led away. I've always suspected him but with the evidence mounting, I'm convinced it was him. All of his lawyers BS is pretty typical for a defense lawyer

As a Lochmere resident, I'm ready for all of this to be processed and let the family and friends get on with life as best as they can.

We must all remember that a person is innocent until proven guilty. In this case everyone is saying Brad Cooper is guilty before proven innocent.
I would zoom in on the friends that reported her missing. There are so many women out here jealous and her own friends could've been jealous of her. If he had anything to hide, he would not have allowed them to search his house, cars and the such.

Then we also must remember that the kids have lost one parent, why put them in the position now to not see the other parent. They love their daddy and I'm sure he loves them. I feel Nancy Cooper's family is wrong by totally taking the kids away from their father.
Then of course they are ultimately believing everything Nancy told them. When there are problems in a marriage, the family is going to believe their own family member over the spouse...think about it.

I truly agree with you on this one.  Everyone needs to give Brad a fair chance.

I may be wrong, but I don't think he murdered Nancy.   Keep in mind that she was secretly seeing someone that the name is not disclosed.  Of course, she told that their was no sexual activity going on but who knows.   The person she claims she seen a couple of times may have been psycho, raped and murdered her.  

We don't know so we should allow the justice system to prevail.

Nancy Cooper was more than able to defend herself against another woman and there would certainly have been scratches on her and the other person if that had happened. There is no reason for a supposed lover to have killed her. There was every reason for Brad to kill her and he had the opportunity.

I don't understand why people won't see what is in front of their eyes. If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck,its a duck.

I hope one of you Brad Cooper defenders aren't the other woman that Brad had been seeing. If so you should be ashamed of yourself.

Cary Lucky Lady
You were all ready to put Mr. Cooper in chains and now it comes out a neighbor saw Ms. Cooper running that morning. The neighbor Rosemary Zednick’s had her affidavit ,that she saw Ms. Cooper and spoke to her, presented in court today. Other news sources then N&O are saying that Rosemary Zednick’s told the police about what she had seen and that the police did not interview her.
I am really worried that the true Killer or Killers will get away with murdering Ms. Cooper and Mr. Cooper will lose his kids for no reason.

I guess some of you think OJ Simpson was innocent too. Are you happy with how he has raised his kids? What are you thinking?

If Rosemary saw Nancy, so what.    Nancy was still murdered.    I'd want to know if they knew each other or if it was one of the many other runners in Lochmere who might have looked like Nancy.    I believe the police detectives have done a good job thus far and have tried not to implicate him for no reason.    In deed there are numerous reasons to believe it was him. 

She SPOKE to her. Pretty hard to misidentfiy a neighber who you talked to. Do you know the Coopers? Are you one of those "Friends"?

Has anyone read where Nancy's cell phone is and what calls are on there?

In the autopsy report I read said she had onion contents in her stomach. Isnt there some way to firgure out her time of death by that?

The neighbor that said that she saw Nancy jogging that morning say what she was wearing? What did Bradley say she was wearing? Is that what she was found in?

I just feel so bad for those little girls, they are going to miss there Mother so much. It is all just wrong.

Lochmere is a large area.    The lady that called in was not a close neighbor of Nancy's.     She lived in a different part of the Lochmere area.     I also live in the Lochmere area but totally different from the Coopers.     I don't know everyone there but some people do look familiar. 

What if it is true?    What does it prove?   Nothing.    I think the police are doing a great job.

I was not a personal friend of Nancy's but I do think Brad killed her.    I hope I am wrong.   

Are you a friend of Brad's?    Just use some common sense on the issue.    This is not in the least like the Nifong incident.    No one has rushed to judgement here. 

I do not know the Coopers.  What got me reading about the case was  when I read Nancy had a twin sister and Kronhs diesease.  I have a twin sister and I know how bad it would hurt if something ever happened to her.  I also had a sister with Krohns.  Like I said, it is all so sad.

How can you possibly think that Brad is innocent??? He is a narcissistic and controlling creep. He was losing his grasp over his wife and his children. He was threatened and lashing out... his pandora's box of lies was opening and he had nothing and no one left to possess. And, while these horrible qualities do not make him a murderer, they paint the picture of his personality. Now, marry that personality with someone who doesn't look for his wife for over 5 hours after she went missing. Add to this that he didn't instigate the search, call the police, call her family to see if they have heard from her, call her friends to hear if they knew her whereabouts, or even participate in the search to find her. Okay - maybe he was so filled with hatred that he didn't care about her whereabouts. Being such an ambivalent creep, again, doesn't make him a murderer. But... why did he clean floors in his house before 7:00a.m., when this was never a behaviour of his? He was slovenly. Why was her hair found in the trunk of his car? As a long distance runner, she always took her keys and cell phone - this was her pattern. Why, on this particular day, would she not take her cell phone and keys? Why has he refused to provide a statement to the police? If he's steadfast in his innocence, why wouldn't he offer to take a lie detector test? Why hasn't he helped try to find his wife's murderer? The answer is that he sees his wife's killer every time he brushes his teeth and washes his face or catches his reflection in a pool of water.

There's a news conference scheduled tonight at 8, on the arrest of Bradley Cooper for murder.

I was glad to read in the N&O this morning that Brad Cooper has been arrested. Of course, he had already been arrested, tried and convicted in the court of the Cantina (our neighborhood garage bar hang out), the court of Mom2Mom and the court of Nancy's friends. Whether you thought he was guilty or not...and he still is officially "innocent until proven guilty"...the closure that his arrest brings to the family, Nancy's friends and the community is reassuring.

I think that in the back of people's minds there were still thoughts of, "What if it IS a random killing on the streets of Cary?" "Do I really have to worry about where I am running?" "I love running alone with my iPod...do I have to now run with a friend every time I run?"

Another thing I worry about after reading this morning's article is how many women in abusive situations will be scared to take steps to get out of that situation. Look what happens when divorce discussions start. What if he hurts me? What will happen to my kids?

What does everyone else think about this new development?

I always thought the police had WAY more info than we did.  A couple of months ago I read the book "Deadly Dose" about the Eric Miller case, and it was really fascinating how much the police knew and how soon they were aware that the wife was guilty, but they had to proceed so slowly and carefully to make sure they secured a conviction, that it literally took years. My feeling with the Cooper thing was that police knew, but they wanted to make sure it was an airtight case before arresting. I don't think that joggers can totally relax, since caution for women out alone is always warranted, but I'm thankful for the Cooper family that they are at least not worrying about him running loose although I know it doesn't begin to ease their hurt. There just isn't any happy ending in this.

LADIES PLEASE - this is a tale of domestic abuse that escalated. If you know anyone who is suffering a similarly cruel fate and is making their plans to get out, HELP THEM. They say that the most dangerous time for a women is when she is making plans to leave her domestic partner - the break up time (especially when there are children involved) is the most dangerous time. My sis-in-law (a Ph.D., beautiful, strong, intelligent, loving woman from a family w/means) had to sneak away from her abusive ex and live in a woman's shelter w/her two young children for 5 weeks until she could get a plan and restraining order in place. She didn't want to come to us outright b/c she feared he would find her and/or put us in danger.  I want to also say that he never beat her, but used verbal intimidation at first which escalated into pushing, shoving, slapping the back of her head, kicking her down when she was bent over - never any visible bruises.  But slowly it was getting worse until one night he came after her w/a baseball bat, but he woke the kids up and they came running out and he stopped.  They next day she was gone, thank God.    She also lived in another state, far from family and only a few friends to rely on (abusers like to keep their victims isolated). We are lucky that Nancy had close friends and family so the case was solved pretty quickly and easily. However, if Nancy or anyone could have known that this was possible they could have pulled her out of this situation sooner and she would be alive today. Heartbreaking and more common than we realize. I keep remembering my sis-in-law saying "I can handle it", we had no idea how bad it was, she kept it to herself. I am grateful everytime I read or think about Nancy Cooper that my family member is safe. It easily could have gone differently.

It simply amazes me how young intelligent women seem to gravitate towards creeps and even when the creep exposes himself for what he is they stay with him for what seems like eternity. I do not believe "Love IS Blind". Many of the women we read about that died, were injured or escaped are highly educated and yet when it comes to picking a husband they have a failing grade. The early signs are there and yet the women seem to look the other way. These creeps did not grow that way after the marriage. Their controlling and abusive nature developed long before the age of consent. How many times do we have to hear of the Nancy Coopers in this world before women will wake up. An easy sign when dating? How does the man treat waiters and waitresses? Are you embarrassed by his treatment of a store clerk? Is everyone on the road a jerk? I know you can think of many other signs but you get the picture. If he mistreats the "HELP" then he will mistreat you after the honeymoon period.

RMMLEM - well said!

We all thought my sis-in-law's ex was a "bad" guy but we didn't know to what extent. Her mom tried to talk her out of the wedding b/c of their intellectual differences and cultural differences. She was determined to be the best mom and wife and career woman - she wanted to do it all. She always thought he wasn't shown enough love growing up and she was determined to compensate for it. He cheated, he controlled money (even though she made more) she gave control over her life to this man in order to make him happy. In small ways at first but as he upped the ante she was determined, I think, to keep proving she was devoted and capable until it became unmanageable. He always came back to her after a fight and said he loved her and that she was his only family, it kept her in the abuse/make up whirlwind for years! I've been following the Nancy Cooper case b/c a lot of how her friends described Brad was how my sis's ex was too. Same types of behavior. I really hope this all wakes some people up who are in a position to help someone in a similar situation.

Regarding the comment that we in Cary have always had it in the back of our head that maybe this was random killing, NOT one time have I thought that. This murder doesn't fit a random profile.

I take no pleasure in the thought that Brad was arrested; it is disturbing to know how far all of the abuse went in their married life.

I had rather none of this had happened. However, the facts speak for themself and I am glad that it can be judged in a court of law for all the people concerned.

If this case can help even one troubled couple resolve their differences and go on to build a new life without the hatefulness and revenge mentality that is so harmful to everyone maybe something positive can come out of this terrible tragedy. What good are material possessions at this point. The most precious things Brad and Nancy had were their two children and now they are lost to both of them.

What a waste of the talent, education and opportunity they had going for them.