On May 10, 2023, 23-year-old James K. Cooper was found dead near the Mace Apartments in Metcalfe, Mississippi. Although his death was quickly ruled a suicide, his family believes the circumstances surrounding his death raise significant unanswered questions and deserve a full, independent investigation.
In the weeks leading up to his death, James' girlfriend told him that doctors had just told her that she had been born with holes in her heart, had only one month to live. She also claimed she was pregnant but that doctors would have to remove the baby. Believing she was terminally ill, James drove her and her children from Wisconsin to Mississippi to spend her remaining time with her mother. James immediately returned to Wisconsin. Less than two weeks later, he traveled back to Mississippi to be with her. Within days, he was dead.
As the investigation unfolded, numerous inconsistencies emerged. The girlfriend gave conflicting accounts of her medical condition, alleged pregnancy, and the events leading up to and after James' disappearance. Witnesses reported receiving different versions of the same events, raising questions about the reliability of key statements.
One of the most troubling inconsistencies occurred while James was missing. A witness stated that the girlfriend claimed she had spoken with James' mother and that James had called his mother to say he was in the woods, near water and intended to take his own life. James' mother has stated that no such conversation ever took place, and there was no communication between her and the girlfriend until after James' body had been found. And coincidentally that is precisely where James was later found.
According to the girlfriend and her mother, James left the apartment on May 8, 2023, after an argument and never returned. He was reported missing the following day. On May 10, James was found less than 600 feet from the apartment complex, seated on the ground with his legs crossed and a cable around his neck attached to a nearby pole.
Additional questions have surrounded the investigation from the beginning. A witness who regularly traveled through the area has stated they did not see James' body in the hours before it was discovered. The coroner on the scene sent James' mother a video expressing her concerns. She believed there was foul play. The family was also told James' body was too decomposed to be viewed and was encouraged to cremate him, despite photographs showing his body appeared well preserved. The autopsy was just a visual autopsy. And concerns have also been raised regarding unexplained injuries, conflicting timelines, and the limited scope of the investigation.
More than three years later, James' family continues to seek answers. They believe critical evidence was overlooked, important inconsistencies were never resolved, and that James' death deserves the thorough investigation it has never received.