Dateline NBC plans to re-examine the brutal murder of LaJoya McCoy that took place in June 2015. The episode, titled ‘The Dead of Night,’ will dive deeper into the case and reveal why the owner of a clothing boutique died so tragically. The episode will air on network on Thursday, December 28, at 10 pm ET.
In June 2015, the authorities discovered McCoy’s body in her car just one mile away from her California residence. After the investigation began, the police didn’t take much time in naming her ex, Jose Turner, as the prime suspect. Following this, authorities sent McCoy’s body for an autopsy and found that the victim was killed by strangulation. As a result, they watched Turner’s movements and arrested him almost one month after the murder.
The trial began in the case, after which the jury found him guilty of first-degree murder charges. The court sentenced him to 26 years in prison in the LaJoya McCoy murder case. According to the California Department of Corrections, Jose Turner is currently serving his sentence at the North Kern State Prison in Los Angeles.
Dateline NBC: LaJoya McCoy’s murder case explored
People close to LaJoya McCoy started to worry about her when they couldn’t contact her. Her co-workers reported that McCoy didn’t show up at work and demanded a welfare check. On the other hand, her parents filed a missing report and started contacting her friends. After the discovery of her body, it was believed that her ex-boyfriend, Jose Turner, was responsible for her death.
Moreover, the collected DNA evidence from the crime scene and McCoy’s fingernails also matched Turner’s, which led him to become the prime suspect. Almost one month after the murder, police apprehended Jose Turner for the killing of LaJoya McCoy. During the trial, the prosecution team noted that Turner had anger issues. Additionally, after his breakup with McCoy, he expressed a desire to kill her.
The trial concluded with the jury finding Jose Turner guilty on first-degree murder charges.
