A teenager who had allegedly murdered a young girl and used social media to solicit suggestions on how to dispose of the body has claimed that the killing was an "accident," as local authorities in Pennsylvania continue to investigate the case.
Joshua Cooper, a 16-year-old boy from Pennsylvania, was taken into custody on Friday after he had allegedly asked an acquaintance of his how to dispose of a dead body, before showing the bloodied legs of someone who appeared to be dead, according to the police report.
Cooper had ended up being arrested by police officers in the area after they descended upon the trailer park that he lived in, with them saying that the dead body of a young girl who appeared to have been shot was found in the premises.
He had attempted to run away from authorities before he was arrested, and found himself apologizing without prompt for the alleged crime he committed, and claiming that he would be “going to jail for the rest of [his] life” for what he did, CNN reported.
The young girl, reportedly 13 years old and who has not been publicly named by authorities, was identified by her family members due to the jewelry that she was wearing. She was reportedly shot in the chest by a “large caliber” weapon.
When interviewed by local authorities, Cooper claimed that he had a prior relationship with the young girl, and that they were lounging around watching an unnamed Netflix series that day. Cooper had also opened his father’s safe earlier that day and that he was sorting ammunition and reorganizing the firearms found in the safe.
The interview was cut off by Cooper’s mother before they could continue.
Cooper is currently housed in the Edison Juvenile Detention Center after his bail was denied, and will be tried as an adult for the charges of criminal homicide, possessing instruments of crime, and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence.
