Peytona , Boone County , West Virginia

A Boone County magistrate Tuesday bound the case of a Lincoln woman accused of murdering an elderly man over to a grand jury for consideration.

Maura Shea Perry, 20, of Hamlin is accused in the shooting death of Jimmie Cooper, 71, whose body was discovered Sept. 26 after his co-workers reported that he had not shown up for work.

In magistrate court Tuesday, a deputy testified that Perry had confessed to the crime, saying she shot Cooper with his own .38-caliber gun as he lay in his bed at his home in Peytona. The deputy said the suspect said she had been planning to poison Cooper, but she was not able to get the drugs.

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The Boone County Sheriff's Office has filed warrants and charged a woman in connection with the murder of a elderly man.

The body of Jimmie Cooper, 71, was discovered Wednesday night after his co-workers reported he hadn't shown up to work.

Maura Shea Perry, 20, of Hamlin is now charged with first degree murder. If she is convicted, she could face life in prison.

Investigators believe that Cooper was killed by a single gunshot wound to the head as he lay in his bed at home.

Investigators believe Perry had an ongoing relationship with the victim and stole property after the murder, which she pawned to facilitate her drug usage.

Deputies recovered Cooper's car at a park and ride at Scott Depot on Thursday, where it had been abandoned. Several items have been recovered from pawn shops in the Kanawha Valley area that belonged to the victim, Sheriff Rodney Miller said in a press release.

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A murder investigation is underway in Boone County after police find a badly decomposed body in a trailer.

Boone County Sheriff Rodney Miller says suspicious signs in the home have led them to label the case a homicide. Now, a community is left wondering how Jimmie Cooper, 71, died and if someone out there is responsible.

"He was a fine outstanding man," said Kevin White. White worked with Cooper as a security guard at a Boone County mine, just up the road from his house. Cooper was found dead late Wednesday night.

"There's somewhat suspicious circumstances around it, just in the manner that we found it," said Miller.

Miller believes someone broke into the trailer, located just off of Route 3 in Peytona.

"There did seem to be some forced entry into the residence. We don't know if that was something that lead to this individuals death or if it was something after the fact," the sheriff said.

White says Cooper didn't show up to work on Saturday, sparking concern for his well-being.

"We maybe thought he went out of town or something then a couple of days after not seeing his vehicle here, me and an in-house worker decided to report it and that's how this was all discovered," explained White.

Deputies came to the home around 11:30 Wednesday night and found Cooper's badly decomposing body inside. They stayed on scene all night and all day Thursday collecting evidence and discovered his car abandoned at a Putnam County Park and Ride.

Investigators aren't saying how he died. They say the condition of his body hindered the early staged of the investigation, prompting them to send the body to the state medical examiner's office.

"My understanding is that he was a great guy here in the community. He was a really good employee for me," said White.

Deputies said they were questioning several people. No arrests have been made. They believe he was last seen alive last Thursday, September 20th.

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Authorities released the name of a 71-year-old Boone County man who was found slain in his home.

The body of Jimmie Cooper was discovered in his residence behind the Peytona Southern Baptist Church just off Route 3 Thursday morning.

Deputies have shifted the investigation to Putnam County where his Cooper's car was found this afternoon.

Stay tuned to Eyewitness News for further updates.

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The body of a man has been found inside a Boone County home, and investigators said it is an apparent homicide.

A 71-year-old man was found inside his home behind the Peytona Southern Baptist Church just off of Route 3 Thursday morning, Boone County Sheriff Rodney Miller said.

Miller said the victim, who has not been identified, was last seen a week ago Thursday. He hadn't shown up for work, so officers went to his home to check on him. That's where they found signs of forced entry -- a door to the residence had been kicked in.

The victim's car was found in Putnam County early Thursday afternoon.

Stay tuned to Eyewitness News for the latest on this developing story.

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Authorities are investigating a death in Boone County where a decomposed body was found.

Kanawha County dispatchers put out an alert about 6:15 a.m. Thursday for two people police wanted to question for a possible homicide that happened in Peytona.

Boone County deputies, State Police and crime scene detectives were all at a trailer behind the Peytona Southern Baptist Church, located just off of Route 3.

Deputies are not releasing many details about the investigation at this time.

Eyewitness News has a crew on the scene. Stay tuned for further updates.

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