Jose Roberto Turner Sentenced to 26 Years to Life For LaJoya McCoy Murder

LaJoya McCoy was a 31-year-old mother of two when she was murdered by Jose Roberto Turner, according to the listing for tonight’s Dateline NBC episode, which will be reported by Josh Mankiewicz.

McCoy was found dead in her car on June 16, 2015. Her body was located just a mile away from her apartment, according to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. She had been reported missing by her family the day before after missing some appointments, the newspaper reported.

Roberto Turner was eventually found guilty of first-degree murder in the case and was sentenced to 26 years to life in prison, Monrovia Weekly reported.

Read on to learn more about the case, trial, and sentencing.

Prosecutors Alleged Turner Strangled and Stabbed McCoy

#BREAKING: Body found in car confirmed to be that of missing Monrovia mother of 2 Lajoya McCoy http://t.co/zGFFbaCuYa pic.twitter.com/Myb6M4MVTg

— KTLA (@KTLA) June 23, 2015

According to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Turner strangled McCoy to death with a rope or a cord. Then, he stabbed his ex-girlfriend and covered her up with a blanket and a child’s car seat before leaving her in the car. The two had two children together and had been in a long-term relationship, though they had separated before the murder.

McCoy was an accountant with Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, and she also owned a clothing boutique. Her children, James and Savannah, were 7 and 9 years old at the time of her death, and they had been staying with her father when she was reported missing, the San Gabriel Valley Tribune reported.

According to the case on casetext.com, McCoy and Turner began dating when she was just 20 years old. The report on the case paints a picture of McCoy being afraid of Turner for years before her death, according to the testimonies of her friends, coworkers and family.

When investigators searched McCoy’s apartment, they found a transfer-type bloodstain on the bedroom wall that matched Turner’s DNA. They also found his DNA on a bloodstain on the light switch cover in the bathroom, according to casetext.

Prosecutors Said There Was a Battle Over Custody of The Two Children

Case Text reports additional evidence came out in the form of a note in McCoy’s handwriting in her car that read.

“May 2015, Jewelry and birth certificates/SSC are missing from my house,” the note read. “May 2015, all my insurance policies are missing from my house. June 15, I got a flat tire after he says he’s in my area. He text me at 12:14 and 12:45 in the morning. Tire guy says it was intentionally done. Sends me disturbing text messages.”

According to the Los Angeles Times, the couple had been in the middle of a bitter dispute regarding the custody of their children and Turner had threatened McCoy multiple times before killing her on June 10.

Turner Was Found Guilty & Sentenced to 26 Years to Life in Prison

Murder of Monrovia’s LaJoya McCoy is subject of TV One true crime series https://t.co/M5TwyEul62

— Whittier Daily News (@WhittierNews) August 2, 2019

Turner was arrested over a month after McCoy’s body had been found, according to the LA Times. He was charged with first-degree murder and held without bail until his trial, where he pleaded not guilty.

According to the Monrovia Weekly, Turner was found guilty and sentenced to 26 years to life in the murder case. The charge was first-degree murder with an allegation that a rope or cord was used as a deadly weapon.

The California Department of Corrections Inmate Search tool reveals that Turner is currently in custody at the Kern Valley State Prison. He will be eligible for parole in June 2036, according to the site.

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