- Ash Cooper faces 15 to 40 years in prison after she admits to killing Morgan Connors in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, in 2022
- Cooper was initially charged as Joshua, but began switching after her arrest
<!–
<!–
<!– <!–
<!–
<!–
<!–
An 18-year-old transgender woman has pleaded guilty to the brutal murder of a 12-year-old girl with whom she allegedly had a sexual relationship.
Ash Cooper will spend at least 15 years in prison after she admitted to killing Morgan Connors in the trailer she shared with her father in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, in November 2022.
Police say the teenager called a female friend on Instagram video after the murder, showing Connor’s body covered in blood and asking for help disposing of it.
When she was arrested, Cooper reportedly told police that the murder was an accident and that she was upset and afraid of going to prison for the rest of her life.
Cooper was initially charged as Joshua Cooper, but began to change after her arrest, with her lawyer asking the court to call her Ash.
The teenager claimed she had cleaned out her father’s safe and gone through his guns and ammunition before Connors was dropped off at her house. She claimed her father removed the safe’s battery, which activated the combination lock.
Ash Cooper, now 18, will spend at least 15 years in prison after admitting the manslaughter of Morgan Connors, who was 12 when she was killed
Cooper was initially charged as Joshua Cooper, but began to change after her arrest, with her lawyer asking the court to call her Ash
The teenager claimed she cleaned out her father’s safe and went through his guns and ammunition before Connors was dropped off at her house
Cooper, who was 16 at the time of the murder, also allegedly told police that she and Connors were in a sexual relationship.
“It’s a terrible tragedy,” said Bucks County Court Judge Jeffrey L. Finley. ‘A tragedy no family should ever have to go through.’
Police were called to the scene of the murder, a woman called 911 and said her daughter had received a video call from Cooper, who said he had killed someone before turning the camera and showing Connors’ bloody legs and feet.
According to court documents, Connors was found face down with his pants around his ankles and shot in the back.
Her cause of death was a single gunshot wound to the neck and upper chest area.
Police say they found evidence that someone had tried to clean up the crime scene.
Cooper told police the two had been watching Netflix when Connors got up to use the bathroom. However, her mother ended the police interview before she could reveal what happened next, according to court documents.
Defense lawyer Paul Lang has argued that Cooper is remorseful and had a ‘difficult upbringing’ and he hopes the guilty plea would bring rehabilitation and redemption, as reported by Philadelphia Inquirer.
Investigators have never determined a motive behind the killing, according to prosecutors.
During the investigation, officials discovered that Cooper was accused of sexual assault in a previous unrelated case. She was found guilty in juvenile court.
The victim was in court Thursday when Cooper received his sentence.