Ryan Cooper, 28, was found guilty on Tuesday (July 14) of murdering his girlfriend Lacambria Deonshay Toomer and concealing her body so effectively that her remains have never been recovered. A jury in Dougherty County, Albany, Georgia, USA, deliberated for just 24 minutes before returning a verdict.
Conviction and Charges
Cooper was convicted of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, and concealing the death of another. Toomer, 23, was the mother of Cooper's child and was last seen alive in Albany on August 13, 2022. Her family reported her missing 11 days later on August 24.
Investigators determined that Toomer was killed between August 15 and 16, but her body has never been found. Prosecutors argued that Cooper shot her and then made her disappear.
Prosecution's Case
District Attorney Gregory W. Edwards told the jury during closing arguments: “Ryan Cooper is absolutely, 100% guilty of all the charges that have been brought before you. There should be no doubt in your mind that Ryan Cooper is guilty.” Edwards said Cooper killed Toomer to send a message, adding: “He wasn’t playing around. He meant business.”
The state built a no-body murder case, relying on digital forensics and circumstantial evidence to dismantle Cooper's account. When questioned by Albany Police, Cooper claimed he argued with Toomer and dropped her off unharmed at a Love's truck stop in Cordele so he would not be late for a work delivery in Savannah. He said she later hung up on him and he never saw her again.
Evidence Against Cooper
GPS data from his work truck and phone tracking placed him nowhere near Cordele. Records showed Toomer's phone went silent immediately after August 15, and prosecutors noted Cooper made no attempts to contact her after she supposedly vanished. Investigators also discovered that Cooper used Toomer's EBT card after her disappearance. Forensic teams dismantled parts of Cooper's Audi convertible and found components that tested positive for preliminary traces of blood.
Defense's Argument
Defence lawyer Benjamin Davis insisted the state's timeline was a “fictional like story” and attacked the credibility of prosecution experts. “What is this case really about? This case is about jumping to a conclusion, not doing all that you need to do to investigate a crime,” Davis said. “They haven’t been able to find her. They claimed that she died, I get that. But it took them an enormous amount of time to reach that decision and ultimately to get these experts. And they still haven’t figured it out. Their case makes absolutely no sense.”
Arrest and Sentencing
Cooper was arrested on May 31, 2023, and indicted in March 2026. He is being held in the Dougherty County Jail ahead of sentencing, as investigators continue searching for Toomer's remains.
