On the morning of September 3, 2021, the community of Palmyra, Missouri, was shaken by the discovery of a deceased woman in the 100 block of East Jefferson Street. Authorities were called to the scene around 11:00 a.m. after receiving reports of an unresponsive individual inside a vehicle. Upon arrival, officers found 34-year-old Crystal Marie Lynn Cooper lifeless in her car. First responders pronounced her dead at the scene, and investigators immediately labeled the death as suspicious, launching a homicide investigation into the circumstances surrounding her passing.
Law enforcement quickly identified a person of interest in the case: Raymond Gum, Jr., a man with whom Crystal had previously been in a romantic relationship and had once shared a home. The investigation revealed that Gum was no longer in the immediate area. A multi-agency manhunt ensued, involving the Palmyra Police Department, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the U.S. Marshal’s Violent Fugitive Task Force. The search led authorities across state lines to Petersburg, Illinois.
Approximately 24 hours after the discovery of Crystal's body, on September 4, 2021, law enforcement located Gum at a residence in Petersburg. He was taken into custody without incident by Menard County Sheriff’s deputies and members of the task force. Following his arrest, prosecutors charged Gum with first-degree murder and armed criminal action. By early 2022, a judge found probable cause to proceed with the case, binding him over for trial on charges related to the shooting death of the young mother.
