Dana Marie Peksenak Cooley, a 47-year-old female, was tragically taken from her life on Monday, February 13, 2023, at her home in Portage, Indiana. Born on May 11, 1975, in Hobart, Indiana, she was a retired quality control technician for Cleveland Cliffs Steel. She found joy in bowling, riding her Harley, and various arts and crafts, but her greatest passion was spending time with her daughter.
On that late Monday morning, a call to the police reported a shooting at her residence.
Officers arrived to find Dana Cooley unresponsive with an injury to the center of her chest. She was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy later revealed that she died from a single gunshot wound to her chest. The evidence suggested the gun was pressed against her chest when it was fired, a detail that contradicted the initial account of the incident provided by her husband.
Her husband, Richard Cooley, then 63 years old, was taken into custody. He initially claimed that the shooting was an accident that occurred while his wife was sitting in a chair. However, the investigation led to a murder charge being filed against him. In June 2024, after a jury deliberated for ten hours, Richard Cooley, 64, was found guilty of the murder of his wife. He was also convicted of pointing a firearm. His sentencing was scheduled for July 12, 2024.
