Jacqueline Hoyle, a 24-year-old female, had a vibrant spirit and a smile that could light up a room. Raised in Ocean City, New Jersey, she later moved to Atlantic City, where she graduated from high school in 2011. With a passion for helping people, she was pursuing a career as a Certified Nursing Assistant. Her life was tragically cut short on December 20, 2016, when she was found deceased in her Atlantic City home.
In the early morning hours of that December day, Atlantic City Police
responded to a call and discovered Jacqueline inside her residence on North Tennessee Avenue. An autopsy later confirmed that she had died from a single gunshot wound, and her death was officially ruled a homicide. The investigation into her death quickly focused on her 45-year-old estranged boyfriend, Joseph McCoy.
Following an intensive two-day investigation by the Atlantic City Police Department and the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office, a warrant was issued for McCoy's arrest on charges of murder and weapons possession. He was apprehended in North Carolina in early January 2017 and extradited back to New Jersey to face the charges.
Joseph McCoy was subsequently convicted of Jacqueline's murder. During the sentencing, her family spoke of the profound and lasting void her death left in their lives. McCoy, who maintained his innocence and painted himself as a victim of the legal system, was sentenced to 50 years in state prison. Under the terms of his sentence, he will be required to serve at least 85 percent of his term before becoming eligible for parole.
