Samuel James Cooper

Serial Killer

Samuel James Cooper Jr. - Raleigh Serial Killer

Overview

Samuel James Cooper Jr. is an American serial killer convicted of murdering five men in and around Raleigh, North Carolina, during a 17-month period between May 2006 and October 2007. His victims came from different backgrounds and were killed under different circumstances, but firearms evidence ultimately connected all five murders to Cooper. Several of the killings were committed during robberies or attempted robberies, while another victim appears to have been caught in a confrontation in which he was not the intended target. Cooper's series of killings remained unsolved until an unrelated bank robbery in November 2007 gave investigators the evidence they needed. During Cooper's flight from police, authorities recovered a 9mm Ruger P89DC handgun. Firearms examiners subsequently determined that bullets and cartridge cases recovered from the five homicide investigations could be connected to that weapon. The discovery transformed several separate unsolved murders into a single investigation and ultimately led police to Cooper.

Criminal History Before the Murders

Cooper already had a significant history of violent crime before the killings began. He had been convicted for armed robberies committed during the 1990s and spent years in prison. While incarcerated, he participated in an escape in which inmates overpowered a supervisor and took control of a vehicle. Cooper later assaulted a law-enforcement officer during court proceedings and attempted to seize the officer's weapon. He was eventually returned to prison and was released in February 2006. Only a few months after his release, the first murder later attributed to Cooper occurred. Over the next year and a half, men were shot at businesses, a private residence, and on a Raleigh street. At first, investigators had little reason to know that the crimes were connected. Ballistic comparisons would eventually provide the critical link. ...

Confirmed Victims: (5)

Ossama Haj-Hussein Age: (43), Date of Death: 2006-05-12

Authorities believe that robber turned to homicide after release