Clay County jury has found local contractor Corey Binderim guilty of first-degree murder. This conviction relates to the death of his client, Susan Mauldin, whose remains were found in a landfill in early 2020. According to First Coast News, Binderim was also found guilty of burglary with assault or battery and tampering with evidence.
As reported by Action News Jax, the motive behind the killing was a financial dispute. Mauldin wanted a refund for incomplete work that Binderim was hired to do at her Fleming Island home, a conflict that investigators believe led to her murder. Her disappearance in October 2021 prompted a search that ended when the FBI found her body in a landfill months later.
Unsettling images from the landfill search were shown to the jury, displaying Mauldin's remains and two of her nails. One nail contained only her DNA, while the other had DNA from potentially two unknown males, notably lacking any genetic material from Binderim, as stated by News4Jax.
During the trial, prosecutor Pamela Hazel explained that on October 24, 2019, Binderim did not bring the $12,000 check he owed Mauldin but instead brought a contractor bag. After strangling her, he used that bag to conceal her body. This information was mentioned by News4Jax. The defense pointed out that Binderim's DNA was not found on Mauldin's fingernails and noted that scratches and contractor bags are common in his work. After about four hours of deliberation, the jury reached a verdict. Binderim now faces the death penalty and is scheduled for sentencing on Tuesday at 9 a.m., as per First Coast News.
