A Marion, Ohio man convicted of murdering his live-in girlfriend will spend at least 21 years in prison after an Ohio appeals court rejected his bid to overturn the verdict. Jerry Lee Cooper, now 60, fatally shot 48-year-old Teresa Gibson in January 2023 inside the home the couple shared on Thompson Street, and a jury found him guilty of murder, felonious assault, tampering with evidence, and firearm specifications after a three-day trial in March 2025.
The Third District Court of Appeals affirmed the conviction and sentence on August 24, rejecting Cooper's argument that the jury's verdict went against the manifest weight of the evidence, according to Ray Grogan Marion County Prosecutor's Office. Presiding Judge Zimmerman authored the appellate panel's decision in Case No. 9-25-26, with Judges Willamowski and Waldick concurring, per the Ohio Third District Court of Appeals. Attorney W. Joseph Edwards represented Cooper on appeal, while Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Allison M. Kesler argued the case on behalf of the State of Ohio.
A 911 Call Built on False Claims
During his 911 call after the shooting, Cooper told dispatchers he had woken up to find his front door wide open and claimed Gibson had been robbed, even suggesting she may have taken a Xanax and fallen into a dog bowl. That account did not match the physical evidence gathered by investigators, which the same prosecutor's office says included DNA evidence, positive gunshot residue on Cooper's clothing, and cell phone location data tracking his movements after the shooting.
Trial evidence showed Cooper placed a towel over Gibson's head wound so he would not have to watch her suffer, then drove around Marion in the early morning hours to dispose of the firearm before calling 911. Medical testimony established that the bullet severed Gibson's spinal cord, paralyzing her and leaving her unable to breathe while she remained conscious for several minutes before she died, according to Marion County Now.
Jury Took Under Two Hours to Convict
The Marion County jury deliberated for less than two hours before returning guilty verdicts on all counts against Cooper, the outlet's report notes. Marion County Common Pleas Court Judge Matthew Frericks formally sentenced Cooper to an aggregate term of 21 years to life in a judgment entry dated April 2, 2025, merging multiple murder counts for sentencing purposes. Cooper has remained in continuous law-enforcement custody since the night of the shooting, through his trial and now his appeal.
Marion County Prosecutor Ray Grogan said the appellate ruling confirms that the jury got it right, and he credited investigators and jurors for the outcome. Grogan, who tried the case alongside Assistant Prosecutor Kesler, thanked her for defending the conviction on appeal and praised the appellate court's decision, saying it affirms justice delivered for Gibson and her family. The Marion Police Department worked with the Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Bureau of Criminal Investigation to build the case against Cooper.
Appellate Court Covers 17 Ohio Counties
Headquartered in Lima, the Third District Court of Appeals has jurisdiction over common pleas court appeals from 17 central and northwestern Ohio counties, including Marion County, where its judges travel throughout the district to hear cases. With the three-judge panel unanimously rejecting Cooper's challenge, his conviction and sentence now stand, bringing what the prosecutor's office describes as finality to the case. Cooper remains in prison serving his 21-years-to-life sentence.
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