Marion County Sheriff’s Major Crimes detectives are asking for help in connection with the suspicious deaths of an Ocala couple in July.
Sheriff’s detectives say they have positively identified the remains of 37-year-old Robert Lee Cooper and his wife, 29-year-old Ariel Vanessa Prim. They were found dead inside their charred mobile home after it caught fire on July 28, detectives say.
Crews from Marion County Fire Rescue responded to the blaze at 4030 SE 84th Lane Road in Ocala and upon arrival found human remains inside the burned residence. They then requested the assistance of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office in the case.
In the months following the incident, detectives have conducted a thorough investigation into the deaths and this past Wednesday, Dec. 5, they received the DNA results confirming the remains to be that of Cooper and Prim, a sheriff’s office report says.
The State Fire Marshal has conducted an independent investigation into the fire and the cause of the blaze hasn’t yet been determined. The Medical Examiner’s Office has ruled the deaths to be of undetermined causes and detectives are investigating the case as suspicious.
Anyone with information is encouraged to call Detective Billy Burleson at (352) 368-3542. Those wishing to remain anonymous can contact Crime Stoppers of Marion County at 352-368-STOP (7867).