A reward is now being offered for any information leading to an arrest in the death of Ocala couple earlier this year.
The remains of Robert Lee Cooper, 37, and his 29-year-old wife, Ariel Vanessa Prim, were positively identified last month. The couple was 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, Major Crimes detectives from the sheriff’s office conducted a thorough investigation into the deaths and on Dec. 5 received the DNA results confirming the remains to be that of Cooper and Prim, a sheriff’s office report says. The cause of the blaze hasn’t yet been determined and the Medical Examiner’s Office has ruled the deaths to be of undetermined causes.
Together, the Florida Sheriff’s Association Criminal Apprehension Assistance Program and Marion County Crime Stoppers are offering $5,000 for any information that leads to an arrest in the case. Anyone who has information and would like to be eligible for the award should contact Marion County Crime Stoppers at 352-368-STOP (7867).