ALBANY, Ga. (Court TV) — A jury in Georgia took less than an hour to convict a man for the slaying of his girlfriend and mother of his child whose body has yet to be recovered.
Ryan Cooper, 28, was convicted of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault and concealing the death of another in the slaying of 23-year-old Lacambria Deonshay Toomer.
Ryan Cooper and Lacambria Toomer (CourtTV).
“Ryan Cooper is absolutely, 100% guilty of all the charges that have been brought before you,” Gregory W. Edwards told the jury during closing arguments. “There should be no doubt in your mind that Ryan Cooper is guilty.”
Edwards said Cooper shot and killed Toomer to send a message.
“He wasn’t playing around,” the prosecutor said. “He meant business.”
Cooper could have disposed of Toomer’s body anywhere in Georgia, and by doing so, chose to erase the “very existence of Lacambria Toomer,” said Edwards.
Defense attorney Benjamin Davis tried to raise reasonable doubt with the jury by attacking the credibility of the state’s “paid” blood experts, saying their erroneous testimony has led to false convictions before.
“What is this case really about?” Davis asked. “This case is about jumping to a conclusion, [and] not doing all that you need to do to investigate a crime.”
Davis also reiterated that Toomer’s body has never been recovered and spoke about the length of time between Cooper’s arrest and indictment. Cops arrested Cooper on May 31, 2023. A grand jury indicted Cooper in March 2026, court records say.
“They haven’t been able to find her,” Davis said. “They claimed that she died, I get that. But it took them an enormous amount of time to reach that decision and ultimately to get these experts. And they still haven’t figured it out. Their case makes absolutely no sense.”
Toomer was last seen in Albany, Georgia, on Aug. 13, 2022, and was reported missing 11 days later. According to local NBC affiliate WALB, authorities believe Cooper killed Toomer around Aug. 15 or 16, 2022. He claimed he dropped her off at a gas station, but cops say that’s not true.
Prosecutors reportedly pieced together the case using text messages between Cooper and Toomer and cellphone GPS records. Cooper was the last person to be with Toomer, according to cops. Her last known text message was sent on Aug. 15, 2022.
Authorities did not divulge a motive for the killing. Cooper and Toomer shared a child.
Toomer’s mother told WALB that while she was pleased about the indictment, she wants her daughter’s remains found.
“I’m still hurting on the inside, even though we got the justice part,” Melassia Thornton Caldwell said. “But I’m still hurting because I don’t have the closure part, because I still don’t know where her remains lie.”
Cooper has been at the Doughty County Jail since his arrest.
