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Missing Alexandria man found dead inside apartment closet, suspect charged with murder
A search for missing 44-year-old Joshua Cochran ended in tragedy after Alexandria detectives discovered his body hidden inside an apartment closet with severe blunt-force head injuries. Police say 63-year-old John Strepleton III, a registered sex offender seen drinking with Cochran prior to his disappearance, gave an immediate confession at his front door when investigators arrived to question him. Strepleton has been charged with second-degree murder as authorities work to uncover what led to the killing.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. - A missing persons search for a 44-year-old Alexandria man ended in a homicide investigation after detectives discovered his body hidden inside an apartment closet and arrested a 63-year-old man who confessed at his front door.
What we know:
Joshua Cochran's family contacted authorities over the weekend after growing concerned that he had stopped answering his phone. Officers checked his apartment off Merton Court on Monday, but he was not there. By Tuesday, with his car still parked outside and still no word from him, police escalated the search to a critical missing persons investigation.
Detectives began retracing Cochran’s last known movements and reviewed surveillance video that showed him drinking with another man at local restaurants before the two headed back to an apartment.
When detectives tracked down that apartment to question the man seen with Cochran, they were met at the door by 63-year-old John Strepleton III.
"When our detectives knocked on the door, when they opened that door, the suspect gave an immediate confession," said Alexandria Police Chief Tarrick McGuire.
Officers searched the apartment and discovered Cochran's body hidden inside a closet. Police confirmed he suffered severe blunt-force injuries to his head.
Strepleton was taken into custody and charged with second-degree murder. Virginia State Police records show Strepleton is a registered sex offender with convictions dating back to 2014.
What they're saying:
Neighbors living in the apartment complex expressed disbelief over the arrest.
"It’s absolutely insane. This guy was a neighbor, I talked to him several times, had beers with him a couple of times," Chris Cumber told FOX 5. "Extremely shocking just to know he was sitting out here when he had a deceased body inside his house is wild."
Another neighbor, Lizzy Swanton, described Strepleton as friendly. "He seemed very chill. We would talk about things at the apartment complex, I would always say hi to him in the mornings," Swanton said. "It’s kind of crazy that he could’ve done something like that."
What we don't know:
Authorities have not identified what led up to the killing.
The exact nature of the relationship between Cochran and Strepleton remains under investigation, though police confirmed the two had been drinking together at several locations before returning to the apartment.
The Source: This article was written using statements from the Alexandria Police Department, records from the Virginia State Police and verbal testimony from neighbors.