Who was Courtney Coco and what happened to her?
POLICE unraveled a tangled web of deceit as they solved a 16-year cold case.
Local authorities discovered Courtney Coco's lifeless body miles away from where she was last seen.
Who was Courtney Coco?
Courtney Coco was a 19-year-old college student from Rapides Parish, Louisiana.
She was enrolled in Northwestern State University's criminal justice program.
October 1, 2004, was the last time Courtney's mother Stephanie Belgard saw her alive.
The grieving mother recalled to Dateline NBC: "It was opening day of squirrel season and we were going camping for the weekend.
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"Courtney was over at my house and I asked her if she wanted to go with us.
"But she didn’t want to go. She’s not really the camping type."
"She always worked hard to better herself and build her future," Stephanie said of her late daughter.
"She just loved life. Her sisters and nephews miss her greatly.
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"We’re a close-knit family and it’s been extremely tough for them. For all of us."
What happened to Courtney?
On October 4, 2004, Courtney's remains were discovered in an abandoned building in Winnie, Texas.
Her cause of death was ruled a homicide but due to the state of her decomposed body, the exact cause remains unknown.
Remembering that day, Courtney's mother shared: "I thought I was hearing things. It couldn’t be her. I just dropped the phone and fell to the floor."
On April 13, 2021, David Anthony Burns was arrested and charged with the second-degree murder of Courtney.
Burns was also the former fiancé of the victim's older sister Lace Evans.
Police believed Burns killed Courtney during an attempt to rob her.
During the trial, several witnesses testified about Burns and Courtney's supposed secret affair.
On October 31, 2022, he was found guilty and convicted of the aforementioned charge.
On November 28, 2022, Burns was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
How can I watch Courtney's Dateline episode?
Courtney's untimely demise at the hands of her sister's ex-fiancé is retold in an episode of Dateline NBC titled Who Killed Courtney Coco?
On April 14, 2023, Who Killed Courtney Coco? is scheduled to be aired at 9pm EST via the aforementioned network.
The broadcast features show anchor Andrea Canning as she collects testimonies from those who were close to the investigation.
For those that miss Friday's airing, there are a couple of streaming options available.
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Audiences that miss the initial broadcast can check out Courtney's episode via Hulu or Peacock.
Previously, the program covered the case during its Cold Case Spotlight series.
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