$10,000 reward offered as FBI joins investigation into disappearance of Sacoya Cooper

A $10,000 reward is now being offered for information and the FBI is joining Columbus police in the effort to help locate a transgender woman who went missing from her home more than a year ago.

Columbus police have been investigating the disappearance of 33-year-old Sacoya Cooper, who was last seen leaving her home in North Linden on Aug. 31, 2021. Police reiterated Tuesday that they believe Cooper is the victim of foul play.

At a Wednesday press conference, Columbus police Det. Chuck Radich said he believes there are witnesses who have information about where Cooper might be.

“We believe that there are witnesses in the community that could bring closure for the family,” Radich said.

Central Ohio Crime Stoppers is also offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to Cooper's location.

Although she no longer uses it, Cooper's legal name is Devin Cooper.

Cooper's friends and family gave an emotional plea for information. Bre Belcher, who said Cooper was like a sister to her, said the family wants closure and asked community members to help.

“We just want some closure — the agony, the sleepless nights. We ask that if anyone has any information can you please help, please reach out,” Belcher said. “This is somebody’s child —  this is a human.”

Cooper's mother, Regina Love, also urged anyone with information to come forward.

“We've been through four seasons and still no Sacoya,” Love said.

Sacoya Cooper: The latest on her disappearance

The car that Cooper was seen leaving her house in, a 2009 black Ford Fusion, was found on the West Side several weeks after her disappearance. Columbus police did not announce the discovery of Cooper's car until a press conference in February. At that time, police said the car had a stolen license plate on it that did not match Cooper's registration and that the car and license plate had been gathered as evidence.

Theodore Decker:Police secrecy in Sacoya Cooper case, others is disservice to the public, and especially to victims

Cooper had left her partner's home in the area of Cremeans Park to go get bottled water at a nearby convenience store; however, she never returned.

Cooper is believed to have last been seen in the area of Howey Road and Weldon Avenue or in the area of East Weber Road and Cleveland Avenue, both on the city's Northeast Side.

At the press conference, Radich declined to comment on what kind of foul play might be suspected in Cooper's disappearance, such as violence against Cooper or whether she might be the victim of human trafficking. He added that law enforcement has conducted interviews, but that there was "nothing really new to share" with the case.

Cooper is described as Black, standing 5-foot-5 and weighing about 145 pounds. She has black hair and brown eyes and was last seen wearing black lemonade braids, a black and white summer dress and black and white Baby Phat brand sandals.

Cooper has also been entered into NamUs, a federally funded database that includes the names of missing, unidentified and unclaimed people across the country.

The investigation by Columbus police has been scrutinized by local advocacy groups, including Black Queer & Intersectional Collective (BQIC), an organization that advocates for Black LGBTQIA+ people. The group had organized searches in the weeks following Cooper's disappearance and expressed concern with how seriously police were treating the case.

Radich said he has been focused on resolving the case.

“It's had my attention since day one,” Radich said. "I've put a lot of time into this and treated it just like any other missing persons case."

Cooper's family said they were hopeful that a financial incentive may be what is needed to get the information they need for closure.

"The world revolves around money, so maybe this reward being out there maybe will give a little push, a little umph, to do something," Belcher said. “It does give hope, but it’s been a year — it's going to be a miracle to even believe that she’s still amongst us today.”

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 614-461-TIPS or submit information online at www.stopcrime.org. All tips to Crime Stoppers are anonymous and a special coding system is used to provide the reward.

bbruner@dispatch.com

@bethany_bruner

Cbehrens@dispatch.com

@Colebehr_report

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Sacoya Cooper: FBI joins investigation into missing transgender woman