Trial begins for North Texas man accused of killing roommate, leaving body in room for days
Jury selection and opening statements began Monday in the murder trial of a White Settlement man accused of shooting to death his roommate in 2019 and then leaving the body in their apartment for several days before calling 911.
During an interview at the Tarrant County Jail in 2019, Jeffery Cory told WFAA-TV that the two had gotten into an argument. Cory said he pulled out his handgun and his roommate, Erik Fernandez, was shot in the stomach as the two struggled over the weapon.
Cory said in the TV interview that he then intentionally shot Fernandez twice. “I shot him once in the face and he twisted to the ground and I heard a noise,” Cory told WFAA-TV. “I popped him in the back of the head to make sure he was dead, so he wouldn’t suffer.”
The murder trial for the 44-year-old Cory is in Tarrant County’s 213th District Court in Fort Worth.
Fernandez was 43, and he and Cory had known each other for about six years.
Cory told WFAA that he and Fernandez had had some disagreements during their time as roommates, and Fernandez had nagged him about his drinking and other behavior. He said Fernandez had at times threatened to kick him out of their apartment.
On the night of Feb. 27, 2019, Cory arrived home after a night of celebrating with friends because he had been hired at a new job. He told WFAA that led to an argument with Fernandez and the shooting.
Fernandez died from gunshot wounds to his head and neck, according to a ruling by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Cory told WFAA that he did not call 911 but instead dragged his friend’s body into his bedroom and then drove to a nearby lake to get rid of his handgun. The next day, he went to work as if nothing had happened. He even took care of Fernandez’s pets.
Cory didn’t call 911 until the night of March 1, 2019.
Cory called police to report he had found his roommate dead in a bedroom. White Settlement police responded to the report of a deceased person shortly after 7 p.m. in the 1200 block of Kimbrough St.
White Settlement firefighters and paramedics also responded and found Fernandez’s body in the apartment. White Settlement is adjacent to Fort Worth on the west side of the city.
Initially, Cory told White Settlement police he had not seen Fernandez or his vehicle for several days. On the night of March 1, 2019, Cory said he arrived home from work and noticed Fernandez’s bedroom door closed and his dogs scratching at the door.
“Cory told officers he opened the door and found a deceased person and called 911,” White Settlement police Sgt. Michelle LeNoir said in a 2019 news release.
Cory was arrested when he admitted to police that he had shot his roommate days before he called, LeNoir said.
