Murder Charge Drops in Merrillville Case

A shocking murder case in Merrillville takes a dramatic turn as Malik Bunch, 29, pleads guilty to burglary after admitting he broke into his estranged wife’s girlfriend’s apartment — where he strangled Je La Cooper, staging it to look like a drinking accident. With damning evidence including his fingerprint on a wine bottle and a broken lanyard under her body, prosecutors initially took the case to a grand jury — an unusual move. The autopsy was initially inconclusive, but new evidence confirmed strangulation as the cause of death. Bunch faces up to 30 years, but his sentencing hinges on a judge’s approval of the plea deal — set for July 30th. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/6d1030d9c2441e18