ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) — [END OF DAY: July 10 at 7:30: p.m.] A police interview with Ryan Cooper’s best friend was played in court Friday as the murder trial continued for the man accused of killing an Albany woman who went missing in 2022. Her body has never been recovered.

Cooper is charged with malice murder, two counts of felony murder, aggravated assault and battery, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, and concealing the death of another.

Best friend’s interview played for third time

For a third time, jurors heard from Tevin Davis — Cooper’s best friend — but this time through a recorded police interview conducted by Albany Police Department Lt. Kalandria Peterson.

In the audio, Davis said Cooper told him weeks after the victim’s death that brain matter was on the roof of the car. Davis also described the relationship between Cooper and the victim as toxic and said he never imagined it would end the way it did. In the recording, Davis said he believes Cooper shot her.

Competing blood tests questioned

The state and defense questioned two separate forensic tests — one conducted by Albany Police and another by the GBI — with the defense arguing the results do not match.

An Albany Police crime scene investigator testified that certain car parts showed indications of blood and possible defects. GBI forensic expert Bianca Fulks then testified about the DNA analysis from the suspected blood, concluding that the DNA matched a child of Toomer’s mother. During cross-examination, the defense pressed Fulks to clarify the presumptive blood test.

[UPDATE: July 10 at 4:15 p.m.] Car parts from Ryan Cooper’s vehicle, where prosecutors believe Lacambria Toomer may have been murdered, were shown to the jury Friday, July 10.

Although Toomer’s body has never been found, the father of her child, Ryan Cooper, is charged in connection with her disappearance and alleged murder.

Stream live trial coverage using the player below:

Forensic Testing of Cooper’s Vehicle

The state and defense both asked questions about two different tests, one performed by Albany Police Department (APD), and one by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI). The defense argued that the two tests yielded different results.

APD Crime Scene Investigator Craig Billsby testified about multiple photos and pieces of evidence, including car parts he says showed the presence of blood and possible defects.

At times, prosecutors displayed several parts from Cooper’s Audi convertible to the jury. Billsby testified that APD preliminary test results indicated positive results for blood on some of those items. He also pointed to what he described as a protruding hole in the passenger-side door.

During cross-examination, the defense questioned Billsby about the evidence he submitted to the GBI Crime Lab and gunshot residue testing conducted by them.

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Below are recaps from each day of the trial:

[UPDATE: July 10 at 11:55 a.m.] Testimony resumed Friday in the murder trial of a man charged in the death of his girlfriend, Lacambria Toomer. Witness Tevin Davis took the stand again after the state refreshed his memory during a closed session Thursday.

Witness recalls asking about Toomer

Davis testified that he once asked the defendant where Toomer was. According to Davis, the defendant responded with a look Davis described as “crazy looking, like he wasn’t supposed to ask that question.”

Davis also testified about the last time he saw Toomer. He said Toomer and the defendant got into an altercation and abruptly left his home—with Davis’ phone still inside the car.

Davis describes spots on car roof

Davis recounted a separate encounter in which the defendant pointed out spots on a car’s roof.

“He came out and told me, literally, came out and told me ‘bruh do you know what that is on the roof?’ I ain’t even look at it, I just got in the car like any other day,” Davis said. “When he had said that, I said ‘nah, what is it?’ And when I looked up, I just seen these lil black lil burgundy spots all on the roof. I looked at him, I said ‘nah what is it?’ He clearly looked at me and said, ‘that’s brains on the roof.’”

Davis is currently serving time in prison for unrelated charges to this case, so he was asked if he was offered any type of help with his case in Terrell County. He stated that he did ask for help, but that wasn’t the only reason he testified.

The defense did not cross-examine the witness.

[July 10 at 9:10 a.m.] Court resumed just after 9 a.m. with testimony from the last witness to take the stand Thursday, Tevin Davis.

Court concluded Thursday, July 9, with the jury leaving early due to the state having to jog the witness’s memory with lengthy interviews that were played outside of the jurors’ presence.

Thursday, July 9:

[END OF DAY: July 9 at 6:30 p.m.] Jurors in the Lacambria Toomer murder trial heard interrogation audio on Wednesday, July 9, from Ryan Cooper, the father of Toomer’s child, who has been charged in connection with her disappearance.

Toomer has been missing since 2022. Although her body has never been found, Dougherty County prosecutors charged Cooper with malice murder, two counts of felony murder, aggravated assault and battery, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, and concealing the death of another.

Cooper’s account of Toomer’s disappearance

The audio was recorded during an interrogation conducted by Albany Police Department Lt. Kalandria Peterson, a few months after Toomer’s disappearance. In it, Cooper described the last time he said he saw Toomer.

Cooper, who worked as a truck driver, said he and Toomer were driving from Albany to Savannah when they stopped in Cordele. He said an argument broke out after Toomer accused him of texting other women. Cooper told investigators Toomer got out of the truck with a bag of her belongings.

Cooper said he was in a hurry to make a delivery in Savannah and did not want to be late, so he left Toomer at a Love’s truck stop in Cordele. He said he called her after driving away, but she was still upset and hung up. He said that was the last time he heard from her.

In a separate portion of the audio, Cooper addressed rumors that he may have had something to do with Toomer’s disappearance.

“I drive my truck. I got a career and a life. Why would I want to hurt somebody else and take their life? Or why would I want to destroy somebody else’s future, and my future. I have a son and all the other interests or so. So, why would I want all this to even proceed? And then for her mama. Melissa knows that I ain’t did nothing but try to help her from the beginning.”

Lt. Peterson also questioned Cooper about his use of Toomer’s EBT card, his work truck, and the whereabouts of his personal vehicle.

After the video was played, Peterson told the jury what she uncovered after Cooper’s interview. Detailing phone records between Cooper and Toomer

“There were no phone calls from him to her, her to him, phone records. Also, we’re talking about phone records, we’re talking about phone calls, incoming outgoing text messages as well. So I didn’t see any text messages from him to her or her to him.”

Peterson also told the jury about GPS data from what officials believe was Toomer’s last days alive.

Peterson: “Her phone last pinged the night of August 15th at the truck lot on Centennial”

State: “And what city is that?”

Peterson: “That’s Albany, Georgia. We came down, we split up, had different teams searching around the truck lot on Centennial. There’s a huge wooded area over there. We searched over Clark and Broadway area, several different locations over Albany, just based off of phone records and last pingings and possible locations of, you know, where we could determine any remains of Lacambria.”

The last witness to take the stand was Tevin Davis, a friend of Cooper’s. Davis testified that he and Cooper have been friends since childhood. He also testified about the last day he saw Toomer, which was at his residence.

Davis said he did not witness Cooper and Toomer getting into an altercation before they left. That account conflicted with testimony from Katherine Hall, who was also present that day and testified that Cooper and Toomer did get into an altercation before leaving the residence.

Prosecutors asked Davis whether playing a recorded interview might refresh his memory. During cross-examination, Davis acknowledged he had been interviewed by police more than once.

“Basically, I guess because they wanted to say since we were brothers and since we were so close, they just wanted to throw me in the mix,” Davis said, explaining why he believed he was interviewed.

When asked what he told investigators, Davis said he did not remember. He agreed to hear the recording.

“I don’t mind,” Davis said.

The jury was removed from the courtroom while a lengthy interview recording was played. Court is expected to resume at 9 a.m. Friday with Davis back on the stand.

Wednesday, July 8:

[END OF DAY: July 8 at 6:30 p.m.] The mother of Lacambria Toomer, who disappeared in 2022, took the stand for a little less than an hour Wednesday.

Authorities have charged the father of Toomer’s child with murder, although she’s never been found.

Ryan Cooper was formally charged with her murder in Mar. 2026.

The mother, Melassia Thornton, reported her daughter missing in August of 2022. Wednesday, she testified about several alleged domestic incidents involving her daughter, Toomer, and the defendant, Cooper.

Tuesday, we told you about an alleged 2021 incident, where Toomer ran to a beauty salon, banging on the locked door for help.

The salon owner testified, saying that Toomer was only wearing a bra, tights, and one shoe, and that she thought about her own daughters and let her in. She also testified, saying that when Toomer’s mom, Thornton, arrived, she didn’t release Toomer because she saw Thornton get out of the vehicle with the defendant.

The mother testified, saying that she was in the vehicle with Cooper because he told her Toomer jumped out of the car somewhere in Albany, so she rode with him to get her.

“My baby was standing right there, and I was standing right in front of her. She was bleeding and her shirt was torn. She just didn’t look right. She looked at me and said momma he pointed a gun at me, he pointed a gun at me. I said a gun? Then it dawned on me, that’s probably what he went to put in the house, a gun.”

“So I called the police department, and I was telling them what happened. I told her that I think that he may have went in my house and placed a gun in there. And she read me my rights, and had me sign a piece of paper. She searched for a gun, and a gun was found under my sofa chair.”

In another alleged incident, she testified that Toomer called her to pick her up from Coopers’ house after a fight between them.

She says that when she arrived, there was an altercation between the two while Toomer was holding their son. What comes next ultimately resulted in the two losing temporary custody of their child and the arrest of Toomer.

“During this time, my daughter running down the step with the baby. Mr. Cooper was coming behind her. Some kind of way, he snatched the baby out of her hands. The baby hit the ground. You can hear the baby crying. My friend picked the baby up.”

“When they (police) knocked on the door, they was looking for my daughter. And they told her that a warrant was issued for her arrest. I’m like, why are y’all arresting her? She ain’t doing nothing. She was just trying to protect her baby.”

The trial will resume on Thursday at 9 a.m. with additional state witnesses.

[UPDATE: July 8 at 1:30 p.m.] Six more witnesses have taken the stand Wednesday, July 8, in the murder trial of Lacambria Toomer, who disappeared in 2022.

Prosecutors have charged the father of her child, Ryan Cooper with murder.

Although officials have never found Toomer, prosecutors say they believe there is enough evidence to show that she was killed.

The first witness to take the stand Wednesday, Gurtrude Sanders, was a friend of Toomer’s mother, Melassia Thornton. Sanders testified that she took Thornton to the defendant’s home.

Sanders said she witnessed a fight between the Toomer and Cooper, but she said that before that alleged fight, Toomer told her this:

“She said she needed help, he was going to kill her. So I told her mama what Cam said, as she would enter the door.

By that time, Ryan done came in the house and me and Melissa was trying to figure out a way to get her out the house. But he must’ve caught on.

Cam was holding the baby, and how Ryan was not fighting, but beating her, the baby fell on his face. I ran back and got the baby and ran to my truck.”

Tuesday, July 7:

[UPDATE: July 7 at 6:30 p.m.] Court concluded for the day with six witnesses taking the stand for the prosecution in the murder trial of a Dougherty County man accused of killing his child’s mother.

Lacambria Toomer was last seen nearly four years.

Although Toomer’s body has never been found, her former boyfriend Ryan Cooper was formally charged with her murder in Mar. 2026. He faces:

• Malice murder
• Felony murder (two counts)
• Aggravated assault and
• Aggravated battery
• Possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime
• Concealing the death of another

Tuesday’s witnesses were all part of the prosecution’s plan to paint a picture of an altercation between Cooper and Toomer that happened a year before her disappearance.

According to prosecutors, there was a struggle in Cooper’s car where a gun was pulled, and Toomer got out of the car and ran to a nearby beauty salon for help.

One of the six witnesses called today was the owner of that beauty salon who testified that in 2021, Toomer banged on her salon door after a fight in Cooper’s car. She noted that Toomer was wearing a bra, tights, and only had one shoe on.

Witness: “A young lady ran to the door, panicking, banging on the door. Let me in, let me in.”

State: “Okay, so when you say she was panicking, why do you think that or why is that your observation?”

Witness: “She was screaming, let me in, let me in.”

State: “Okay, and you as the owner of the salon, what did you do?”

Witness: “I thought about my daughters and let her in.”

State: “What did she say to you?”

Witness: “She was saying that she was running from her boyfriend at the time.”

Another key piece of testimony Tuesday was an interrogation video between Cooper and Albany Police Investigator Thomas Perry. In the video, you can hear Investigator Perry ask Cooper about a gun and injuries on Toomer.

Investigator: “Sir, you never pulled it out, had it in your lap, or anything like that?”

Cooper: “No sir, I had no sir, I always keep it down in the console, the whole day, the entire time. I ain’t, come on, pull it? Nah, that’s my baby mama. I did not do anything like this.”

Investigator: “Well you saying that you didn’t do anything, but she’s got a bloody nose, and she’s got a knot on the back of her head?”

Cooper: “From me? A bloody nose? A bloody nose?”

That was the last witness to take the stand. The defense did not choose to cross-examine many witnesses Tuesday.

The trial will resume on Wednesday at 9 a.m. with additional state witnesses.

[UPDATE: July 7 at 4:22 p.m.] So far, six witnesses have taken the stand, called by the state.

First, Assistant District Attorney Tracy Mullis with the Dougherty County District Attorney’s Office told jurors about several alleged domestic incidents between Cooper and Toomer and the last time Toomer was seen alive.

“He goes in there and tries to get her out, and she’s refusing to go.

She’s even reaching out to another person. Like, help, asking them to call her mother. But no, no. The evidence will show that’s not what happened. That’s not what happened.

She gets in the car, the white Audi, with the defendant. As he puts it in reverse and goes so fast that rocks are coming up. That’s what the witness testimony will be. As he is leaving doing that, Lacambria is screaming.

No one ever saw her after that day.”

Some witnesses, like a Dougherty County paramedic, a former corporal with the Albany Police Department (APD), and a business owner, testified to alleged domestic events.

The business owner testified about a specific incident in which she said Toomer ran to her business, banging on the door and begging to be let inside. She testified that happened following an alleged domestic incident involving Cooper.

[UPDATE: July 7 at 1:30 p.m.] Jury selection, which began at 9 a.m. Tuesday, is complete. Opening statements began Tuesday at about 1:30 p.m., with witness testimony following shortly.

Monday, July 6:

[END OF DAY: July 6 at 6:30 p.m.] Jury selection had just gotten underway when Chief Superior Court Judge Denise Marshall asked prospective jurors whether they knew Cooper. One juror stood and said he knew Cooper because he worked at the jail.

The defense immediately moved for a mistrial, arguing the comment could influence the rest of the jury panel. Judge Marshall said she did not believe the comment was prejudicial.

“I personally wouldn’t know too much about him, or how long he went to jail, or something like that; I didn’t know him,” Marshall said. “But I would assume he went to jail; you’re charged with murder [so] I’m going to assume he went to jail. And you were told that you went to jail, and you were bonded out or you may not have bonded out... I don’t know.”

Judge Marshall then questioned the juror outside the presence of the rest of the panel about his relationship with Cooper and ultimately dismissed him.

Court will resume tomorrow on Tuesday, July 7 at 9 a.m. with jury selection. Opening statements could begin tomorrow afternoon.

[UPDATE: July 6 at 11:45 a.m.] Before jury selection began, Judge Denise Marshall heard the state’s motion to combine the murder trial with a separate 2022 aggravated assault case involving Toomer. After hearing arguments from both the state and the defense, Marshall denied the motion.

Jury selection officially began at 11 a.m.

[ORIGINAL ARTICLE:] Jury selection began at 9 a.m. Monday, July 6, for a Dougherty County man on trial for the death of his girlfriend, who was the mother of his child.

Ryan Cooper was indicted in March on the following charges:

• Malice Murder
• Felony Murder
• Aggravated Assault
• Possession of a firearm in commission of a crime
• Concealing the death of another person

Lacambria Toomer was first reported missing in August 2022. Her body has never been found.

Toomer first disappeared in 2022. Ryan Cooper, the father of her child, was the last person to see her. Cooper first claimed that he dropped Toomer off at a truck stop in Cordele. However, investigators uncovered that wasn’t true.

In March 2026, prosecutors formally indicted Cooper in connection with her disappearance and death.

A motion in June, filed by prosecutors, shows they want to combine the murder case with a 2022 aggravated assault case involving Toomer.

The filing outlines evidence that prosecutors say links Cooper to Toomer’s death. Prosecutors said Cooper beat Toomer and pointed a gun at her during an incident inside his Audi convertible months before she disappeared.

Investigators later found a bullet hole and blood inside the car. According to court records, DNA testing on blood from the car’s headliner was consistent with Toomer’s family line.

Prosecutors also claim that a witness told investigators Cooper admitted to shooting Toomer.

In a most recent filing, prosecutors said they plan to call an expert who will testify to GPS data from the trucking company that Cooper worked for and AT&T phone records.

The filing said that the expert will testify to the records that allegedly show the last text, cellular phone calls, and communication between the victim and Cooper on Aug. 15, 2022.

Prosecutors said the expert will also illustrate, with diagrams, the whereabouts of the truck Cooper drove for his employer. They said Cooper drove the truck from just before midnight on Aug. 15, 2022, until 11 p.m. on Aug. 16, 2022, when the defendant arrived in Savannah.

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