Bladenboro shooting claims former TC woman

By DEUCE NIVEN

    An apparent homicide early Monday in Bladenboro claimed a former Tabor City woman.
    Patricia L. Cooper, 38, was pronounced dead at 3:20 a.m. Monday at Bladen County Hospital, less than an hour after she was shot outside of the Ash Street apartment of Johnny Yarbrough, reportedly an ex-boyfriend of Cooper’s, Bladenboro Police Chief Chris Hunt said.
    Cooper was shot in the back, with an autopsy conducted Tuesday in Raleigh to formally determine the cause of death, Assistant Bladen County Corner Kenneth Clark said.
    Police have talked with Yarbrough about just what happened, and are making slow progress in the investigation, Hunt said. Hunt described Yarbrough as “a person of interest.”
    Cooper, formerly Patricia Scott, previously lived in Tabor City, Chief Donald Dowless of the Tabor City Police Department said. She has family still living in the Tabor City area.