Woman Sentenced For Murdering WWII Veteran Father, Collecting His Social Security
NORWALK (CBSLA.com) — She murdered her 90-year-old father and then buried him in the backyard of their Bellflower home, and on Friday Linda Sue Copeland was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.
The 63-year-old was found guilty of second-degree murder in November for the death of Ralph Stofleth.
Authorities were notified by neighbors in May 2008 that they hadn't seen Stofleth for at least three months.
Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies went to investigate and found his remains near a backyard shed, covered with sheets and cardboard.
Deputies took Copeland into custody.
During the murder trial, prosecutors said Copeland continued to collect her father's retirement benefits after he was killed, Deputy District Attorney Tina Hooks said.
At her sentencing, Copeland read a statement saying she doesn't believe she killed her father, but conceded she did not call 911 when she "discovered his lifeless body in his bed."
"I moved what I believed was my dad's dead body to the backyard to use as a shield for protection from perceived imminent harm," Copeland said.
She said her father "was being preyed upon by unknown criminals and no one believed me."
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