Slain Jogger's Husband Indicted for Murder

Oct. 27, 2008 —— -- Brad Cooper was arrested Monday and held on first-degree murder charges in connection with the strangulation death of his wife, Nancy Cooper, who went for a jog near her North Carolina home and never returned , ABCNews.com has learned.

Cooper was not given an opportunity to turn himself in to authorities, his lawyers told ABC News affiliate WTVD. A grand jury handed down the indictment earlier in the day, authorities said.

No further comment was issued by Cooper's attorneys, who told WTVD that they may release a statement later this evening.

Cooper was being held without bond at the Wake County Public Safety Building, according to The News & Observer.

Cooper's 34-year-old wife was found strangled in an undeveloped subdivision July 14.

Since then, Cary, N.C., police had not named a person of interest or suspect in the killings, but had searched the couple's home and Cooper's office – questioning Cooper at least five times at his home.

Today's arrest comes on the heels of a heated custody battle over the Cooper's two young daughters, 2-year-old Katie and 4-year-old Bella. A judge decided last week to award temporary custody to the family of Nancy Cooper, whom the girls had been living with in Canada since their mother went missing July 12.

Police investigating the murder said last week that parts of the sworn testimony made by her husband earlier this month were "inconsistent" with the statements he made to authorities immediately after her death.George G. Daniels, the lead detective in the Cary, N.C., murder case, said in a sworn affidavit filed Oct. 9 and obtained by ABCNews.com, that not only did some of Brad Cooper's statements conflict with what he'd told investigators around the time of his wife's disappearance but that Cooper has stopped talking to police.

"Bradley Cooper has not fully cooperated with our investigation into the murder of Nancy Cooper and has not been willing to come to the police department to assist in the investigation and provide information despite formal requests from the Cary Police Department that he do so," said Daniels in the affidavit.

Daniels did not specify in the court papers what information provided by Brad Cooper was reportedly inconsistent.

Daniels didn't respond to a call seeking comment.

But in eight hours of videotaped sworn testimony given by Brad Cooper, 34, earlier this month for use in the custody hearing over the couple's two daughters, clips of which were viewed by ABCNews.com, he asserted his desire to assist the investigation into his wife's murder.

"My primary focus [in the months since Nancy's murder] has been trying to get to see my girls again and helping in the investigation about Nancy," he says.

"I have answered every question [the police] have," Cooper says on the tape.

ABC News' Jason Stine contributed to this report.