46°
Jaleel Lamar Loper, 30, admitted that in a fit of rage, he used a cellphone charging cord to strangle Anna Angok on Sept. 26, 2018, killing her and their unborn child in their apartment in the Glen Hollow Apartments in Bristol Township, according to the Bucks County District Attorney's Office.
Loper also told investigators that after Angok was dead, he picked her up from the floor, placed her on a couch, and then gave Angok’s 2-year-old daughter, who was also in the apartment, a juice box, and a snack, and sat her on a chair next to the couch, authorities said.
He made the confession on Oct. 6, to detectives as part of a negotiated plea deal where he pleaded guilty to third-degree murder, third-degree murder of an unborn child, and two counts of stalking.
“This is a terrible tragedy,” District Attorney Matt Weintraub said.
“I only hope that Mr. Loper’s plea and acceptance of responsibility will allow Ms. Angok’s family the ability to grieve and move forward without being further intertwined with the criminal justice process.”
On the day of the killing, Angok ended her relationship with Loper, after he accused her of aborting their child, according to cell phone messages obtained by investigators.
Then around 6 p.m. that day, an unidentified man called 911, giving Angok’s apartment number and telling them to hurry, authorities said. When the officers arrived at the apartment and received no response, they left.
Minutes later, police returned after a second 911 call, this time from a woman who had been contacted by Angok’s foster father.
Officers found Angok’s body slumped over on a couch in her Newportville Road apartment shortly after 6:30 p.m., authorities said.
Her 2-year-old daughter was found unharmed, seated on a chair beside the couch.
Police were unable to trace the 911 caller's phone number, but used GPS to determine it originated in the vicinity of the apartment complex, The Intelligencer reports citing a criminal complaint.
On Sept. 28, Loper admitted to being in the area of Angok's apartment around the time of the killing, but claimed he was with someone else at the time she was murdered, the outlet says.
However, as part of the Oct. 6 confession, Loper admitted that he made both those calls, disguising his voice, the DA's office said.
He also admitted to strangling Angok and said he threw out the phone cord and sweatshirt he was wearing, the news outlet reports.
Born in South Sudan, Angok moved to the United States from Kenya in December 2000, according to her obituary.
Most described her as vibrant, funny, and smart, and a loving mother who became a medical assistant to help people, especially seniors, the Bucks County District Attorney's Office said.
“Anna’s death created so much sorrow – a sorrow that will be carried for a lifetime – for Anna’s daughter, for Anna’s family, for Anna’s friends and community,” a family friend said in court Wednesday.
The case was investigated by the Bristol Township Police Department and the Bucks County Detectives and prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Edward M. Louka and Deputy District Attorney Jovin Jose.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Bethlehem and receive free news updates.
