Beckley, WV (WOAY) – A verdict has been reached in a high-profile case.
After deliberating for less than 2 hours a jury in a Raleigh County courtroom found Natalie Cochran guilty of first-degree murder in the death of her husband Michael Cochran. The couple had been married for nearly 19 years, when he died on Feb. 11, 2019.
At the time of Michael’s death, Natalie was running a Ponzi scheme that defrauded investors out of millions of dollars. She pleaded guilty in 2021 to federal wire fraud and other charges and is currently serving a sentence of 135 months in prison.
Following the jury’s verdict, Judge H.L. Kirkpatrick announced the jury would be asked to weigh whether Natalie should receive “mercy” in the form of the possibility of parole when the jury returns Thursday morning for at 9 am sentencing.
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