09/08/2026
THE TROOPER COBB MURDER: FINAL CHAPTER
Case Chronology
October 11, 1987: The Murder
Alabama State Trooper Elizabeth Cobb is shot and killed while sitting behind the wheel of her patrol car. Her patrol vehicle is found behind Little Rock Baptist Church, off County Road 6.
October 19, 1987: Arrest and Charge
Just eight days after Cobb’s murder, Joseph Cecil Duncan, with whom Elizabeth had been romantically involved, is arrested and charged with her murder.
March 21, 1988: Conviction
Following a trial, Duncan is convicted of murder.
March 22, 1988: Jury Recommends Life Without Parole
The jury recommends that Duncan be sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
April 12, 1988: Death Sentence Imposed
Circuit Judge J. C. Norton overrules the jury’s sentencing recommendation and sentences Duncan to death.
June 21, 1995: Death Penalty Appeal Ends in Agreement
After years of appeals and deliberation, prosecutors and the defense reach an agreement that ends Duncan’s death-penalty litigation. Under the agreement, Duncan will serve 25 years in prison for Cobb’s murder.
October 2012: Release
Twenty-five years to the day after Trooper Elizabeth Cobb was murdered, Joseph Cecil Duncan is released from prison.
