Witness: Copley possibly strangled

Pathologist leans toward asphyxiation as cause of death for missing woman

HOLLIDAYSBURG -- The Altoona woman whose body was found in a garage on June 8, 2016, about six months after she was reported missing, likely died of asphyxiation, possibly through strangulation, a pathologist testified Tuesday.

"I couldn't rule out asphyxiation at the hands of another person," forensic pathologist Samuel Land of Allentown told a jury on the second day of Michael D. Copley's homicide trial slated to last through Friday at the Blair County Courthouse.

Altoona police arrested Michael Copley in October 2018 and accused him of killing his wife, 29-year-old Catherine Copley, then abandoning her body in a garage behind a vacant house on the 400 block of East Pleasant Valley Boulevard.

Land, who did Catherine Copley's autopsy on the day after her partly decomposed body was found in the garage, said he ruled the death a homicide.

"I believe there was deliberate concealing of the body," Land said.

While he had no evidence to support a specific cause of death, Land said the cause of death he wouldn't rule out was asphyxia. That lack of oxygen can occur in many ways, he said, naming strangulation, suffocation and hanging as examples.

In Catherine Copley's autopsy, Land said he noticed that her neck muscles were a little darker. He also saw that her hyoid bone, a C-shaped bone at the top of her neck, was in two pieces.

"Strangulation is a possible cause of death?" First Assistant District Attorney Nichole Smith said while questioning Land and seeking confirmation.

"There's nothing inconsistent with strangulation," Land responded.

When defense attorney Richard Corcoran questioned Land, he pointed out that the autopsy report never pinpointed Catherine Copley's date of death. Land said it would be between Dec. 9, 2015, when she was last seen, and July 8, 2016, when her body was found. Based on the decomposition, Land said Copley likely died closer to the date she went missing.

Corcoran also told Land that his report identified no drugs in Catherine Copley's body, but testimony has already indicated that before she went missing, she and friends smoked marijuana while partying.

Corcoran referenced that perhaps other drugs had gone undetected, possibly because there was no way to test for them based on the condition of the decomposed body.

Land acknowledged limitations because of decomposition. He also named seven body parts or locations that were tested for the presence of drugs, with none found.

In other testimony Tuesday, former Altoona Police Lt. Ben Jones, now a magisterial district judge, told the jury that Michael Copley was very cooperative in December 2015 when the investigation into Catherine Copley's disappearance started.

From the beginning, Jones said Catherine Copley's family "had strong feelings" about Michael Copley's involvement while he avoided immediate conclusions.

"There are people who go missing ... to get away from what was bothering them," Jones said.

On Dec. 17, 2015, a few days after Michael Copley told police his wife was missing, Jones said he received a call from Copley who said a shoe belonging to his wife was spotted in the backyard of Dustin Salyards' East End residence.

Jones said he interviewed Salyards and searched his property for evidence of the missing Catherine Copley. Salyards admitted to selling marijuana to Catherine Copley in exchange for sexual favors, Jones said, but denied knowledge of her whereabouts.

"He was not high on my list of people who I thought would be involved in Cathy's disappearance," Jones said.

Jurors saw several photographs taken inside the garage where Catherine Copley's body was found.

Charles R. Stitt, a former state police trooper who took the photos, described the cluttered garage and items on top of the woman's body that included clothing, a box and an older computer monitor. Stitt also photographed a woman's shoe that "wasn't covered with dust like many of the other items."

Coroner Patricia Ross said she was familiar with the property where the body was found, which had remained vacant after the death of its owner in February 2014.

Ross said Catherine Copley's body was identified based on body tattoos. From her observations, Ross said Copley was killed in another location, then brought to the garage and never moved.

Ross also testified that it was Catherine Copley's parents, Tom and Catherine Boob, who immediately contacted her office and stayed in touch to handle responsibilities that fall to the next of kin.

Corcoran asked Ross why her office didn't contact Michael Copley. Ross said she had no phone number for him.

Corcoran posed a similar question to funeral director Anthony Scaglione, who arranged Catherine Copley's cremation and private funeral service as requested by her parents. Scaglione said that to the best of his knowledge, he didn't think that Michael Copley attended the funeral service.

"Was Michael Copley ever informed of the memorial service?" Corcoran asked. Scaglione said he didn't know.

Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 814-946-7456.