RI Man Convicted After Shooting, Killing Girlfriend, Hiding Her Body In Fridge

PROVIDENCE, RI — A Providence man was convicted Monday after he shot and killed his girlfriend before hiding her body in his apartment's refrigerator, Attorney General Peter Neronha said.

Following a six-day trial, a Rhode Island Superior Court jury found Nathan Cooper, 54, guilty of second-degree murder, discharging a firearm during the commission of a crime resulting in death, and two counts of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.

During the trial, state prosecutors proved that on March 16, 2022, Cooper shot his girlfriend Sherbert Maddox, 40, in the chest while she was in the shower

After she stopped breathing, Cooper wrapped her body in blankets, took the shelves out of the fridge and stuffed Maddox's body inside, prosecutors said. Cooper said he never called 911 because he didn't trust the police, authorities said.

On March 22, 2022, several members of Maddox's family flagged down a Providence police officer on Parkis Avenue, claiming Cooper killed her, and her body was in his apartment. When police arrived, they found Maddox's body wrapped in saran wrap and towels inside the fridge.

Prosecutors said the fridge had been moved from the kitchen to Cooper's bedroom, and it was tied shut with a cord. Police also found a revolver and a shotgun inside the apartment.

Cooper is being held without bail at the Rhode Island Adult Correctional Institutions in Cranston, and will remain there until a sentencing hearing at a later date.