Brad Cooper
RALEIGH -- Brad Cooper will only be able to see his two daughters for 16 hours from now until Oct. 13 in a custody agreement reached Friday with the family of his murdered wife, Nancy Cooper.
A judge granted temporary custody of the Cooper girls to Nancy's parents and sister last week after she was found dead near her Cary home. Brad Cooper sought to regain custody of his daughters in Friday's hearing, but both parties agreed to postpone that hearing until Oct. 13.
As part of the agreement, Brad Cooper will get to see his two daughters in person for a total of 16 hours from now until Oct. 13. Those visits will be supervised and will take place during specified weekends.
Both parties also agreed to purchase webcams, which they can use for unlimited visitation. The judge also ordered both parties to refrain from making disparaging remarks.
Tons of paperwork has been filed in the custody case over the last few days, much of it alluding to the unhappy marriage that enveloped the Cooper family.
Nancy Cooper’s family and friends want the girls to stay with Cooper’s parents and sister. Brad Cooper’s family and friends disagree and say the girls belong with their father.
New 14 Carolina's Johnny Chappell has more on the custody agreement between Brad Cooper and the family of his murdered wife, Nancy Cooper.
News 14 Carolina's Johnny Chappell was on-scene at the Wake County Courthouse Friday as the family worked out custody details of the couple's two daughters.
"On the one side, the parent is going to try to say, ‘I'm a good parent. I know everything there is to know about my kid in terms of being a good parent. I know what their favorite toys are and what they like to eat and who their doctor is.’ What the affidavits on the other side will tend to say may relate to what was going on in the marriage," explained family law professor Kathy Bradley.
Court documents paint very different pictures of the Coopers’ dissolving marriage. They were in the process of getting a divorce. Nancy Cooper’s family described Brad as a cold, controlling man who only cared for himself. Friends said he was not around very often and withheld money from her.
Brad Cooper’s friends and family said he was a loving and caring father who did his best to provide for the family, but they said Nancy Cooper spent more than the family could afford.
Now it is up to a Wake County judge to sort through the dozens of affidavits and decide what is in the best interest of the two Cooper girls.
Family law experts said the case is complicated because it's a fight between one parent and an outside party. Nancy Cooper’s family has the burden of proof and must show that Brad Cooper is not able or fit to take care of his children. That's why they've filed a motion for Cooper to undergo a psychological evaluation.
Meanwhile, his lawyers have also filed motions, asking for the autopsy reports and to remove the lawyer that's helping Nancy Cooper's family with the case since she was helping Nancy during the divorce.
Stay tuned to News 14 Carolina and News14.com as we bring you continued coverage of the hearing.