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In 1998, 25-year-old Corey Parker was brutally murdered in her Jacksonville Beach apartment, prompting a meticulous investigation to apprehend the perpetrator. Following a sting operation, the murder mystery was solved two years later.
In its episode titled Rear Window, slated to air on Friday, July 8, 2022, NBC's true-crime series Dateline is set to look into the details of this murder case.
Corey Parker was stabbed over 100 times
1) Parker was killed while she was asleep
Parker was out with her friends the night before Thanksgiving when her 19-year-old neighbor Robert Denney reportedly managed to sneak into her apartment through an open window. He waited until Parker came back and fell asleep. As per forensic reports, the victim was stabbed while she was sleeping.
Corey Parker was a graduate of Brighton High School. She worked at a restaurant in Atlantic Beach and attended classes at a local college.
2) No evidence of sexual assault on Parker's body
The following day, when Corey Parker did not return to work, her co-workers got worried, which led one of them to go to her apartment to check on her. When the co-worker, who was also Parker's friend, reached her apartment, she saw the dead body of Parker lying in a pool of blood.
An autopsy report suggested that she had close to 101 slash wounds. It was a homicide. However, there was no evidence of the sexual assault.
3) The case remained unsolved for two years
It took nearly two years for the investigators to narrow down their suspect. At the crime scene, investigators discovered a blood stain and a hair strand that belonged to someone else.
The investigators used the evidence to look for the killer. However, 38 blood samples were taken from men who knew Parker, but none matched. Finally, a reward of $20,000 was announced, which gave way to a lead.
4) Denney was a "peeping tom" neighbor
A few co-workers of Robert Denney, Corey Parker's neighbor, revealed to the police that Denney had been behaving strangely since Parker's death. They even admitted that Denney confessed to having a crush on Parker.
Denney was also allegedly kicked out of the apartment where he lived with his sister because of his odd behavior. The apartment was in the same building where Parker lived. Additionally, witnesses accused Denney of being a "peeping tom" looking into Parker's window.
The investigators had zeroed their attention on Denney by this time as they had clear reasons to keep him on the suspect list. However, finding evidence against Denney was not easy as he was cautious about letting out his DNA samples.
Denney would never lick to seal the envelopes and carry the cigarette buds with him. However, the investigators kept a close eye on him and waited for him to make one small mistake. One day at work, Denney spat on the floor, finally allowing the investigators to finally have his DNA samples.
5) Denney was sentenced to life in prison
The DNA samples matched the samples found in Parker's apartment, which belonged to another person, and led to Denney's arrest. According to investigators, his crush on Parker had grown into an unhealthy obsession that led him to commit a heinous crime.
Despite his denials, Denney was convicted of first-degree murder and was ultimately sentenced to life in prison.
