Monrovia woman died of strangulation, records show

A Monrovia woman found dead in her car on June 16 was killed by strangulation, according to  Los Angeles County coroner's records recently made public. 

Lajoya McCoy, 31, disappeared from her apartment in the 800 block of West Olive Avenue on June 10. Her badly decomposed body was discovered almost a week later about a mile from her home, in the 200 block of West Cypress Avenue. 

Investigators can't say for sure that McCoy was killed in her apartment, said Los Angeles County Sheriff's Lt. Victor Lewandowski. 

"There was an event in her apartment," he said, "but we can't tell if she died during the event or later in her car." 

McCoy's former boyfriend, the father of their two children, has been charged with murder in connection with her death. 

Jose Roberto Turner, 47,  was arrested Aug. 27 and pleaded not guilty to murder Sept. 16, according to Ricardo Santiago, a spokesman for the L.A. County district attorney's office. 

The complaint against Turner alleges that he used a rope to strangle McCoy. Turner is being held in lieu of  $1 million bail. He is scheduled to appear in court again on Jan. 4 for a preliminary hearing in Department C of the Los Angeles County Superior Court Pasadena Courthouse.