John Evander Couey: Killer of Jessica Lunsford Dies in Prison

by candice.tsuei | September 30, 2009 at 03:30 pm

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John Evander Couey, the man convicted of abducting, raping, and burying 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford alive, died in prison today, according to prison officials.

John Evander Couey, 51, died at 11:15 a.m ET of natural causes. Due to privacy laws, the Department of Corrections did not elaborate on his illness, but officials report that he died of anal cancer and had been ill for some time.

Couey was sentenced to die in August 2007 for abducting and raping Lunsford, then killing her by burying her alive. The girl was snatched from her bed in her family's Homosassa, Florida, home the evening of February 23, 2005.

Couey confessed about keeping Lunsford imprisoned in a closet for three days before binding her hands with speaker wire and burying her body alive in several garbage bags.

Coudy's body currently remains unclaimed.

Upon hearing about the death of Couey, Jessica Lunsford's grandmother, Ruthie Lunsford stated,

“Everybody from the family is calling, here and in North Carolina,” she said. “God done this in his own time...This won’t bring Jessie back, but Couey had to suffer. He suffered greatly. Anal cancer is very painful. I don’t feel sorry for him. I am glad he had to suffer. He let my granddaughter suffer.”

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