Judy Amanda Cobler of Oakland, charged with stealing a diamond ring valued at approximately $10,000 and almost $15,000 in cash from a Mountain Home residence in late July last year, was found guilty by a Baxter County Circuit Court Jury Monday and sentenced to 12 months probation and a $1,000 fine.
At one point, it appeared the jury might be unable to reach a verdict, but after returning for more discussions, the jurors were able to reach agreement in the case. Cobler was found guilty of theft of property, a Class D Felony. The jury was out slightly less than three hours to reach the verdict and decide on the sentence. Circuit Judge John Putman brought the lengthy court session to a close at about 10:15 p.m.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the theft was reported July 25th of last year. The victim, Suzanne Reno, alleged that the money and ring had been in a bag wrapped in tinfoil and hidden in a couch in the house.
During her testimony, Reno said that the valuables had been wrapped in tinfoil because the package had been kept in a freezer until a few days before it went missing when she had stuffed it into a couch.
The victim said the 42-year-old Cobler had been to her house and was shown where the cash and ring were hidden when Reno got money from the package to buy food.
Reno said once she discovered that the money and ring were missing, she and husband, Greg, began a frantic search through the house and a barn on the property but could not locate the missing items. She said that the missing money had made it difficult for the couple to make ends meet. She testified that they had to sell many of their assets and even pawned their wedding rings.
Reno testified that she began to think that Judy Cobler, whom she had just met, could be responsible for the theft, but that Cobler denied that she had taken the property.
On November 28th, a local jeweler called the Sheriffs Office and said that two people were trying to sell a ring that had a value of about $10,000 and the jeweler wanted to be sure the ring had not been reported stolen.
According to court records, the two individuals trying to sell the ring were Hope Cobler – the daughter of the defendant in the case – and her boyfriend, Christopher Feliccia. The jeweler was told that Hope Cobler had gotten the ring from her mother and that it had been passed down from her grandmother.
The investigator at the Sheriff’s Office recognized Hopes last name as one connected with the theft of the ring reported by Suzanne Reno. A picture of the ring was compared to the description of the one stolen and they matched. Suzanne Reno also identified the ring as the one that she alleges was stolen from her residence.
When Hope Cobler and Feliccia were interviewed, investigators were told that Judy Cobler had given her daughter, Hope, the ring as a graduation gift. The large diamond ring was eventually returned to its owner.
On December 6th, Judy Cobler was interviewed at the Sheriffs Office concerning the theft from the Reno residence. She was reported to have given different stories to investigators as to how her daughter had gotten the ring, none of which matched what the daughter and her boyfriend had told investigators. Judy Cobler also told a number of shifting stories about the ring as well, according to court testimony.
Judy Cobler was eventually charged with the crime. She has been free on $35,000 bond pending her trial. She is represented by Centerton attorney, Mark Lucas, Jr. The state is represented by 14th Judicial District Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Kerry Chism.
Lucas spent most of his time questioning the state’s witnesses and casting blame on most everyone involved in the case except his client. He laid out a number of scenarios involving various family members and others who he indicated to the jury might have been involved in the theft. Judy Cobler did not take the stand.
media/09973_Judy-Amanda-Cobler.jpg
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI