Teen Arrested for Stabbing Ex-Boyfriend Over Phone Access Dispute
A Houston woman has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder after allegedly stabbing her ex-boyfriend to death during a dispute over his cellphone.
Zoe Cooper, 18, a Texas Southern University student, was taken into custody on November 15 by TSU police in connection with the death of 19-year-old Tadarius Massey.
The incident occurred on August 14 at Cooper’s home on Florence Vista Boulevard in Florida, where authorities say an argument broke out when Cooper became upset that Massey refused to let her go through his phone. During the altercation, Massey was stabbed multiple times.
After the stabbing, Cooper drove Massey to a hospital in Ocoee, but authorities say she did not exit the vehicle while he was assisted inside. She allegedly returned home as Massey’s friend helped him into the building. Massey was pronounced dead at the hospital shortly afterward. An autopsy revealed that he had been stabbed in the heart and left shoulder, with two additional healed stab wounds on his left shoulder.
Cooper later expressed regret for the incident in an Instagram post, saying, “If I could take it back or trade places in a heartbeat, I would.” She added, “I love you always. I’m truly sorry for what I did. It wasn’t supposed to be this way.”
However, investigators found that Cooper had a history of violent behavior toward Massey, including a previous incident in December 2023 when she reportedly attacked him over his cellphone. She had also sent threatening texts in the past, including one in March in which she wrote, “I wish you would have died that day.”
Cooper had allegedly watched Massey while he worked at a Subway restaurant, where a manager confirmed that Massey had often appeared beaten and had confided that Cooper had attacked him.
Massey’s family has been left devastated by the loss. An online obituary described him as a loving individual with a “beautiful smile that melted your heart.” His great aunt, who set up a GoFundMe page for funeral costs, expressed the sorrow of the family, writing, “Parents shouldn’t have to bury their children. This has been a tremendous and unexpected loss.”