Ripley Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Beating Death at Tupelo Bar

The Ripley man who was accused of beating another man to death in a Tupelo bar has been sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Timothy Turner, 39, who is a Ripley native, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on Thursday in Lee County for the beating death of Leonard “K.C.” Cooper in the parking lot of Steele’s Dive in Tupelo in Aprill 2022.

According to Tupelo police, the beating was recorded on the bar’s security cameras and Turner can be seen knocking Cooper to the ground and slamming his head on the concrete. Turner then punched him in the head more than 40 times.

Turner was sentenced to 40 years in prison with 10 suspended.

Civil lawsuits have also been filed in this case.