16-Year-Old Girl's Overdose Death Leads To 1st Degree Murder Charge

CLEARWATER, FL — A 25-year-old man has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a teen girl found on a Duke Energy easement in Clearwater more than a year ago.

On Monday, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri hosted a news conference to discuss the Dec. 2 grand jury indictment of Robert Gullo.

According to detectives, on Nov. 19, 2021, deputies responded to the grassy area of the Duke Energy easement behind the Countryside Recreation Center at 2640 Sabal Springs Drive in Clearwater after a body was discovered by construction workers who had just arrived to work.

The body was later identified as 16-year-old Meaghan Cooper.

See related story: Body Found In Clearwater Park Identified As 16-Year-Old Girl

Through their investigation, detectives said they learned that Gullo made arrangements with Cooper via text message to do cocaine and have sex.

Detectives said Gullo picked up Cooper at her home around 9:20 p.m. Nov. 18 and drove her to his home at2629 Brewton Court in Clearwater, arriving about 9:30 p.m.

According to Gullo's GPS ankle monitor, he left his home around 6 a.m. the following day and drove to the location where Cooper's body was later found. He then drove back home, detectives said.

The Pinellas County medical examiner found that Cooper had four times the lethal amount of fentanyl in her system when she did. There was no cocaine found in her system.

"Addiction is a terrible problem that people have. So, it's against this backdrop, especially to the young people who are easily preyed on by older people, don't take drugs from someone like this," Gualtieri said. "You have no idea what's in it and, in the case of Meaghan Cooper, it will literally kill you."

In addition to first-degree murder, Gullo was charged with unlawful sexual activity with a minor.