Man admits to killing pregnant Bristol woman, unborn child; sentenced to 39-78 years in prison

A man pleaded guilty Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2021, to the 2018 strangulation deaths of a young pregnant Bristol Township mother and her unborn child and was sentenced to 39 to 78 years in state prison.

Jaleel Lamar Loper, 30, of Philadelphia, admitted that in a fit of rage, he used a cellphone charging cord to strangle Anna Angok, 29, on Sept. 26, 2018, killing her and her unborn child in their apartment in the Glen Hollow Apartments in Bristol Township.

Loper also admitted that after Angok was dead, he picked her up off the floor, placed her on a couch and then gave Angok’s 2-year-old daughter, who was also in the apartment, a juice box and a snack, and sat her on a chair next to the couch.

He made the confession on Oct. 6, 2021, to detectives with the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office and Bristol Township Police, as part of a negotiated plea deal where he pleaded guilty to third-degree murder, third-degree murder of an unborn child, and two counts of stalking.

“This is a terrible tragedy,” District Attorney Matt Weintraub said. “The defendant will be behind bars until he’s at least 70 years old. He is paying a costly price for murdering Ms. Anna Angok and her unborn child.”

“I only hope that Mr. Loper’s plea and acceptance of responsibility, will allow Ms. Angok’s family the ability to grieve and move forward without being further intertwined with the criminal justice process.”

Before handing down the sentence, Common Pleas Judge Gary B. Gilman heard from the foster parents and friends of Angok who moved to the United States from war-torn Sudan at the age of 12 with other refugee children, looking for a safer environment, better education, and a better life opportunity, according to her foster father.  

Most described her as vibrant, funny, and smart, and a loving mother who became a medical assistant to help people, especially seniors.

“Anna’s death created so much sorrow – a sorrow that will be carried for a lifetime – for Anna’s daughter, for Anna’s family, for Anna’s friends and community,” another family friend said.

The guilty plea follows a tireless and complex investigation by Bucks County Detectives and the Bristol Township Police Department.

Bristol Township police officers found Angok’s body slumped over on a couch in her Newportville Road apartment shortly after 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 26, 2018. Her 2-year-old daughter was found unharmed, seated on a chair beside the couch.

Angok was pronounced dead at the scene and an autopsy determined that she had been strangled, and that she was pregnant when killed.

Loper and Angok had been in a relationship, and Loper knew she was pregnant. Chat files extracted from one of Angok’s two cell phones, which were found at the scene, indicated that she had ended her relationship with Loper earlier in the day, and that he had accused her of aborting their child.

At about 6 p.m. that day, an unidentified man called 911, giving Angok’s apartment number and telling them to hurry. Police went to the apartment and, receiving no response, departed.

Minutes later, police returned after a second 911 call, this time from a woman who had been contacted by Angok’s foster father.

As part of the Oct. 6, 2021, confession, Loper admitted that he made both those calls, disguising his voice.

The case was investigated by the Bristol Township Police Department and the Bucks County Detectives and prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Edward M. Louka and Deputy District Attorney Jovin Jose.

Media Contact: Manuel Gamiz Jr., 215.348.6298, mgamiz@buckscounty.org.