Corey Alexander Cook
24-year-old Corey Alexander Cook made the surprise request during a hearing in which he was expected to plead guilty. Cook was supposed to plead to three counts of second-degree murder, one count of first-degree arson and 17 counts of identity theft. As part of a plea agreement, prosecutors were set to reduce the charges from first-degree murder and recommend a 75-year prison sentence in exchange for the guilty pleas.
Cook, who is being held in the Iredell County Detention Center, participated in the hearing via video conference. He is charged with killing his parents, 60-year-old Johnny Cook and 51-year-old Angela Cook, and his brother, 27-year-old Lawrence Cook on July 27, 2021.
All three victims were shot and had their throats cut. Cook reportedly used his parents’ and brother’s financial transaction cards to purchase gift cards to pay off someone who was extorting him online. First responders found their bodies in the family home at 109 Loram Drive near Troutman after firefighters extinguished a fire.
According to the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office, during questioning with investigators, Cook made statements incriminating himself in the murders and arson. He initially claimed that he left the house during a domestic dispute after seeing his father with a gun.
On Thursday, as Judge Joe Crosswhite was asking the defendant procedural questions about whether he understood the charges and possible defenses, Cook unfolded a sheet of paper and apologized for throwing “a bit of chaos” into the court proceedings.
He then read a statement explaining that he had “lost confidence” in his court-appointed attorney, Mark Davis, and also complained that he had not had an opportunity to review all of the evidence against him. Under questioning from the judge, Cook said he did not know co-counsel Doug Smith well enough to assess his representation.
After the defendant finished reading the statement, the judge recessed the hearing and met with the attorneys in private. Cook was also given an opportunity to meet with his psychologist and another member of the defense team.
When the hearing resumed, Cook’s attorney’s informed the judge that there was nothing new to report. Judge Crosswhite then announced that, given Cook’s statement, he could not accept his guilty plea. Thursday was the second time a plea agreement in this case fell apart in court.
At the conclusion of Thursday’s hearing, Assistant District Attorney Mikko Red Arrow informed Cook and his attorneys that he was withdrawing “every aspect of the plea offer.” The state will now seek the death penalty, Red Arrow said, indicating he would ask the judge to set a trial date in December.
Story: Rob Eastwood-WHKY