A Troutman man decided not to accept the state’s plea deal and now will face murder charges as he stands accused of killing his family and setting fire to the house where they lived.
Corey Cook, 23, of Troutman, will stand trial on three charges of first-degree murder. He is also charged with setting fire to the home and 17 counts of felony identity theft.
Cook appeared in Iredell County Superior Court on Thursday to reportedly enter a plea in the case but decided not to accept the deal. A Rule 24 hearing will be held for the state to present evidence before a judge to determine if Cook will now face the death penalty if convicted.
The deal would have allowed Cook to plead to three charges of second-degree murder that would have carried three sentences of 25 years to be served consecutively, for a total of 75 years.
“He is not going to receive this gift of an offer again,” Assistant District Attorney Mikko Red Arrow said in court Thursday. Now, Cook could face the death penalty in the deaths of his father Johnny Bryan Cook; mother, Angela Dawn Cook; and brother, J.T. “Jay” Cook.
Firefighters were called to Loram Drive in Troutman on July 27, 2021. Cook made several statements to law officers about the fire. As the investigation proceeded, officers began to find holes in his story.
Detectives were aware of a call for a domestic disturbance earlier in the day at the residence. The investigation soon found that an adult — Corey — had left the home in his mother’s car and drove to his grandmother Sondra Dover’s home in Mooresville.
on Aug. 28, 2021, that law officers said evidence moved them to view Cook as the suspect. It was that day that the executor of the family’s estates called to reveal that the deceased family members’ credit cards had been used to purchase Amazon gift cards.
When confronted by detectives later, Cook claimed innocence. However, when the video was pulled from Harris-Teeter grocery store where the cards were bought — and where Cook worked — it showed he had been the one to purchase the cards. He also bought them in amounts of $100 to avoid a manager being involved in the transaction.
On Oct. 15, 2021, Cook was questioned and confessed to the deaths and the arson, according to deputies.
Story: Statesville Record and Landmark
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