Chace Cook: 20-yr-old faces death penalty for rape, murder of high school basketball star Madeline Bills
OKLAHOMA, UNITED STATES: An Oklahoma man is currently facing the possibility of the death penalty for the alleged rape and murder of 18-year-old Madeline Bills.
Prosecutors in Oklahoma are advocating for the death penalty in the case of 20-year-old Chace Cook, whom they accuse of brutally killing his ex-girlfriend and recording himself sexually assaulting her.
Notably, Bills was discovered lifeless in her bedroom on April 22, 2023.
She was on the verge of completing school with outstanding grades and harboring dreams of playing college basketball at Northeastern Oklahoma.
Cook is scheduled for a formal arraignment on February 28.
Following a crucial pre-trial motion this week, District Attorney Greg Mashburn is seeking a death sentence, asserting that Cook's alleged actions were "especially heinous, atrocious, and cruel."
Evidence against Chace Cook
As per Mirror, Bills resided with her parents and had relocated from her bedroom in the pool house to sleep in the main house before her untimely demise.
Conversely, Cook claimed that he was undergoing Navy training in Texas during that period and was apprehended by the police after suspicious surveillance footage emerged.
A vehicle resembling his was spotted approximately two miles from Bills' residence on the fateful night. Cook lived just 15 miles from the Bills' family home.
Later that night, surveillance footage from a neighbor's camera captured a suspect at 4.38 am climbing over Bills' fence and stealthily entering the backyard.
The video depicted the person entering and leaving the property within a brief 90-second timeframe.
The same vehicle, matching Cook's description, was purportedly seen again on cameras passing by Bills' family home at 6.34 am.
Shortly thereafter, another video showed the suspect scaling the fence once more at 6.42 am, entering the pool house.
Subsequently, they exited the poolside bedroom at 7.17 am and climbed back over the fence. An autopsy disclosed that Bills died from strangulation.
Cook has been in custody since, facing charges for Bills' rape and murder in May 2023.
What did Madeline Bills' obituary say?
Bills, a member of the Osage Tribe, was fondly remembered after her untimely death. Her obituary noted that she left an enduring impact on many lives.
The obit said, “She had a personality that would light up any room. Early on, she learned the value of giving back. She found great joy in giving and making friends special, homemade gifts."
It added, "She strove to see the good in people. Madeline would adopt all animals in the shelter if it were an option. She was an advocate for others, especially those that had their own challenges in life."
It concluded, "Madeline had an uncanny ability to bring truth to light, which was astonishing for a person of her age."
