http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/11/10/10case.html
http://www.kvue.com/news/top/stories/110906kvuerachelcooke2-eh.1f587cb0.html
Not the news we had hoped to hear, but better than the nothing that is all we have had for over four years.
Why would the person who confessed change his mind like that? I just don't get it. It's not just a "jailhouse confession," he had confessed to the sheriff. Now they have to hope they have enough of his confession verified to push for a conviction.
I hope he gets the death penalty. He is one sick scumbag.
I know Rob and Janet Cooke. Janet was a friend of mine. I was there, searching, the first week after Rachel disappeared. She vanished on (I think) a Thursday morning, and it wasn't until Saturday that the Cooke's managed to convince the local law enforcement that she hadn't just run away. A lot of people showed up for a search on Saturday to find the Cooke's home surrounded with crime tape, and sheriff's officers searching the house. What they expected to find there, after several days, is anyone's guess. They were very anxious to convince the good citizens of Georgetown that they were doing something about the case (that several of them always privately thought was a runaway), that they investigated every little bit of gossip they heard. Janet's closest friend was polygraphed more than once. It seems that neither Janet nor her friend were much given to frills and makeup and curlers and nail polish, so there were some among their acquaintance who questioned their relationship. The second time Janet's friend took the polygraph, the questions delved into her sexual preferences, and whether she was "jealous" of Rachel's relationship with her mother.
The comfortable rumour that circulated was that the perpetrator was an illegal alien construction worker, and she had been kidnapped across the border for the "sex trade."
Just like the rumour in the Natalie Holloway case three years later.
Not exactly comforting, I know, but better for the community than thinking that one of "their own" was responsible and walking among us. The area from which Rachel was kidnapped is not too far from the pricey subdivision designed and built for wealthy seniors, called Sun City. We wouldn't want those residents to be nervous about their adopted community, now would we? It's always safe to blame illegal aliens, if you can't find anyone else.
Like Robert, I have been angry for four years. Unlike Robert, I want to fry the bastard, after causing him a lot of pain.
He has not only killed a person whose life was just starting, he has destroyed a family. Two, counting the crime of which he has already been convicted.
He has put himself outside of consideration as a human. Calling him a scumbag is an insult to scumbags.
And, just recently, they had to DROP THE FRIGGING CHARGES! Since the bastard backed out of the plea deal, they can't use his confession in court, and the DA doesn't have enough to go to trial yet!
ReplyDeleteThe former Sheriff who was in charge of the case at the time has now told the news that he doesn't even think this guy is the guy at all, and they should continue to investigate every suspect, which IS a good idea, but puts the whole thing back to square one.
I was really hoping this could be the end of the whole thing for the Cookes. Those folks need some closure for crying out loud!
If they had a suspect to investigate, that would be good.
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