Prosecutors now plan to seek death penalty for Corey Cook

BY MIKE FUHRMAN

A man accused of murdering his parents and brother and then burning the family’s home to conceal the crime asked an Iredell County Superior Court judge to dismiss one of his attorneys and appoint new counsel on Thursday.

Corey Alexander Cook, 24, made the surprise request in the midst of a hearing in which he was expected to plead guilty 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, Johnny Cook, 60, and Angela Cook, 51, and his brother, Lawrence Cook, 27, 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 he me online who was extorting him, sources told Iredell Free News. 

First responders found their bodies in the family home at 109 Loram Drive near Troutman after firefighters extinguished a fire.

During questioning with investigators, Cook made statements incriminating himself in the murders and arson, according to the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office. He initially claimed that he left the house during a domestic dispute after seeing his father with a gun, investigators said.

A dozen relatives and friends of the Cook family attended Thursday’s hearing, expecting Cook to accept responsibility for his actions.

However, 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 fell apart in court, frustrating family members, law enforcement and the prosecutor’s office.

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.

“I don’t see how delaying this any further is going to serve the interest of justice,” the prosecutor said.