Oklahoma prosecutors are set to seek the death penalty for a 20-year-old man accused of brutally murdering his ex-girlfriend and filming himself raping her.
Chace Cook, 20, was arrested in May following the murder of standout high school basketball player Madeline Bills, 18, who was found dead in her bedroom on April 22.
Bills was just weeks away from graduating with a 4.0 GPA, with commitments to play college basketball for Northeastern Oklahoma A&M.
In a pre-trial motion this week, Cleveland County District Attorney Greg Mashburn filed for a death penalty motion, ahead of Cook’s formal arraignment on February 28.
Madeline Bills, 18, was just weeks away from graduating with a 4.0 GPA when she was found dead in her bedroom in Moore, Oklahoma on April 22
Chace Cook, 20, may be executed for allegedly raping and killing his ex-girlfriend, in an attack prosecutors branded ‘especially heinous, atrocious and cruel’
In his request for the death penalty if Cook is convicted, Mashburn cited his alleged actions as ‘especially heinous, atrocious and cruel.’
Despite her promising future, Bills had reportedly warned friends that she was afraid of her ex-boyfriend harming her.
Her bedroom where she was found slain nine months ago was in an adjoining pool house outside her family’s property, but she said she was ‘so scared of (Cook) she planned to sleep inside the main residence, for fear he would come to harm her,’ according to a police affidavit.
Under questioning Cook claimed he had joined the Navy and was training in Texas, however investigators pieced together surveillance footage from the night she was found dead to place him at the scene of the crime, reports The Oklahoman.
A car matching a description of Cook’s vehicle from a previous traffic stop was initially seen driving around two miles from her home in the early hours of the night.
Comparatively, the affidavit noted that Cook’s home was around 15 miles from Bills’ family home.
At around 4:38am, a separate surveillance camera on a neighbor’s home captured an ‘unknown’ suspect climbing Bills’ fence and sneaking into her backyard.
After briefly entering the property, investigators alleged that around 90 seconds later the suspect climbed back over the fence and left.
The vehicle matching Cook’s car was then allegedly seen again on cameras driving in front of Bills’ home at around 6:34am.
At 6:42am, the suspect again climbed the fence and went to the pool house, before exiting her poolside-bedroom at 7:17am and climbing back over the fence.
An autopsy report later concluded Bills died by strangulation, with police alleging to have found a video on Cook’s phone showing him raping her while she lay unconscious.
Madeline was a member of the Osage Tribe and had signed a letter of intent to play women’s basketball at Northeastern A&M in Miami, Oklahoma
The teenager had talked of moving out of her parent’s converted pool house and into the main home, because of her fears about Cook, her ex-boyfriend, police said
Cook is seen entering a Cleveland County courthouse last month for a preliminary hearing, as he is set to stand trial for Bills’ rape and murder
Cook was taken into custody at the Navy’s boot camp at Naval Station Great Lakes on the northern outskirts of Chicago.
After he was taken in for questioning, Cook claimed he drove to Galveston, Texas on April 16 – a week before Bills’ body was found – for NAVY Seal training, and did not return to Oklahoma until April 23, the day after.
A detective later wrote in an affidavit that when they presented evidence that Cook was in the area of Bills’ home the night she died, he quickly asked for an attorney and the questioning ended there.
The detectives added that it quickly became apparent that Cook’s alibi didn’t hold up as he claimed he drove from Oklahoma City to Galveston in under three hours, when ‘it should be noted that the drive from Oklahoma City to Galveston is over 7 hours, according to Google Maps.’
DNA samples taken following the interview allegedly matched DNA obtained from the initial on-scene investigation and from Bills’ autopsy, police said.
A search warrant for Cook’s vehicle led to his cell phone, which upon review found that his phone ‘was in the area of the victim’s residence during the time the surveillance video shows the unknown person climbing over the fence,’ the detective wrote.
The cellphone also included a harrowing video, showing Cook ‘having sex with the victim, who appears to be unconscious,’ the affidavit claimed.
Madeline was remembered as a standout high school basketball star and young scholar whose future was tragically cut short
According to an arrest warrant affidavit, video evidence showed Cook jumping the fence several times to gain access to the pool house where Madeline lived
Cook has remained in custody since he was charged with her rape and murder, and now faces the death penalty after the filing this week.
A statement issued by the district attorney’s office said its decision to seek the death penalty ‘was not made lightly.’
‘After reviewing the evidence of the case and speaking to the family it is our position that the death penalty is a fair and just punishment to seek in light of this defendant’s crimes,’ the statement read.
‘Our priority is to seek justice for Madeline Bills and our hearts go out to her family and friends as they continue to grieve.’
Tributes poured in for Bills, a member of the Osage Tribe, following her sudden death, as her loved ones mourned the talented basketball player’s lost potential.
Her obituary described her as having ‘made an incredible impact on many lives. 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. She strove to see the good in people,’ the obituary continued.
‘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.
‘Madeline had an uncanny ability to bring truth to light, which was astonishing for a person of her age.’