Defendant Attacked Mother With Fists, Wooden Stick, and Iron
WASHINGTON - Derek Cook, 52, of Washington, D.C., pled guilty today to a charge of second-degree murder while armed in the killing last month of his 81-year-old mother, announced U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Peter Newsham, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Cook entered the guilty plea in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed-upon sentence of 20 years in prison. The Honorable Zoe Bush scheduled sentencing for Dec. 1, 2017.
According to a proffer of facts submitted at today’s hearing, on the night of Aug. 12, 2017, Cook was having a conversation with his mother, Ann Alfredia Cook, in the bedroom of their apartment in the 5000 block of Fourth Street NE. Cook began to repeatedly strike his mother with a closed first, and she yelled for help. Cook also struck his mother repeatedly with a wooden stick and an iron, hitting her on various parts of her face and body. At the time of the beating, his mother was unarmed and in bed.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) arrived at the apartment at about 10:45 p.m., and Cook let them into the apartment building. However, he would not let police into the apartment. To gain entry, the police had to ram down the apartment door. After doing so, the police found Ms. Cook, who was severely injured. She was taken to a hospital, where she died later that night. Derek Cook was arrested and has remained in custody ever since.
In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Phillips and Chief Newsham commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the efforts of Assistant U.S Attorney Thomas N. Saunders, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
