Murder case in Indiana runs through Arizona, Arkansas
Marion PD, state police testify in Indiana trial
By RALPH HARDIN
ralphhardin@gmail.com
Representatives from the Marion Police Department and Arkansas State Police were a little out of their jurisdiction last week to testify in a case that stretches across the country and includes a key piece of evidence uncovered right here in Crittenden County. After nearly four years, Monty J. Cook was in court in Indiana to face murder charges and a number of other crimes he allegedly committed in October of 2018. Cook faces four counts in total, including a felony charge of murder, two counts of level 6 felony theft, and a Class A misdemeanor charge of theft. These charges stem from evidence collected and presented to Randolph County Prosecuting Attorney, David Daly in the course of investigating the case stretching across four years and numerous state lines.
Cook is facing murder and theft charges in Indiana after being arrested in Arizona in 2019 on unrelated charges.
“It looks like this guy basically went on a crime spree See MURDER, page A3
COOK MURDER
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all over the country,” said Marion Police Det. Paul Turney. “It took a while to put all the pieces together and get him extradited back to Indiana.”
Police in Winchester had been looking for Cook since a man was found dead in a home in 2018.
Around 1 p.m. on November 3, 2018, police found 61-year-old David Brumley dead in a home on West South Street following a welfare check. Brumley’s 2006 Ford Mustang GT and debit card had been taken.
Evidence led police investigators to believe Cook, 59, formerly of Winchester, had the missing items.
What does this have to do with Crittenden County law enforcement?
On Nov. 21, of that year, police in Marion found the car abandoned in a hotel parking lot.
“We worked the case and eventually law enforcement was able to connect the car to the victim in the murder case,” said Turney. “We’re being brought in to testify to that and they believe the suspect stole the car and abandoned it here in Marion where he hooked up with someone and then left the area.”
Indiana State Police say they worked with agencies across the western and southwestern United States to find Cook, as they believed he played a role in Brumley’s death. On April 19, 2019, Arizona State Police found and arrested cook in the Kingman, Arizona area. He was taken to the Mohave County Jail on arson and theft warrants from Indiana. On April 24, the charges from Indiana were added. Cook was ultimately extradited back to Indiana to face the following charges:
■ ■ Count 1 of Murder: Cook is charged with the murder of Winchester resident, David Brumley, at his residence at 505 W. South on October 31, 2018.
■ ■ Count 2 of Level 6 Felony of Theft: Cook is charged with the theft of Brumley’s 2006 Ford Mustang
■ ■ Count 3 of Level 6 Felony of Theft: Cook is charged with the theft of cash belonging to Brumley
■ ■ Count 4 of Class A Misdemeanor of Theft: Cook is charged with the theft of a debit card belonging to Brumley “We got a call back in November (Nov. 21) of 2018 from the Hallmarc Inn about a suspicious vehicle,” explained Turney. “We ran the plate and it came up as a stolen vehicle.”
MPD investigators processed the vehicle and handed the investigation over to the Arkansas State Police. Trooper Aundre Mack handled the investigation on that end. Ultimately, the case was connected to the homicide investigation in Indiana.
The trial began last Monday morning. Cook reportedly sat silently by his attorney, Mark Cox as the legal teams began the process of selecting members to represent the 12-person jury.
Turney said he and Mack were brought in later in the week to testify in the case and provide their side of the 2018 abandoned vehicle investigation.
“It’s not every day you start out with an abandoned vehicle and it ends up being part of a murder investigation,” said Turney. “I am glad Trooper Mack and I were able to be a part of hopefully seeing this guy brought to justice.”
The trial is still underway in Indiana as of Tuesday morning.
