Bobby Glen Cook

Case identification

Bobby Glen Cook was convicted of capital murder involving Edwin Earl Holder.

Timeline

• Feb. 3, 1993 — Edwin Earl Holder left his home to go fishing at the Trinity River Bridge.
• Feb. 5, 1993 — Edwin Earl Holder left home on the morning of Feb. 5, 1993, to go fishing at the Trinity River Bridge, taking a blue Dodge truck and other items.
• Feb. 6, 1993 — A co-worker saw Holder's truck and boat trailer parked at the bridge by Baker's Landing around 2:30 p.m.; a gas station employee heard a loud muffler around 3:00 a.m.; police obtained a composite drawing and sought two suspects and a description of a red and white Chevrolet pickup truck.
• Feb. 8, 1993 — Nicki Pulley saw what he thought was a boat submerged off the east bank of the Trinity River near a gas station in Cayuga; he realized it was a blue truck partially submerged with a body in the bed in a sleeping bag.
• Feb. 9, 1993 — Officers obtained a statement from Robin Jenkins and Steven Cockroft implicating Cook in the murder.
• Feb. 10, 1993 — Cook gave a voluntary statement admitting he, Jenkins, and Cockroft were at the bridge at the same time as Holder.
• April 21, 1994 — Cook was convicted for capital murder.
• April 22, 1994 — After a separate punishment hearing, Cook was sentenced to death.
• Nov. 1994 — Stephen Ray Cockroft was convicted of capital murder in Anderson County and sentenced to life in prison.
• Nov. 1994 — Robin Elaine French Jenkins testified against Cook in exchange for a 15-year sentence on the lesser charge of robbery.
• Aug. 28, 1998 — The state court held an evidentiary hearing on Cook’s petition for writ of habeas corpus.
• Mar. 10, 1999 — The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals denied Cook's petition for writ of habeas corpus.
• May 8, 2001 — Cook's federal petition for writ of habeas corpus was denied.
• July 24, 2001 — The district court denied Certificate Of Appealability (“COA”).
• Mar. 18, 2002 — The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals denied Cook’s request for COA, without oral argument.
• Oct. 7, 2002 — The Supreme Court denied Cook's request for certiorari review.
• March 11, 2003 — Cook was executed by lethal injection in Texas.

Background

Edwin Earl Holder was 42 years old. Bobby Glen Cook was sentenced to death for the capital murder of Edwin Earl Holder.

Holder left his home on the morning of Feb. 5, 1993, to go fishing at the Trinity River Bridge. Cook had been paroled on March 18, 1992, eleven months before the murder.

The offence

Holder’s body was found inside a sleeping bag submerged with his vehicle in the river. Officers discovered blood on the back bumper and splattered on the inside of the tailgate. The truck was in first gear, the ignition was on, and the windows were rolled up.

The medical examiner concluded Holder died of six gunshot wounds to the head. The shots had been fired in rapid succession from three feet or closer to Holder’s head. One bullet entered and exited the forehead, and the remaining five .22-caliber bullets remained lodged in Holder’s brain, any one of which would have been fatal. The close pattern of the wounds suggested Holder was asleep in his sleeping bag when he was shot, and no struggle had occurred.

Holder’s blue Dodge truck was packed with camping equipment, fishing gear, and his boat. The .22-caliber bullets that killed Holder were consistent with the type of gun Holder usually carried with him on his fishing trips. No weapons were found in Holder’s truck or at Baker's Landing, nor was Holder’s wallet.

A boat matching the description of Holder’s was later found on the Trinity River south of where Holder’s truck was found; several holes had been punched into the bottom of the boat, causing it to partially sink.

Investigation

Anderson County Sheriff's Department pulled the truck from the river and discovered the body of 42-year-old Edwin Earl Holder.

Nicki Pulley saw what he thought was a boat submerged off the east bank of the Trinity River near a gas station in Cayuga, Texas. On closer inspection, Pulley realized it was actually a blue truck partially submerged in the water. He poked at what appeared to be a sleeping bag and insulated underwear in the bed of the truck and uncovered an arm and part of a shoulder. The rest of the body was submerged under water.

Walter Grolemund, an employee from a gas station near where Holder’s body was found, told police that on Feb. 6, 1993, around 3:00 a.m., he heard a loud muffler. From the door, he could see the tail lights of one vehicle and a red and white truck with a loud exhaust system parked about 60 to 75 yards from the river. Grolemund informed the driver of the red truck that he was on private property. The driver told Grolemund that he was having problems with his truck; Grolemund described the driver as nervous and unwilling to look at him.

After speaking with four men who were at the river on Feb. 6, 1993, police obtained a composite drawing of two suspects and a description of a red and white Chevrolet pickup truck.

Based on the composite drawing and truck description, police went to the residence of Robin Jenkins and Steven Cockroft, where officers discovered a red and white pickup truck. On Feb. 9, 1993, officers obtained a statement from Jenkins and Cockroft implicating Cook in the murder. Cook was later arrested at Jenkins and Cockroft's residence. A search of the residence uncovered items belonging to Holder.

Arrest

Cook was arrested Feb. 10, and told authorities he had shot Holder. Cook later gave a voluntary statement in which he admitted that he, Jenkins, and Cockroft were at the bridge at the same time as Holder.

Trial

Cook was tried before a jury in the 3rd Judicial District Court of Anderson County, Texas, for intentionally and knowingly causing the death of Edwin Earl Holder by shooting him with a firearm while in the course of committing or attempting to commit robbery.

The jury convicted Cook on April 21, 1994. Following a separate punishment hearing, the trial court sentenced Cook to death on April 22, 1994.

On direct appeal, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed Cook’s conviction and sentence. Cook’s conviction became final on April 22, 1997.

The Anderson County jury convicted Cook of capital murder in April 1994 and sentenced him to death.

Sentencing

On April 22, 1994, following a separate punishment hearing, the trial court sentenced Cook to death.

Appeals

Cook’s petition for writ of habeas corpus in state court was filed on Dec. 2, 1997. The state court held an evidentiary hearing on Aug. 28, 1998. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals denied Cook's petition for writ of habeas corpus on March 10, 1999.

Cook's federal petition for writ of habeas corpus was denied on May 8, 2001. The district court denied Certificate Of Appealability (“COA”) on July 24, 2001. Cook’s request for COA from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals was denied, without oral argument, on March 18, 2002. The Supreme Court denied Cook’s request for certiorari review on Oct. 7, 2002.

Other participants

Stephen Ray Cockroft was convicted of capital murder in November 1994 in Anderson County and sentenced to life in prison.

Robin Elaine French Jenkins testified against Cook in exchange for a 15-year sentence on the lesser charge of robbery.

Prior criminal history

On Jan. 13, 1983, Cook was placed on six years probation for burglary, and probation was revoked when Cook committed burglary again.

On July 16, 1987, Cook pleaded guilty and was sentenced to imprisonment for six years for each of two counts of burglary of a vehicle. Cook was paroled in March 1988.

On Aug. 5, 1988, Cook pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years for theft. He was paroled on Jan. 26, 1989.

On Sept. 22, 1989, Cook was sentenced to 10 years for possession of a controlled substance and for burglary of a building, and was paroled again on Aug. 21, 1990.

On May 23, 1991, Cook was found guilty of theft and sentenced to eight years in prison. He was paroled on March 18, 1992.

Cook’s statements

Cook admitted that he, Jenkins and Cockroft were at the bridge at the same time as Holder. Cook claimed he was helping Holder check his fishing lines but became frightened because Holder was drinking and was waiving a gun around. Cook claimed that when Holder reached for his gun, Cook attempted to grab it and pull it away but the gun went off two or three times. Cook admitted disposing of some of Holder’s belongings while keeping others.

Cook’s final words were:

"I would like to say to the victim's family, if this goes on record, that I know they have gotten grief and I know with this execution, it will not be any relief to them. That with my death, it will just remind them of their loved one, Mr. Holder. I would like to say to them, "please forgive me for what happened; it was self defense...and I was never able to get up on the stand to tell them." I know this is wrong. I am going home to the Lord."

Execution

Cook was scheduled to be executed after 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 11, 2003.

Cook was pronounced dead at 6:20 p.m. after lethal injection began.

Cook’s final meal included: a double meat cheeseburger, jalapenos and trimmings on the side, vanilla malt, french fries, onion rings, ketchup, picante sauce (hot), vanilla ice cream, 2 Cokes, 2 Dr. Peppers, and a chicken fried steak sandwich with cheese, pickles, lettuce, tomatoes and salad dressing.

Outcome

Cook was executed by lethal injection in Texas on March 11, 2003.