| James Cooke was a family man. According to his | | | | another girl's off-campus apartment. This time, |
| live-in girlfriend, he was loving and patient with her | | | | however, he brutally raped his victim and |
| and her kids, a hard worker, a good provider, and | | | | strangled her to death, subsequently torching her |
| an all-around fun guy. James liked to bring home | | | | apartment to cover his tracks. He left some |
| gifts for the family and enjoyed playing his music | | | | cryptic writing on the wall, the meaning of which is |
| and video games with his friends. He liked to talk | | | | yet to be deciphered or revealed by the police. |
| about the day he'd make enough money to take | | | | James Cooke was apprehended thanks to a tip |
| them all on a long trip around the world. They | | | | from an acquaintance who recognized him from |
| teased him that on his pay it'll probably take a | | | | the bank surveillance photos taken when he |
| while before they could do that. | | | | attempted to withdraw the money with the |
| It was a very different James Cooke who was | | | | stolen ATM card. His shocked and heartbroken |
| featured in the "wanted" posters that appeared all | | | | girlfriend confirmed his involvement in the burglary, |
| over Wilmington, Delaware in May of 2005. This | | | | having seen him in possession of stolen items. |
| man terrorized female students from the | | | | Cops arrested Cooke on June 7, 2005 on burglary |
| University of Delaware. Cooke started small, | | | | charges, hoping the same perpetrator was |
| breaking into an apartment of two roommates | | | | responsible for the vicious murder that horrified |
| and stealing an ATM card without harming the | | | | the community and kept them up at night. The |
| girls. This only served to whet his appetite, | | | | DNA from the bodily fluids left at the scene |
| because the very next night he broke into | | | | matched Cooke's DNA. |