N.C. Man Charged With Killing His Parents, Brother In House Fire

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TROUTMAN, N.C. – A 21-year-old has been charged in a fatal house fire that that killed his parents and brother this past July, according to the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff Darren Campbell stated: On Tuesday, July 27, 2021, the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office was called in reference to a residential fire at 109 Loram Drive, near Troutman to assist fire personnel who had told by witnesses there may be people in the home.

While the home was still burning, the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office received a call from another residence. The caller stated Corey Alexander Cook had shown up at her residence, and Corey was driving his mother’s vehicle, and it was very unusual for Corey to be driving. The caller went on to say Corey had told her there had been a domestic dispute at his house located at home 109 Loram Drive, earlier in the evening, Detectives responded to this location to speak with Corey Alexander Cook.

Cook spoke with the detectives and told them, there had been a domestic incident at the home, and his mother had told him to leave the house. He then told the detectives he saw his father standing in the doorway with a gun in his hand when he pulled out to leave.

The house fire had been extinguished, and the examination into the cause of the fire was conducted by the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office, Iredell County Fire Marshal’s Office and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. During this investigation, three bodies were recovered from the home and taken to North Carolina Baptist Hospital for autopsy. Due to the condition of the bodies, positive identification was not immediately possible for every victim. DNA evidence was taken and sent to the crime lab for comparison.

While awaiting DNA results, Corey Alexander Cook was forensically interviewed about the domestic incident as well as the fire. As the fire investigation was continuing to be investigated suspicious financial activity was identified on the deceased individual’s financial cards by representatives of the deceased.

A report was filed with the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office Economic Crimes Unit on Friday, August 27, 2021. During this investigation, and after numerous search warrants were issued, and executed, the information was gathered. Corey Alexander Cook was identified as using the deceased individual’s financial cards and using them to obtain monies from the transactions. Additional search warrants were obtained by detectives for on line financial transactions and other social media content from Cook.

On Friday, October 15, 2021, Corey Alexander Cook was interviewed, and confessed to the use of the cards and attempts to gain additional monies. While speaking about the financial crimes, Cook made statements as to his involvement in the deaths of his parents, Johnny Bryan Cook age 60, Angela Duncan Cook age 51, and his brother, John Lawrence Thomas Cook age 27, as well as to starting the fire. Cook was take arrested and taken to the Iredell County Detention Center, where he was charged with 17 counts of Felony Identity Theft. He appeared before Magistrate T. Thompson who issued a 75,000.00 dollars secured bond on these charges.

Based upon Cook’s statement, a search warrant for the fire scene at 109 Loran Drive was applied for and executed on Saturday, October 16, 2021 by members of the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office. Items of evidence consistent with Cooks statement were located at the scene. Based on the evidence gathered, Iredell County Sheriff’s Office Detectives obtained three felony arrest warrant for Murder and one felony arrest warrant for First Degree Arson on Corey Alexander Cook. The warrants were served on Cook on Thursday, October 21, 2021. This investigation is still on going as additional information is still being gathered.
Cook appeared before Magistrate D. Chambers who issued No Bond on these charges.

Sheriff Campbell added, “This agency has worked on this investigation since the night of the fire. Various units of the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office have worked on several aspects of it, from Criminal Investigations, Special Victims Unit, Homicide Investigation Unit, Crime Scene Investigations, and Computer Forensics, along with several area fire departments, and the Iredell County Fire Marshal’s Office. Having the ability to specialize in various disciplines allows investigations like this to flow together seamlessly, which allows for arrests to be made, and very good evidence being able to be provided to the courts for trial. Our hearts go out the families of these victims, and we hope closure can now begin soon”.

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