Kelly Cook - 15 - Murdered - April 22, 1981 - Standard, AB - PART 1

[andy m]

Another thing that bothers me about this Husslar phone call incident. I have never been to Husslar so i really dont know if that small town has a gas station. This guy plans this abduction and calls three or four days in advance. I think I read somewhere he called on the Saturday or Sunday and doesnt pick Kelly up until the Wednesday night? Or am i totally clueless on this time line. Anyways my point is this guy somehow forgets to fill up with gas prior to picking Kelly up, so somehow he forgets to fill up prior to picking her up and has to stop to get gas. This animal was careful there is no way it didnt fill up with gas prior to the picking Kelly up. I will bet the animal stopped in this town very breifly found a number and called it. He set it up did his business perhaps a hundred miles away from Standard but had to travel back through this area to reach his home. Which leads me to believe he is more then likely to live in the USA. I think this would best fit why no one has come forward with any relevent information about the possible discription of this animal. He was in Standard for the laundry matt and then for the abduction. I dont think this animal was local. This animal has done this before. I love your site and i think if you could develope it into a North American wide crime posting site that could perhaps start linking similar crimes it would be a very effective tool in destroying these animals that prey on the weak and vulnerable. Like i said before this wasnt this animals first time. He is clever enough to maybe even have changed his MO. Very few serial killers stray from their normal fixation. Have any psychics been asked to give their two cents worth? I know i am grasping at straws but i would give anything to see this animal destroyed. i do hope that this guy is State side too at least they know what you do to animals that bite. You simply take them and destroy them. You dont warehouse them in safely guarded cells and feed them till they die. You arrange a nice little reunion between them and God. If you are the animal that did this and you like to see everyone come here and chase their tails looking for you. I guarantee you God knows what you have done. Karma is a wonderful power that intertwines everything the hell you are living only mirrors the life you have chosen. In the end you will be destroyed like you so justly deserve.

[Chris]

There are plans on the USA site, do you have a lot of cases you are aware of? It will be www.unsolved.ws, you are welcome to add anything if you would like.

IF he is from the USA, then yes, there would be some simular cases. Des found one in North Dakota. Lots of Americans lived in Alberta at that time, and many still do.

I sure wish I could find out if the police have a suspect in mind though, I bet they do.

[andy m]

Hi Chris, I have never heard that the police ever had a suspect in Kelly's murder. I know the Mother and daughter in Turner Valley they have a pretty good idea who did it. Matter of fact i have read the fellows name, its been published. That particular case the man still lives in the community and denies all involvement. That was more along the lines of a passion killing and fire cover up. Stranger abduction/murder is far harder to track. That is why this site is so important. The more people that can add their knowledge and perhaps get a workable field in which this guy operates would greatly increase the chance of this animal being caught. Remember the two guys that were going around Alberta I think it was in the late 80s early 90s. They took the girl out of the convenient store in either highriver or was it out of Okatoks? They took another lady from the highway who was broken down. Is there any chance those two could have been involved in Kelly's case. They were caught one committed suicide in prison the other died at the hands of an inmate. They liked to bludgeon and then burn their victims if i recall.

[Chris]

Yes I recall that case in Turner Valley. A regular criminal would not kill a child, it would take hate. It is one of those sad cases where it seems the police know who, but short on solid evidence.

I never heard about that case in the 80's, that is really weird. It very well could be.

Yes, they have a person of interest in Standard I believe. I just hope that there is some evidence left for the RCMP to test. Back in 1981, the guy would have no idea what technology would become available.

FOr some reason, this case is of special interested to me. One that I hope has a positive conslusion.

[robkich]

A lot of people in Warner Alberta believe Kelly's killer was a resident of their town.  He was shot and killed by his wife's boyfriend many years ago.  His personality and his circumstances around the time of her abduction pointed a finger in his direction.  At any rate, he is dead.  I'm sure the RCMP know about this suspect.  Warner is just south of Chin by 20 miles or so.....

[Chris]

Wow, that is just weird. I went to Lethbridge today, and drove right by Warner on the way there.

That would make sense, Chin is on the way to Warner. Des had a theory this person was headed south the states, Warner is just a short drive to the border.

That is a very small town. Was he killed in Warner or somewhere else? Do you also know if he was a suspect in other cases or why he might have been in Standard?

Thanks.

[capeheart]

This is an incredible thing to happen to someone who just wanted to make some extra money babysitting. She never should have gotten in a car with someone she did not know.  Her parents should have driven her to her jobs and got to know the people before she took any babysitting at all. I feel that it was someone in her home town also. I believe they saw the note and they just thought about it a while and got the nerve to carry it out. This could have been a person that was involved in sexual assault crimes in the area. I suppose the police have gone over all of those cases.  I hope something comes up so her mother and father can find peace.

[debbiec]

You have to remember that this happened in an era when people were far more trusting than they are today. For myself I would not have allowed my daughter to get in a car with a stranger but I think a lot of people probably would have. Hindsight is twenty twenty and we can always see what we should have done after the fact. I'm sure these parents have been living with what they think they should have done all this time, but that doesn't bring their daughter back and neither does it catch a killer. I also feel that he was probably travelling through and that this isn't the only time he has done something like this. To me it looks like it was premeditated.

[Chris]

That is pretty simular. I think predators like to use the same MO each time. 75 - 81 were good years for the Oil Patch. Could have been a traveller. After 81, hundreds of thousands lost there jobs and moved to other places.

[haunted]

I was a young child living in southern Alberta when Kelly was murdered. I remember somethings very well. Her murder has haunted me for years and I would love nothing more than for this family to find some answers. I remember that there was a composite sketch that was issued on a poster, it was in the grocery store window in the town that I lived in. And, if I recall correctly the girl (gymnast) who was the initial intended target was approached by the suspect while she was working (waitressing I believe). She could not babysit for him but gave him Kelly's name and number. I wonder why he would entertain the idea of changing targets when it appears he put a bit of time and energy into seeking out the first intended target. Why throw that all away? I think one of three things could have happened. Either he was geared up and was not ready to throw it away so decided that another victim would do. Or, he was on a strict timeline, which may support the 'travelling salesperson' theory, or, he was then afraid that because he already approached his intended victim first, that it would be too risky to try to get to her again, as he would have to try a different tactic, when obviously the babysitting approach was something easy and something he was comfortable with. Again, this MO has to have been used before. There is no way Kelly was this guy's first victim.

I have been hopeful that the DNA evidence thing would come into play eventually but I also wonder how much DNA is available/usable once there has been the stages of decomposition like in this case, where the body was in the water for some time.

Also I am sure that the police have checked it out, but it would be interesting to know where the telephone call to Kelly to ask her to babysit, came from. Likely a pay phone but who knows for sure.

I think it is possible that the person involved was perhaps temporarily staying with someone in the area. I don't think it would have been someone in the town, as the town is really small and a new person is really obvious, but in the outlying rural community. Also, this person was not afraid to show his face as the first intended victim saw him, not knowing he was going to be murderer. I think immediately after it happened the person left the area. Also, no indication has ever been given of where the crime occured. Chin Lake was clearly the disposal site, but did the murder occur there? and why this site? Convenience or a place that the murderer was familiar with?

So many unanswered questions.

[Chris]

Hi haunted,

I do not recall this case when I was little. I lived in alberta too at the time.

Did they have a stetch of the guy they were looking for?

It would be great if they could extract DNA from anything to compare. I hope there is and the guy goes to prison.

There was a lot of Oil activity in that area in 1981, but that was the year the NEP threw the oil patch out of business basically and there was a lot of turmiol and people were beginning to leave etc. So yes, it could have been a visitor or person passing thru.

This is one case I hope is solved in my lifetime. That town is small so it seems rather odd it was never solved.

[haunted]

Hello Chris

Yes there definitely was a sketch made of the suspect, between the time that Kelly was abducted and her body was found. I will never forget the sketch because I, being a child, was so certain that I would see this man and solve the case. I committed it to memory. I am certain the sketch details would have been given by the first intended victim, because, as I said he came up to her, in person. Our family had a copy of the sketch at one time and I am double checking to see if my parents would still have a copy, but I am doubtful. Obviously the police would have it. What I am wondering is if the police could have it digitally aged enhanced or use the old sketch to compare to convicted murderers elsewhere to see if it is possible to confirm that responsible person is in fact in prison or received the DP in the states for something else.

I believe the police know quite a bit more than what has been revealed to the public.

It was lucky the body was even found when it was. It was only found because the reservoir in which it was in was very low due to excessive irrigation. I believe the body was found in June or so.

Because of the unusual circumstances surrounding this, it makes me think that it must be able to be linked to some other crimes. In your research, do you know, do some of these predators change their MO that drastically as to not repeat the same set up twice? I have to think it was done before because he was so confident and bold and smooth.

It concerns that this case, along with many others, has not received any media attention in years and years. The article from the Sun marking the 25th anniversary of Kelly's death is the only thing I have found in years, along with the RCMP's site. There was once an episode on Unsolved Mysteries about Kelly Cook and that was in the late 80's or maybe early 90's. I would think it would serve the RCMP well to bring these cases front and centre, even yearly. Bring back the sketch and pursue it more publicly.

Here's to keeping hope alive.

On an interesting note, at my local grocery store yesterday I found an ad from an 11 year old girl who reveals her name, age and phone number, looking for babysitting jobs over the summer. I may need to call her parents and ask them not to let their precious little one advertise herself in such a way, making this type of scenario all to easy for those who are actively lookin.

 

[Chris]

I believe the police know quite a bit more than what has been revealed to the public.

I'm sure they definetly do! In fact, I am certain they have a strong POI in this.

Desespre has done a lot of research, and in her work, they may have been simular cases in Toronto area and I think one in Edmonton.

Sometimes the reason teh police do not publicize certain cases could be they know who did it, and he is dead. But in this case, it does seem the police are still seeking tips and information so I assume he is alive. I do rememebr the article from the SUn 3 years ago and I got the impression they know who, just not enough proof.

They did afterall see his car, and it is probable someone in Hussar saw the perv when Kelly called home from the payphone there. Afterall, Hussar is very small and outsiders are easy to spot.

[haunted]

Chris

I re-read the Sun article and the one sentence where they say the name was not made public, I think they are referring to the friend of Kelly's, the figure skater, which would make sense that she would be protected, after all she was a targetted victim. I don't think they are referring to the murderer.

While I do not have access to the sketch of the suspect from 1981, I was considering calling the officer involved in the cold cases in Calgary and find out if they have one that they would be willing to release again to the public, unless yourself or anyone else in the forum, that you're aware of, has been in touch with the investigating officer. I wonder if we could get it and put it on this site. I know it is old and the suspect, if still alive has aged almost 30 years, however, someone knew this guy at that time and someone knows him now.

I am also trying to check the site www.websleuths.com to go thru some of the missing persons and murders from the 70's and 80's in the States.  I have found nothing so far that is even similar is situation, however, perhaps the murderer 'worked' his way up to this scenario by doing other murders that were less of a 'hunt' and with less planning involved and after it was done, at least in Southern Alberta, the chances of it working the same way at that time, was far less because the public was more cautious of letting their children babysit for someone they did not know. I know that our family was very strict about the rules of babysitting following Kelly's murder.

The phone call from Hussar, really really bothers me. I realize that it is not possible to know if it was Kelly however, in such small towns the odds of another call placed by a girl or woman screaming would be a really unusual coincidence. I believe very strongly that was Kelly. However, I also agree with the posts that the responsible party would not have planned this so carefully and then have to stop for gas. In fact I pulled up the town of Hussar on the web. It is extremely small. Possibly it did not even have a gas station. What I wonder is if the murderer was taking her some place in Hussar and she escaped and made it to what would probably be the only payphone in town before he caught up with her, or she escaped from his vehicle at a stop sign or when he slowed to turn down the back road to go south toward Chin Lake. I agree that someone in Hussar probably knows more info and perhaps the police have questioned witnesses in this regard. It is likely the call was Kelly that night because of the path from Standard, to go straight East to Hussar, then directly south on the back roads leads right to Chin Lake.

Also, it would be interesting to know if what the cinder block was made of, which might indicate where it was formed, if it was determined to be local to Alberta or from elsewhere.

[Chris]

Hussar is small, and to me I think you'd have to know it was there in order to go there. I was there about 4 years ago, it probably only had 1 pay phone in the whole place. It is off teh highway, and I think the person must have been familiar there.

Do you have a link to the story in the sun? I'd like to read it again. There was something about it when I read that made me believe the police know who, just not enough.

Thanks