Robert Raymond Cook
Encyclopedia
Robert Raymond Cook was a Canadian
murderer. Convicted of the slayings of his father, Raymond, stepmother, Daisy, and the couple's five children, he was the last man to be executed
by the province of Alberta
.
. Robert Cook, Raymond Cook's son by his first wife, had been arrested in Stettler
a day earlier, and charged with obtaining goods under false pretenses after he had traded the family's 1958 Chevrolet station wagon for a '59 Impala
convertible. Despite being implicated in the death's of all of his family members. Robert Cook was only charged with the murder of his father in order to speed trail processions.
At just after midnight on July 11, 1959, Cook escaped from the Ponoka
Mental Institution after he was denied permission to attend the funerals of his family members. He was found several days later hiding at a pig farm near Bashaw, Alberta
.
It took two trials and just under 16 months for Cook to be convicted of murder. He maintained his innocence up until his execution. Cook was sent to the gallows at Fort Saskatchewan Provincial Gaol at midnight, November 14, 1960, and pronounced dead at 12:19AM on November 15, 1960. The case has been the subject of several books and two plays.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
murderer. Convicted of the slayings of his father, Raymond, stepmother, Daisy, and the couple's five children, he was the last man to be executed
Capital punishment in Canada
Capital punishment in Canada dates back to 1749. Before Canada eliminated the death penalty for murder on July 14, 1976, 1,481 people were sentenced to death, with 710 executed. Of those executed, 697 were men and 13 were women. The only method used in Canada for capital punishment in nonmilitary...
by the province of Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
.
Overview
On 28 June 1959, police discovered the Raymond and Daisy Cook along with their 5 children shot and bludgeoned to death in the grease pit of their garage in Stettler, AlbertaStettler, Alberta
Stettler is a town in Alberta, Canada. It is located east of Red Deer at the junction of Highway 12 and Highway 56. The town is located in the eastern region of central Alberta and nicknamed "The Heart of Alberta."- History :...
. Robert Cook, Raymond Cook's son by his first wife, had been arrested in Stettler
Stettler
Stettler can mean the following:*Stettler, Alberta, a Canadian town**Stettler County No. 6, Alberta, a municipal district in central Alberta around the town*Carl Stettler , founder of the town of Stettler...
a day earlier, and charged with obtaining goods under false pretenses after he had traded the family's 1958 Chevrolet station wagon for a '59 Impala
Chevrolet Impala
The Chevrolet Impala is a full-size automobile built by the Chevrolet division of General Motors introduced for the 1958 model year. Deriving its name from the southern African antelope, Chevrolet's most expensive passenger model through 1965 had become the best-selling automobile in the United...
convertible. Despite being implicated in the death's of all of his family members. Robert Cook was only charged with the murder of his father in order to speed trail processions.
At just after midnight on July 11, 1959, Cook escaped from the Ponoka
Ponoka, Alberta
Ponoka is a town in the province of Alberta, Canada. It is situated in the south/central parkland region of rolling hills. Industries are agriculture , and oil and gas production...
Mental Institution after he was denied permission to attend the funerals of his family members. He was found several days later hiding at a pig farm near Bashaw, Alberta
Bashaw, Alberta
Bashaw is a town in central Alberta located at the junction of Highway 21 and Highway 53. Formerly one of the most recognizable sources of cheese production in Alberta, the Bashaw cheese plant has been closed since the spring of 2002.-Demographics:...
.
It took two trials and just under 16 months for Cook to be convicted of murder. He maintained his innocence up until his execution. Cook was sent to the gallows at Fort Saskatchewan Provincial Gaol at midnight, November 14, 1960, and pronounced dead at 12:19AM on November 15, 1960. The case has been the subject of several books and two plays.