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An air of hysteria pervaded the summer and autumn of 1959
in Alberta. An unsuspecting public was faced with the most horrific crime in
its history. An entire family lay dead in the garage of their home; the only
suspect, their son, had been released from prison just days before their
discovery.
The Cook case rarely left the front page of the
newspaper, keeping the public thoroughly engaged and providing constant
coverage of Cook’s whereabouts. As long as Robert Raymond Cook remained in
police custody, Albertans could rest peacefully. Upon his escape from the
Ponoka Mental Institution, the public reacted frantically. A manhunt of
unprecedented size and intensity raged on for four long days until Cook was
recaptured and returned to prison.
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frenzied public saw little choice but to convict Cook and at the time,
Canadian law stipulated that murder was punishable by death. Two trials
ended with the same verdict, and Cook was sentenced to death by hanging.
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Heritage Community Foundation Presents
;)
