Oklahoma authorities are pursuing the death penalty for 20-year-old Chace Cook, who is accused of the brutal murder and rape of his ex-girlfriend, 18-year-old Madeline Bills, on April 22. Bills, a standout high school basketball player with a 4.0 GPA, had committed to playing college basketball for Northeastern A&M before her tragic death nine months ago.
Cook was taken into custody in May after the discovery of Madeline Bills’ lifeless body in her bedroom, located in a pool house adjacent to her family’s property. According to a police affidavit, Bills had expressed concerns to friends about her ex-boyfriend, stating that she feared he might harm her. As a precaution, she planned to sleep inside the main residence, away from the pool house.
Surveillance footage reportedly contradicted Cook’s initial claim of Navy training in Texas, placing him at the crime scene on the night Bills was found dead, as reported by The Oklahoman. The timeline captured by surveillance cameras indicated a car resembling Cook’s driving near Bills’ home in the early hours of the night. Subsequent footage revealed an unidentified individual climbing Bills’ fence and entering her backyard. After a brief period on the property, the person, alleged to be Cook, left. The vehicle matching Cook’s car was then reportedly seen again, strengthening the connection to Bills’ home.
DNA samples obtained through a search warrant from Cook’s vehicle and cellphone matched evidence from the crime scene and Bills’ autopsy. Additionally, Autopsy results reportedly confirmed Bills’ cause of death as strangulation, with investigators alleging the discovery of a video on Cook’s phone depicting him raping her while she lay unconscious.
As the legal process unfolds, the community mourns the loss of Madeline Bills, a gifted athlete with a radiant personality, whose life was tragically cut short.