Death penalty sought for man for murdering and raping 18-year-old ex-girlfriend

Oklahoma prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for 20-year-old Chace Cook, accused of brutally murdering and raping his 18-year-old ex-girlfriend, Madeline Bills. 

The shocking case unfolded as investigators pieced together a tragic tale of betrayal and violence.

Cook was arrested in May after the lifeless body of Madeline Bills, a standout high school basketball player with a promising future, was discovered in her bedroom on April 22. Just weeks away from graduating with a stellar 4.0 GPA, Bills had committed to playing college basketball for Northeastern A&M.

According to a police affidavit, Bills had expressed fear to friends about her ex-boyfriend, Chace Cook, and had even altered her sleeping arrangements due to her concerns for her safety. 

Despite Cook's initial claim of Navy training in Texas, surveillance footage placed him at the scene of the crime on the night Bills was found dead.

The chilling timeline reveals an unknown suspect climbing over Bills' fence in the early hours of the night. And later, a vehicle matching Cook's car was seen near her home. Subsequent surveillance camera captures the suspect entering her poolside-bedroom, only to exit after a horrifying 90 seconds.

Autopsy results confirmed Bills' cause of death as strangulation, with investigators alleging the discovery of a video on Cook's phone showing him raping her while she lay unconscious.

Cook's alibi quickly unraveled as detectives presented evidence of his presence near Bills' home the night she died. DNA samples from Cook's vehicle and cellphone, obtained through a search warrant, matched evidence from the crime scene and Bills' autopsy.

Now, facing charges of rape and murder, Chace Cook remains in custody, with the Cleveland County District Attorney, Greg Mashburn, filing for a death penalty motion. The decision, according to a statement from the DA's office, was made after careful consideration of the evidence and consultation with the victim's family.

As the legal process unfolds, the community mourns the loss of Madeline Bills, a talented athlete with a radiant personality, whose life was tragically cut short.