Ricky High, a 48-year-old African American male, was tragically murdered on October 12, 2007, in Raleigh, North Carolina. His death was part of a series of killings committed by Samuel James Cooper, a serial killer who terrorized the area between 2006 and 2007. Cooper, who was born on January 12, 1977, in North Carolina, had a history of violent behavior and a troubled upbringing. He grew up in an abusive home where his father regularly beat him, his mother, and his four siblings.
This abuse began when Cooper was just three months old and escalated as he grew older. By the time he was 13, Cooper had stopped feeling fear or pain during the beatings, according to a psychiatrist who testified at his murder trial.
Cooper's criminal activities continued into adulthood, including several armed robberies in 1994. In 1999, while serving time for these robberies, Cooper and two other inmates escaped by overpowering their supervisor and taking control of his vehicle. During his court appearance for the escape, Cooper attacked a deputy and unsuccessfully tried to take her sidearm. He was released from prison in February 2006, and his killing spree began shortly thereafter.
On October 12, 2007, Cooper shot and killed Ricky High. Cooper's confession revealed that High was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Cooper's legal team argued that his abusive childhood had left him mentally unstable, using a defense called "diminished capacity." They claimed that Cooper had been programmed to kill by his father. However, prosecutors argued that Cooper was a cold-blooded killer, pointing to his history of violence and the premeditated nature of his crimes. Cooper's confession included details of other murders, such as the killing of Timothy Barnwell, where Cooper boasted about his shooting skills and described cleaning up the crime scene.
Cooper was eventually arrested in November 2007 after a local bank robbery. The handgun he dropped while fleeing the robbery was linked to the murders. Cooper was charged, tried, and found guilty of five counts of first-degree murder, including the murder of Ricky High. Despite the defense's arguments, the jury ultimately spared Cooper's life, sentencing him to five life terms without parole. He is currently serving his sentence at Warren Correctional Institution.
