Richard Joseph Cook Jr., a 36-year-old male, tragically lost his life on November 15, 1989, in Garland, Texas. His death was part of a violent spree carried out by Daniel Joe Hittle, who was on parole at the time. Hittle had a history of violence, having previously served 11 years for the 1973 stabbing death of his parents in Minnesota.
On the night of November 15, 1989, Hittle was involved in a traffic stop with Garland police officer Gerald Walker.
During the stop, Hittle shot Officer Walker in the chest with a .20 gauge shotgun. After shooting the officer, Hittle drove to Dallas, where he continued his rampage. He killed his drug dealer, Mary Goss, 39, her daughter Christy Condon, 4, and Richard Joseph Cook Jr., who was Goss's boyfriend. Hittle also killed Raymond Scott Gregg, 19, during the same spree.
Hittle was eventually arrested by police after a car chase and gunfight. He was charged with multiple counts of murder but was only tried for the slaying of Officer Walker. The other murders, including that of Richard Joseph Cook Jr., were not part of the trial. Hittle was later executed by lethal injection on December 6, 2000, for the murder of Officer Walker.
The case drew significant attention due to the brutality of the crimes and the fact that Hittle had been on parole at the time of the killings. The victims' families, including Richard Joseph Cook Jr.'s, were left to grapple with the senseless loss and the knowledge that Hittle had a history of violence that was not adequately monitored.
Richard Joseph Cook Jr.'s death was a tragic part of a larger narrative of violence and loss that shook the Garland community and highlighted issues within the criminal justice system regarding parole and monitoring of violent offenders.
