Update in Rachel Cooke Disappearance Mystery

Just days ago news broke that a man by the name Michael Moore had confessed to the Jan. 10, 2002 disappearance and then murder of Rachel Louise Cooke. Many of us in the missing person arena were stunned to see this man's face and the news because many of us have followed Rachel's case from the beginning and have all come to know her dad, Robert Cooke because he's such a strong advocate for the missing.

With all missing person mysteries, it always takes you back a few feet when you finally see the person that is believed to be responsible for the disappearance of these loved ones. No matter how you picture these evil people, it's always so strange to see them.

Michael Moore's stunning confession came after he was already serving time for the 2003 murder of another young woman by the name of Christina Moore. His confession and the details of Rachel's murder were gruesome and hard to hear. Michael Moore claimed that bored and needing someone to rob, he went down the road when he ran across Rachel Cooke out jogging that fateful day.

With the confession, Rachel's family had the understanding that Moore was going to plead "guilty" to Rachel's murder, but that is not what happened.
The day Moore was to appear in court along with Rachel Cooke's family and attorney's Michael Moore reneged his guilty plea and changed his plea to "innocent". This added more devastation and disgust to the already suffering family of Rachel Cooke who has been waiting for nearly five years to learn their daughter's fate, and now to bring justice.

Just days after Michael Moore changed his plea, the District Attorney's office temporarily dropped the murder charges against Michael Moore for Rachel Cooke's murder. They claim that they will seek a Grand Jury's indictment for Rachel's murder because they believe he is responsible for her death.

While Rachel's family believe they'll never see Rachel alive again, at this point, they would like to be able to find Rachel and bring her home for a proper burial. They have gone far beyond the call of duty to educate other young women and men on the dangers out there. They are one of the kindest families anyone will ever meet. They did not deserve this to happen to them, nor has any family who has been victimized.

I'm sure there will be a long hall ahead of the Cooke family. This man appears to be toying with their emotions regardless of his involvement with Rachel's disappearance, and for that, I think he needs to be treated like the animal he is. There's some sick people in this world, and I'm just glad this one is off the streets.

I just hope that no matter what happens that Rachel can be found and brought home. This has gone on too long and she needs to be found. As painful as it may be, the truth is better than waiting with not answers at all. May God help the Cooke family through this ordeal.

Related Link:

Cooke's Parents Talk About Moore's Plea
By Rebecca Taylor

(CBS 42) GEORGETOWN Two Georgetown parents are being victimized again, they told CBS 42's Rebecca Taylor -- ever since convicted killer Michael Moore was brought into court with the expectation that he would plead guilty to the murder of Rachel Cooke. Instead he plead not guilty.Cooke disappeared while jogging near her parents' northwest Georgetown home in 2002.Last week convicted killer Michael Moore, already in prison for murdering a Round Rock woman in her home in 2003, reneged on a plea deal after police say he confessed to killing Rachel Cooke.Janet Cooke said she wakes up every day and talks to the daughter who isn't there anymore."I say good morning," she said. "And every night before I go to bed, I say good night. And it's hard for her not to be there anymore."Rachel Cooke went missing nearly five years ago. Her parents now believe she is dead. But, they said, they need to know if convicted killer Michael Moore is to blame."My plea to him is, tell the truth," said her father.But Moore has reportedly retracted a prior confession to killing the 19-year-old -- throwing prosecutors last week into a tailspin, and giving Rachel's mother and father more heartache."I know he has a son, and I'd like him to think what if it was his son -- that somebody was taking advantage of," Robert Cooke said.Robert Cooke doesn't know if Michael Moore killed his daughter. If he did?"I don't want him ever on the streets again," Rachel's father insisted. "He's doesn't belong here. He's not a human being. He needs to stay behind bars."While he waits for answers, he embraces the memories of his little girl."She was a daddy's girl," he said.But he can't stop the thoughts that come to him in the night -- just what might have happened to his little girl."You wake up to it," he said. "In fact, sometimes you have a nightmare and you wake up, you realize that the nightmare was not as scary as your real life."Still, they are holding out hope that they might find answers, so that Rachel -- in some way -- might finally come home."It would mean everything," said her mother. "It would give me that closure that I so dearly want."Until then, Janet Cooke will continue to talk to her daughter -- hoping she'll lead them to her killer."I've told her," she said. "'Let us know -- find some way. -- Let us know.""He's trying to victimize us a second time," said Robert Cooke.Janet Cooke said she would let a jury decide, but she said she has her suspicions."It would not surprise me in the least," she said, "if (Moore) just kills for the killing..."Moore was convicted in February of killing Christina Moore in her Round Rock home. She was 14 weeks pregnant. The two are not related

http://keyetv.com/topstories/local_story_316182308.html