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Cook Sentenced for Newland Double Murder

On March 22, 2016, Oscar Martin Cook III, 32, plead guilty to one count of first-degree murder and one count of second-degree murder in the deaths of Ronald Buchanan and Brandy Rose.

Cook
Cook

Mr. Buchanan and Ms. Rose were found unresponsive at a residence on Summer Haven St. in Newland on Dec. 29, 2013.  The victims later succumbed to their injuries after being transported to the hospital.

Autopsies later showed that both Mr. Buchanan and Ms. Rose died from injuries sustained from blows to their heads and bodies. Investigators determined that Mr. Cook had inflicted those fatal wounds on the victims in this case.

Superior Court Judge Michael D. Duncan sentenced Mr. Cook life in prison without the possibility of parole.

“This is such a tragic case for the Buchanan and Rose families and for our community as a whole,” said District Attorney Seth Banks. “Their violent and senseless deaths have rocked Avery County. For Oscar Cook, this sentence marks the end of a long and violent criminal career. Our hearts and prayers go out to the families whose lives have been irreparably broken. I appreciate the hard work of Assistant District Attorney Matt Rupp, the efforts of the Newland Police Department and the Avery County Sheriff’s Office, and the work of the SBI in helping to bring closure to the victims’ families.”