DA seeks death penalty for ex-boyfriend accused of filming 'heinous, atrocious' rape of unconscious 18-year-old before murdering her

An Oklahoma man could face the death penalty for allegedly raping and murdering an 18-year-old star athlete and student. The district attorney described the crimes as "especially heinous, atrocious and cruel."

As Blaze News previously reported, 18-year-old Madeline Bills was found dead in her bedroom by her family on April 22, 2023. The bedroom was a converted pool house that was separate from the main home.

An autopsy found that Madeline had died from being strangled.

Bills considered moving back into the main house because she was terrified of her ex-boyfriend.

Moore Police Department Lt. Wes Yost told KWTV-DT, "She was so scared of him that she talked to friends about going into the main residence and not staying in the pool house."

Investigators said surveillance cameras caught her ex-boyfriend traveling approximately two miles away from Bill's home the night before she was murdered.

A neighbor's surveillance camera spotted an "unknown" suspect climbing the fence and entering the Bills' property around 4:38 a.m., according to the detective's affidavit.

Detectives said the suspect left Bills’ backyard roughly 90 seconds after he initially entered the property.

Video shows the likely vehicle of the ex-boyfriend – 20-year-old Chace Cook – driving in front of the Bills' residence at approximately 6:34 a.m., police said.

The suspect allegedly climbed the fence at 6:42 a.m. and went toward the pool house. At 7:17 a.m., the suspect was reportedly seen on video leaving the backyard by climbing back over the fence.

Law enforcement questioned Cook at the More Police Department on April 25, and collected a DNA sample.

Police executed a search warrant on Cook's vehicle, and officers found clothing and his cell phone.

A detective wrote, "Upon review of the content, it was discovered Cook’s cell phone was in the area of the victim's residence during the time the surveillance video shows the unknown person climbing over the fence."

Investigators found a video on Cook's cell phone that appeared to show him "having sex with the victim, who appears to be unconscious," according to the affidavit.

Police arrested Cook in May 2023. He was charged with the rape and murder of Madeline Bills.

The District 21 District Attorney's Office filed a Bill of Particulars seeking the death penalty for Cook – a decision that "was not made lightly."

"After reviewing the evidence of the case and speaking to the family it is our position that the death penalty is a fair and just punishment to seek in light of this defendant’s crimes," the district attorney's office said in a statement. "Our priority is to seek justice for Madeline Bills and our hearts go out to her family and friends as they continue to grieve."

Cleveland County District Attorney Greg Mashburn said, "The murder was especially heinous, atrocious or cruel."

A formal arraignment is set for Feb. 28.

The Bills family issued a statement last week:

It has been nearly a year since our daughter, Madeline Marie Bills, was tragically taken from us. Our family continues to grieve her loss, and we are grateful for the support and comfort we have received from our community. We wish to express our gratitude to District Attorney Greg Mashburn and his office for their tireless efforts in pursuing justice for Maddie. We fully support their decision to seek the death penalty for the defendant. We believe that this is an appropriate sentence given the heinous nature of the crime and the devastating impact on our family and community. Our family continues to respect the legal process, and we will cooperate fully with the prosecution as they proceed with the case. We ask for privacy during this difficult time as we navigate the legal proceedings and as we continue to honor Maddie's memory and impact on our lives. We thank the community for their continued support and for keeping Maddie and our family in their thoughts and prayers.

Bills – who was just weeks away from graduating Moore High School with honors when she was murdered – was a star student and athlete who was "literally is every coach’s dream, every teacher’s dream," according to Madeline's former basketball coach.

"She didn’t live like other people. She lived differently, and she carried a light, and she made an impact on literally every single person that she came in contact with," Stephanie Brady told KOCO-TV. "Selfless and servant-hearted, Brady said she outworked everyone in the room."

Madeline had dreams of playing college basketball at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M.

Man accused of raping, killing 18-year-old Madeline Bills could face death penaltywww.youtube.com

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