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Chapter 1

THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY for Cumberland County, North Carolina, Marc Sherman, pushed the old wooden captain’s chair away fro eeek in the nearly silent courtroom

Then Sherman rose and slowly approached the jury box, where nine women and three men — six white, six African American — waited with anticipation to hear what he had to say They liked Sherman He knew that, even expected it He also knew that he had already won this dra suive

But he was going to give this closing anyway He felt the need to see Sergeant Ellis Cooper held accountable for his crimes The soldier had committed the most heinous and cowardly murders in the history of Cumberland County, North Carolina The so-called Bluelady Murders The people in this county expected Sherman to punish Ellis Cooper, who happened to be a black man, and he wouldn’t disappoint them

The district attorney began: “I have been doing this for a while — seventeen years, to be exact In all that time, I have never encountered murders such as those coeant Ellis Cooper What began as a jealous rage aimed at one victim, Tanya Jackson, spilled over into the shameless ether these wo husbands and countless other fahbors, and dear friends

“The fateful night was a Friday, ‘ladies’ night’ for Tanya Jackson, Barbara Green, and Maureen Bruno While their husbands enjoyed their usual card night at Fort Bragg, the wives got together for sohter, and the treasured coreat friends, you understand This Friday night get-together took place at the ho their four children

“Around ten o’clock, after consueant Cooper went to the Jackson house As you have heard in sworn testihbors He was yelling for Mrs Jackson to come out

“Then Sergeant Cooper barged into the house Using an RTAK survival knife, a lightweight weapon favored by United States Army Special Forces, he attacked the woman who had spurned his advances He killed Tanya Jackson instantly with a single knife thrust

“Sergeant Ellis Cooper then turned the knife on thirty-one-year-old Barbara Green And finally, on Maureen Bruno, who nearly ht by Cooper at the front door All three women were killed

with thrusts delivered by a powerfultechniques at the John F Kennedy Special Warfare Center, headquarters for the Army Special Forces

“The survival knife has been identified as Sergeant Cooper’s personal property, a deadly weapon he had kept since the early 1970s, when he left Vietnaerprints were all over the knife

“His prints were also found on the clothing of Mrs Jackson and Mrs Green DNA from particles of skin found under the nails of Mrs Jackson were eant Cooper Strands of his hair were found at the murder scene The murder weapon itself was discovered hidden in the attic of Cooper’s house So were pathetic ‘love letters’ he had written to Tanya Jackson — returned unopened

“You have seen unspeakable photographs of what Sergeant Cooper did to the three wohoulish-looking blue paint He painted their chests and storuesome and twisted As I said, the worst murders I have ever encountered You know that there can be only one verdict That verdict is guilty! Put this monster down!”

Suddenly, Sergeant Ellis Cooper rose froasped He was six feet four and powerfully built At age fifty-five, his waist was still thirty-two inches, just as it had been when he enlisted in the arreens, and the uished Service Cross, and a Silver Star He looked impressive, even under the circumstances of thevoice

“I didn’t kill Tanya Jackson, or any of those poor woht I didn’t paint any bodies blue I’ve never killed anyone, except for my country I didn’t kill those women I’m innocent! I’m a war hero, for God’s sake!”

Sergeant Cooper hurdled the wooden gate at the front of the courtroo hi him in the face and chest

“You liar, liar!” Cooper shouted “Why are you trying to kill me?”

When the courtroom marshals finally pulled Cooper away, the prosecutor’s shirt and jacket were torn, his face bloodied

Marc Sherled to his feet and then he turned back to the jury “Need I say uilty Put this monster down”