|
| In
the video, recorded by the
security cameras of a bank
located in Jacó Beach, the
victim is seen withdrawing
cash from his bank account.
/ Judicial
Investigation Organization
courtesy photo. |
Judicial agents
seek witnesses to help with the
investigation of the murder of the
U.S. citizen Thomas Jeffrey Cook
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Judicial Investigation
Organization agents have published
a video of U.S. citizen Thomas
Jeffrey Cook, a 62-year-old
businessman from Vermont, taken
before his murder nearly a year
ago. The agents are looking for
witnesses or any information from
the public that may help to solve
this crime.
In the video, recorded by the
security cameras of a bank located
in Jacó Beach*,
the victim is seen withdrawing
cash from his bank account.
After getting the cash, the victim
left the bank, and got in a white
vehicle driven by someone else.
When the victim left, the white
car was followed people inside a
blue sedan.
The video can be reached on the Judicial
Investigation Organization
YouTube page here*.
According to agents, the
investigation hypothesis is that
day Cook withdrew a large amount
in cash, then traveled from Jacó
on the Pacific Coast to Siquirres*
near to the Atlantic Coast,
accompanied by at least one person
in which he had confidence.
When he arrived at Siquirres,
somebody killed him and buried his
body in an empty lot in the area
of Palmira* in
Siquirres.
Through the investigation, agents
determined that one of the
victim's credit cards was used in
a shop located in Guacimo* in
Limón, this after his murder.
Agents are calling to the public
to help on this investigation. If
someone recognizes the car
recorded on a video or has any
information, they can the
confidential number 800-8000-645.
Agents can also handle calls from
English speakers.
According to the investigation,
Cook came to Costa Rica with the
intention of residing in the
country in his retirement years.
The investigation of this case has
the particularity that started
with two separate cases, one on
the Pacific coast and one on the
Atlantic coast.
The first investigation was
carried out by the agents in Jacó
after Cook’s disappearance was
reported Aug. 23. According
to the file, "Cook came frequently
to the country. On Jan. 25, 2018,
he entered the country and rented
a house in Jacó Beach for a period
of three months. During that time
he had a good relationship of
friendship with the landlord. Then
he returns to the United States
for a short time and he decided to
sell his business and retire."
"Cook did not have a criminal
record in the United States and
did not carry out any type of
commercial activity in Costa
Rica," said the judicial agents on
the report.
When he returned to Costa Rica in
the month of March, a woman
surnamed Hurtado, helped him to
rent living quarters in a
condominium in the same area of
Jacó Beach," said the file.
On Aug. 23, the same woman filed a
complaint saying Cook had
disappeared. According to Walter
Espinoza, judicial investigations
director, she said she had not
seen Cook for several days.
The investigation uncovered the
fact that Cook called his landlord
and asked how he could withdraw
money from the bank because his
card was not working at the ATM.
Also, the file records that "Cook
requested help because needed to
make a payment and could not get
enough money from the ATM. The
landlord gave him the instructions
to go directly to the bank cashier
and request the amount he needed
by presenting the passport and the
credit card."
According to Espinoza, Cook
arrived at the bank alone Aug. 23
and withdrew money. Investigators
did not report the amount
withdrawn.Cook then was seen in
the area of Jacó, along with
people known to him, they said
Cook's relatives, called the
landlord and asked for help in
locating him when they did not
receive any further contact,
according to investigators. That
generated the missing person
report.
The second investigation was by
agents in Siquirres after they
received a call reporting that a
partly buried human body had been
found.
According to the report from
Siquirres, the body that was
located on Oct. 1 in the Palmiras
sector. The body was in a state of
putrefaction and buried in a
paddock, wearing a blue shirt,
gray color shorts, girdle gray
tennis shoes, plus an earring and
fabric bracelet with blue, white
and red colors. "
After the forensic analysis, it
was established that the date of
death of the man found in
Siquirres, matched with the date
of Cook's disappearance.
Investigators contacted the
relatives of Cook in the United
States to request dental records.
"On October 11, with the analysis
of the dental records sent by the
relatives and the forensic
analysis in Costa Rica, it was
confirmed that the man found in
Siquirres was Cook,” said
Espinoza.
According to the forensic report,
there were blows to Cook’s body
and, "there is no doubt that Cook
was killed," said Espinoza.
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What is the advice you would like
to give to foreigners to avoid put
in risk in Costa Rica? We would
like to know your thoughts on this
story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com
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