Fugitive Tenn. murder suspect caught after hotel worker tip
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A man suspected of killing his in-laws in Tennessee was arrested early Tuesday in Jacksonville after a hotel worker tipped off authorities.
The Florida Times-Union reports an employee became suspicious when Bryan Cooke, 39, showed up, sweating profusely and acting strangely, to check into a Hampton Inn in Jacksonville.
Sheriff Jackie Matheny of Warrant County, Tennessee, said the worker called police after Cooke couldn't provide identification. He did give his real name, however.
He's suspected of killing Gail and Gary Dodson in their Tennessee home. They were found dead Monday after employees at Gary & Gail's Pit Stop Cafe in McMinnville became concerned when they didn't show up for work.
The restaurant is between Nashville and Chattanooga.
Cooke had been one of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation's top ten most wanted fugitives.
Authorities in Tennessee notified authorities in Michigan and Florida to be on the lookout for Cooke. He has family in Michigan and liked to visit Florida. Matheny said Cooke had ditched his car at the couple's house, and police found the Dodsons' 1997 Jeep Cherokee at the Jacksonville hotel.
"That is a tremendous job by everybody there and we're so thankful," Matheny said of the capture. "The family certainly is relieved."
Cooke is being held without bond on a fugitive warrant from Tennessee. He was scheduled for a first appearance in court on Tuesday afternoon. There was no word on whether Cooke has hired a lawyer.