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Cooke gets life without parole
Prosecutor calls trial 'emotionally exhausting'
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Michelle Frizzell is tearful as she hugs Amber Dodson, a daughter of Gary and Gail Dodson, Wednesday afternoon. Frizzell shows how emotionally difficult the trial was for both families. An aunt of convicted killer Bryan Cooke, she told the jury how Gary and Gail always accepted her into their family and says she has fond memories of time they spent together.

Bryan Cooke will spend the rest of his life behind bars after a jury found him guilty of first-degree murder in the stabbing deaths of his in-law, Gary and Gail Dodson, and sentenced him to life without chance of parole.
“He now sits before you a convicted killer,” District Attorney General Lisa Zavogiannis told the six-man, six-woman jury shortly after they returned with guilty verdicts on all seven counts, ranging from premeditated murder to theft. “You have spoken with your verdict.”
The verdict capped an emotional, two-day trial that included heart-felt statements from two family members before sentencing.
"It's hard to express how emotionally exhausting, how physically and mentally exhausting, this has been," said Zavogiannis after the trial was complete. "These are real people, real lives, right here in our community."
Prosecutors proved Cooke broke into the Dodson’s home in the Fairview community on the night of June 28, 2015 by jimmying their door using a gift card. He then stabbed Mr. Dodson in the heart as he lie sleeping on the couch, nearly running through his body with the 8-inch blade he had just stolen from Walmart.
Cooke then proceeded to his mother-in-law’s bedroom where he stabbed her while she slept on her bed, also nearly running through her body on the first blow. After killing the couple, he took their money and keys to their vehicle and fled to Florida where he was later arrested in a motel room in Jacksonville.
The defense had hoped for a conviction on lesser charges, claiming Cooke’s memory had recently returned and he recalled the incident. During his time on the stand, Cooke, trembling uncontrollably, told jurors he went to his in-law’s home to apologize for his most recent drug disappearance where he had run off to Florida.
Cooke claimed his father-in-law became irate and attacked him, prompting him to pick up a knife off the table and stab him. He then claimed to have stabbed his mother-in-law when she intervened.
The defense also maintained Cooke was stoned at the time and could not have formed intent to kill in his condition. Prosecutors pointed out Cooke’s recollection was not only “convenient” but it also was contrary to hard evidence at the scene.
Jurors took most of the day Wednesday to return with a verdict after hearing two days of testimony. They were sent back into deliberation by Circuit Court Judge Bart Stanley to decide Cooke’s punishment – life with chance of parole, or life without chance of parole. In the case of life with chance of parole, the 44-year-old defendant would have become eligible for early release after serving 51 years. Life without chance of parole is literal.
“This was a very cruel killing,” said Zavogiannis, pointing to one of the enhancing factors jurors would need to bring the top punishment. “There is no reasonable explanation for what he did. We must ensure he is never released from prison.”
Defense attorney Bud Sharpe argued his client has no past history of violence and was under the influence of drugs when he killed the Dodsons.
“He was not of a sound mind when this happened,” Sharpe maintained.
To bolster their case for life without chance of parole, prosecutors brought Cooke’s ex-wife and daughter to the victims, Kelly Dodson, to the stand. She told jurors of the horrors of life after finding her parents murdered in their home.
“When we can sleep at night, there are nightmares … lots of nightmares,” the sobbed, noting she carries a feeling of guilt because she stayed with Cooke after her family had told her to leave him due to his drug addiction. “I have a feeling of guilt. I was trying to make our marriage work because I thought that was the right thing to do.”
For the defense, Michelle Frizzell, Cooke’s aunt, brought the court gallery to tears as she recalled the good memories she had of the victims and their family.
“This is not my nephew,” she said as she pointed to the defense table, her passionate testimony even moving some jurors to tears. “It’s just so hard for me to understand.”

 

Local farm partnership brings fresh beef to Warren County Schools
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Warren County Schools has beefed up lunch menus this school year through a new community partnership. Thanks to a collaboration between the district’s School Nutrition Department and Barton Creek Farms, students at Warren County High School, Warren County Middle School, West Elementary, Eastside Elementary, and Dibrell Elementary are enjoying locally sourced, farm-fresh beef in their lunches as part of a pilot program.

The initiative, spearheaded by Terri Mullican, Director of School Nutrition, has already shown great promise in its first few months. The partnership with Barton Creek Farms, located in Rock Island, Tennessee, ensures that the beef served is not only local to Warren County but of the highest quality. Barton Creek Farms specializes in farm-to-fork beef, with grass-fed and grain-finished cattle. Each calf is born and raised in Rock Island and goes through USDA-inspected processing, ensuring it meets the strictest safety and quality standards.

“When the opportunity arose to provide fresh, local beef, we knew it was a no-brainer,” Mullican said. “The fact that it’s a product from right here in our community makes it even more special. We can’t wait to implement it district-wide.”

Barton Creek Farms delivers fresh ground beef to the district monthly, and the nutrition

department incorporates it into homemade recipes such as lasagna, meatloaf, chili, and tacos.

As of now, the beef is being served at five schools, but the ultimate goal is to expand the program to all ten lunch-serving schools in the district.

The pilot program originated from a conversation between Mary Roller of Barton Creek Farms and Mullican. Roller, recognizing the farm’s potential to support local schools, reached out to gauge the district’s interest in serving local beef to students. Around the same time, a Warren County school board member contacted Mullican to share information about a similar partnership in neighboring Dekalb County, which helped push the initiative forward.

The timing worked in the district’s favor, as the nutrition department was able to fund the purchase of the beef using existing resources, eliminating the need for additional funding. Now that the pilot program is enjoying a successful run, the department has budgeted to extend the partnership district-wide for the 2025-26 school year.

Dr. Grant Swallows, Director of Schools, praised the program’s economic approach to student nutrition.

“This pilot is a perfect example of how we can use local resources to continue providing nutritious, healthy meals for our students,” he said. “We are grateful for partnerships like this one that benefit both our students and our local community. We always strive to support our local businesses when we can because our community is so good to us.”

In addition to working with Warren County Schools, Barton Creek Farms also partners with local restaurants to offer farm-fresh beef on their menus. The farm’s offerings include ground beef, steaks, roasts, and custom cuts by the quarter, half, or whole cow, meeting diverse consumer needs.

As the program continues to grow, the district hopes to expand its focus on farm-to-school meals, benefiting students’ health and connecting them to the agricultural roots of the community