People Magazine Investigates: Surviving a Serial Killer returns with another chilling episode, “Surviving the Cook Brothers,” airing on Investigation Discovery on Sunday, June 9, 2024, at 9:00 p.m. The episode examines the horrifying crimes of Anthony and Nathaniel Cook, two brothers who committed a series of racially motivated rapes and murders in Toledo, Ohio.
In 1981, Cheryl Bartlett Fann and her fiancé were attacked by two men. Cheryl was raped and shot, but she survived and later learned that her attackers were the Cook brothers, a pair of serial killers. The episode explores the brothers’ crime spree, which began in 1973 with the murder of Vickie Lynn Small and ended in 1981 with the murder of Peter Sawicki. The Cook brothers targeted couples, luring or forcing them to secluded locations, where they were raped and murdered, their bodies dumped in culverts or left in car trunks.
The episode also examines the eventual capture and prosecution of the brothers. Anthony Cook was arrested in 1981 for Sawicki’s murder, bringing their killing spree to an end. However, it wasn’t until the 1990s that DNA evidence linked them to the other crimes. In 2000, both brothers accepted a plea bargain and confessed to a string of killings. Anthony pleaded guilty to eight murders and received a second life sentence, while Nathaniel pleaded guilty to three murders and was sentenced to 75 years in prison, with the possibility of parole after 20 years.
The episode includes interviews with those affected by the brothers’ crimes and experts who provide insight into the investigation and prosecution. It also raises questions about the nature of their crimes and the impact on the families of both the victims and the perpetrators. Nathaniel Cook’s release in 2018 caused controversy, and he is now subject to strict conditions, including wearing a GPS bracelet.
People Magazine Investigates: Surviving a Serial Killer – Surviving the Cook Brothers airs on Sunday, June 9, 2024, at 9:00 p.m. on Investigation Discovery.
