By LEONARD GRAY / L’Observateur / Febuary 15, 1999

RESERVE – Police are still looking for the person who shot and killed a LaPlace woman who was left dead on the shoulder of Louisiana Highway 3179 in Reserve Wednesday morning.

Her estranged husband is being sought for questioning. An anonymous 9-1-1 caller indicated the husband planned to kill her.

Vernetta Joseph Cook, 34, 2205 Cartier Drive, LaPlace, was found at 8:38 a.m. Wednesday by a passerby on his way to work. Cook was shot severaltimes in the chest and left laying on her back on the shoulder of the northbound lane between the two sets of railroad tracks.

Lt. Michael Tregre of the St. John Parish Sheriff’s Office reported theincident appeared to be a domestic situation and robbery did not appear to be a motive.

The 9-1-1 press release noted the call of the discovery of Cook’s body at 8:38 a.m. At 9:40 a.m., another call came in reporting a domesticdisturbance with the notation for “nature of call” detailing “Darryl Cook is enroute to kill his wife.”Vernetta Cook, a native of Gramercy filed for divorce Monday, planning to end a nine-year marriage. The couple had been separated since Jan. 6. Darryl Cook, 35, while not declared a definite suspect in the homicide, is being sought for questioning, Tregre elaborated. He may be driving a redDodge Neon, license number FGF-516.

“We feel he’s within an hour of here,” Tregre said Friday.

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