By LEONARD GRAY / L’Observateur / April 13, 1999

RESERVE – Darryl Cook lost his fight against extradition and returned to St. John the Baptist Parish Wednesday to face charges of murdering hisestranged wife.

Cook, 35, is believed by St. John Parish Sheriff’s detectives to have shothis estranged wife, Vernetta Joseph Cook, on the morning of Feb. 10.After the homicide, Cook drove his wife’s car, a red Dodge Neon, across the country and surrendered on the night of Feb. 12 to the Los AngelesCounty Sheriff’s Office in Cerritos, Calif.

Lt. Michael Tregre of the St. John Parish Sheriff’s Office reportedThursday that Cook was charged Thursday morning with the second-degree murder of his wife and also auto theft.

Bond was set at $300,000. Cook is being held in the Sherman WalkerCorrections Center.

Vernetta Cook, 34, 2205 Cartier Drive, LaPlace, was shot four times in the head and upper chest and left dead on the shoulder of Louisiana Highway 3179 in Reserve in the morning of Feb. 10. She was found by a passerby onhis way to work.

The couple had been separated since Jan. 6. On Feb. 8, Vernetta Cook filedfor divorce to end the nine-year marriage.

On the morning of the homicide, a sheriff’s office incident report noted the call of the discovery of Vernetta Cook’s body at 8:38 a.m. At 9:40 a.m.,a second call was received reporting a domestic-type disturbance with the comment: “Darryl Cook is enroute to kill his wife.”Vernetta Cook was a native of Gramercy.

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