Opinion ID: 2222135
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: hornbacher's version

Text: Hornbacher testified that he and Cook left McCormack's separately. Hornbacher saw Cook leave in Cook's truck, and Hornbacher got a ride from two women he did not know and a man he had met that night. They drove Hornbacher to his and Childs' apartment, where he let himself in and passed out in bed. Hornbacher woke up around 11 or 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 29, 2000. Hornbacher argued with Childs and decided to leave the apartment. Hornbacher could not find his keys, cellular telephone, and checkbook and realized he might have left them in Cook's truck the night before. Hornbacher called Cook to arrange to pick up the items he had left in Cook's truck. Cook did not want Hornbacher to come to Cook's apartment, so they arranged for Cook to pick up Hornbacher in front of Hornbacher's apartment. After getting off the telephone, Hornbacher told Childs he thought Cook was acting pretty weird. Cook picked up Hornbacher some time later. As they drove in the truck, Hornbacher could tell Cook was upset, and Cook indicated that he was concerned about something that would affect his family. Cook drove to Walnut Grove Park, where he parked the truck, and Cook and Hornbacher talked for what Hornbacher described as an eternity. Hornbacher testified that Cook told him that after he left McCormack's, he had driven out west on Highway 275, where he encountered a young woman with a flat tire. Hornbacher noticed abrasions on Cook's arms but Cook would not tell Hornbacher how he got them. Hornbacher's cellular telephone rang, and he located it beneath the seat. Cook told Hornbacher that the telephone must have fallen beneath the seat when he and the woman with the flat tire had sexual intercourse in the front seat of the truck. Cook showed Hornbacher a scrap of paper tucked into the sun visor and told Hornbacher the woman had given him her name and telephone number. Cook then told Hornbacher that after the intercourse, the woman had weirded out, and Cook thought she might try to claim that he had raped her. Cook ordered the woman to get out of the truck, and then he lost it and grabbed his 9-mm handgun from the truck's console and unloaded it on the woman. Cook told Hornbacher he then dumped the woman's body in a ravine. Cook drove Hornbacher back to Hornbacher's apartment and regained his composure on the way. Cook told Hornbacher he had cleaned his truck twice that morning in order to get rid of any evidence linking him to the woman's death. Cook left, and Hornbacher went into his apartment where Childs was still in bed. Hornbacher recounted to her his conversation with Cook. Hornbacher stayed at his own apartment the rest of the day. Hornbacher and Childs heard media reports about Stahlecker's death on Sunday, April 30, 2000. Hornbacher testified that he wanted to urge Cook to confess to authorities, but Childs objected. Hornbacher did nothing until the evening of Monday, May 1, when he contacted the aforementioned mutual friend to get him into contact with the Washington County sheriff's deputy. Hornbacher spoke to the deputy on Tuesday, May 2, and told him about Cook's confession.