Winchester man found guilty of murder, auto theft

WINCHESTER, Ind. — A Randolph Circuit Court jury on Tuesday found a Winchester man guilty of murder and three other charges.

Monty Joseph Cook, 62, was accused of killing David Brumley, a 61-year-old Winchester man, in the victim's West South Street home in November 2018.

In addition to the murder count, which carries a maximum 65-year prison term, Cook was convicted of auto theft and two counts of theft. He will be sentenced by Judge Jay Toney on Sept. 6.

Court documents indicated Brumley was found "tied up with the use of zip ties, and black electrical tape," with a pillow case and a trash bag over his head.

According to an autopsy, Brumley died due to "asphyxia to ligature neck compression and suffocation."

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Authorities said Cook, who had lived across the street from Brumley, used the slaying victim's debit card following his death, and stole Brumley's 2008 Ford Mustang GT.

That vehicle was found in eastern Arkansas three weeks after the homicide. Investigators determined Cook had been in that area.

Cook was arrested in April 2019 in Kingman, Arizona, about 100 miles southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada.

He did not testify at his murder trial, which began last week.

At the time of the arrest, Cook already faced three charges — theft and two counts of arson — in cases pending in Randolph County courts.

In 2005, he was convicted of arson, burglary and conspiracy to commit confinement in LaGrange County.

Randolph County Prosecutor David Daly and a deputy prosecutor, Matthew Daly, presented the state's case against the Winchester man, who was represented by Richmond lawyer Mark Ian Cox.

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Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.