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Stumbleupon3-year-old's death ruled homicide, sister charged with murder
- Related: Learn more about this case
Thursday, September 04, 2008
NEW LEBANON — Hope Cook died from multiple fractures to the head caused by blunt force trauma, according to the Montgomery County Coroner's office.
The 3-year-old's death July 20 was officially ruled a homicide Thursday, Sept. 4, Miami Valley Regional Crime Lab Director Ken Betz said.
"Based on the injury patters and the multiple (injury patterns) we have determined she died by the hands of another," Betz said.
Cook's 22-year-old sister, Kimberly Cook-Terrill, has been charged with the toddler's death and is in the Montgomery County jail. Her bond has been increased to $1 million.
Besides the felony murder charge, Cook-Terrill also faces two felony counts of child endangering and felonious assault.
The child endangering charges stem from the excessive corporal punishment and "cruel manner" of restraint that endangered the life of a relative who also was living in the home, Montgomery County Court Judge James Manning said.
Those incidents allegedly occurred between September and July, Manning said.
Cook-Terrill turned herself in to Trotwood police on Aug. 6, more than a week after detectives said they wanted to talk with her about Hope's death.
The girls' family maintains that Cook-Terrill did not kill her sister and that the child fell while in the bathtub.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2494 or lsullivan@DaytonDailyNews.com
