Chace Cook, a 23-year-old Oklahoma man, learned his fate Friday when he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for murdering his ex-girlfriend inside her family's pool house after allegedly recording himself raping her.
Background
Madeline "Maddie" Bills, an 18-year-old standout basketball player from Moore, Oklahoma, was found strangled in April 2023 inside a converted pool house on her parents' property where she had been living. The killing occurred just one week before she was supposed to graduate from high school.
Before her death, Bills had confided in friends that she was "so scared" of Cook and feared he would come to harm her, according to investigators. She had reportedly planned to sleep inside the main residence rather than the pool house on the night she was killed.
Bills was a high school senior with a 4.0 GPA who had recently signed a letter of intent to play women's basketball at Northeastern A&M in Miami, Oklahoma, under Coach Jim Rowland. An obituary noted that Bills, a member of the Osage Tribe, "made an incredible impact on many lives" and "strove to see the good in people."
The Investigation
Cook was arrested and initially charged with one count of first-degree murder and one count of first-degree rape following the fatal attack. Cleveland County prosecutors pursued the death penalty before Cook agreed to enter a guilty plea.
Investigators built their case using multiple pieces of evidence, including surveillance video that allegedly captured Cook climbing a fence into the Bills family's backyard at 4:38 a.m. on the morning of the killing and leaving again at 6:42 a.m. A Ford Fusion connected to Cook was also caught on video at the scene before Bills' body was discovered.
Authorities said Cook attempted to conjure up a phony alibi, claiming he was in Galveston, Texas, for training to become a Navy SEAL. However, an arrest affidavit noted that the drive from Oklahoma City to Galveston exceeds seven hours, not the two-and-a-half to three hours Cook claimed.
Digital evidence showed Cook's cellphone was "in the area of the victim's residence" during the time of the slaying. Police also reportedly found a three-minute video on his phone showing Cook raping Bills while she was unconscious moments before strangling her. DNA evidence matched samples taken from the victim during the initial investigation and autopsy.
The Charges
Cook pleaded guilty to first-degree murder with malice aforethought, resulting in his life without parole sentence. He also pleaded guilty to possession of contraband in a jail facility, receiving a 20-year sentence for that charge, along with assault and battery related to an incident occurring while he was incarcerated in 2026.
All sentences were ordered to run concurrently. Cook waived his appeal rights as part of the plea agreement.
Key Takeaways
- Madeline Bills, 18, was found strangled in her parents' converted pool house one week before graduating high school with a 4.0 GPA
- She had told friends she feared Cook and planned to sleep in the main residence rather than the pool house on the night of the killing
- Surveillance video allegedly captured Cook climbing into the backyard at 4:38 a.m. and leaving at 6:42 a.m.
- Police found a video on his phone showing the alleged assault before the strangling; DNA evidence matched
- Prosecutors had sought the death penalty before Cook accepted a plea deal for life without parole
What's Next
With his guilty plea and sentencing, this case has reached its final resolution. Cook waived all appeal rights as part of his agreement with prosecutors.
"Nothing can bring Madeline back or erase the devastating loss suffered by her family and loved ones," District Attorney Jennifer Austin said in a statement. "Although this sentence provides accountability and certainty, we recognize that no court proceeding or punishment can restore the life that was taken."
During the sentencing hearing, Bills' family remembered her as "a light" in their lives, saying: "The space she leaves behind is felt in every corner of our lives, in the quiet moments, in the memories that hurt to remember and in the future she will never have."