He confessed to killings that two other men were already serving time for. Authorities didn't believe him -- not until it was far too late for one of them.
A Difficult Childhood
Eric Edgar Cooke was born February 25, 1931, in Perth, Australia, with a cleft lip and palate that drew bullying throughout his childhood. He grew up in a violent household with an alcoholic father, suffered repeated head injuries as a child, and developed a documented history of blackouts and severe headaches, later linked by some to suspected brain damage.
An Escalating Criminal History
Cooke moved through petty crime, arson, and burglary as a teenager and young adult, repeatedly arrested and imprisoned. He married at 22 and had seven children with his wife, Sarah, while continuing a pattern of theft, break-ins, and voyeurism.
Australia Day, 1963
On the night of January 26, 1963, a series of shootings and attacks began across Perth suburbs. Victims were shot in their homes, some through unlocked doors, in what appeared to be random, opportunistic violence with no discernible pattern connecting them. Five people were shot that night; three died. The unidentified attacker became known as "The Night Caller."
A Pattern of Violence
Over the following months, Cooke killed at least eight people in total -- including Jillian Macpherson Brewer, Brian Weir, John Sturkey, George Walmsley, Shirley McLeod, Constance Madrill, Patricia Berkman, and Rosemary Anderson -- using varying weapons and methods, which made it difficult for investigators to connect the crimes to a single perpetrator.
The Arrest
Police eventually traced a rifle discarded in bushland to Cooke via forensic evidence. Rather than immediately arresting him, they replaced the weapon with a similar one and waited. Seventeen days later, Cooke returned to retrieve it and was arrested. He confessed extensively, admitting to eight murders, 14 attempted murders, and numerous burglaries. He pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, but a psychiatric evaluation found him legally sane, and he was convicted of murder in November 1963.
Two Wrongful Convictions
Among the murders Cooke confessed to were those of Jillian Macpherson Brewer and Rosemary Anderson -- crimes for which two other men, Darryl Beamish and John Button, had already been convicted and imprisoned. Despite Cooke''s confessions before his execution, authorities did not accept them at the time, and both men served substantial prison sentences before later legal action worked to overturn their convictions, years apart.
Execution
Eric Edgar Cooke was hanged in October 1964, the last person executed in the state of Western Australia.
FAQ
How many people did Eric Edgar Cooke kill?
He confessed to eight murders and 14 attempted murders, along with numerous burglaries, following his arrest in 1963.
Were innocent people convicted of his crimes?
Yes. Darryl Beamish and John Button were both convicted of murders Cooke later confessed to committing; their wrongful convictions were addressed through later legal proceedings.
How did Eric Edgar Cooke die?
He was hanged in October 1964, the last execution to take place in Western Australia.