The man accused of accessory after the fact to murder in the case of the murder of Colton Cook has pled guilty.
Keith Siscoe appeared virtually in Yarmouth Supreme Court today, admitting he had assisted the two men accused of Cook’s murder.
Robert Rogers and Wayne Crawford are both accused of second degree murder and interference with human remains.
For the first time in court today, the crown attorney described the night Cook was murdered and the role Siscoe played.
Afterwards, Cook’s mother Stacey Cook, shared her reaction, saying she was not aware of the details of her son’s death until today and was shocked to hear them.
“He died a tragic, scary death, so that’s hard to deal with since I’m not allowed to have that information.”
Colton Cook.
Image c/o RCMP.
She also reacted to Siscoe’s guilty plea, saying she feels the charges against him are not enough and believes he will receive a lenient sentence.
“The way I feel, part of life is being born, you can die from a disease, you can die from a car accident or an accident that happens and people are taking it too lightly, now murder is part of life, it should never be. Never,” says Cook. “It’s not part of life, it’s someone else’s choice to take someone’s life, they don’t have that right. Ever.”
Siscoe will return to court in person on November 18th for sentencing. He claims indigenous descent and will appear before a Mi’kmaq sentencing circle.
He continues to be remanded. Siscoe was arrested in December 2020.
Stacey Cook also shared her thoughts on what this could mean for the two men accused of her son’s murder.
“I hope that they plead because I really don’t want to go through this anymore.”
Lawyers for Rogers and Crawford plan to apply to change the venue of the trial, which will go ahead sometime next year, by arguing that public attention surrounding it could have an impact on the jurors selected. Those applications are due on September 21.
Colton Cook’s remains were found in September 2020 near the intersection of Saunders Road and Raynardton Road in South Ohio.
A protest calling for justice in Colton Cook’s death outside of the Yarmouth courthouse. June 14, 2021.
