Cornelius Cooks sentenced to 23 years in prison for 2021 North Austin shooting death
A Travis County jury handed down a 23-year prison sentence to Cornelius Cooks after he was found guilty of one count of murder and five counts of aggravated assault in the April 2021 shooting death of an 18-year-old.
Cooks, 23, shot and killed Kedarius Griffin in a McDonald’s parking lot in North Austin. Griffin was driving a car with his pregnant girlfriend, 2-year-old daughter, teenage sister and two teenage cousins inside. Griffin died on the scene from a gunshot wound to the head.
During the January trial, prosecutors said that the altercation began in the McDonald’s drive-thru lane. Cooks accompanied Warren Mitchell, then 21, while he confronted Griffin over money owed for marijuana. Prosecutors said Mitchell punched Griffin through the open window of his car.
Griffin then drove around the McDonald’s, while Cooks and Mitchell ran around the other side of the restaurant. The parties crossed paths again in the parking lot. Cooks then fired at Griffin’s car from behind, striking only Griffin.
Prosecutors said that Cooks and Mitchell fled the scene and did not call 911.
Cooks’ defense lawyer, Jeremy Sylestine, said that Griffin could have driven out of the parking lot but instead “made a choice” to go back into a “dangerous situation.” Sylestine contended that Cooks shot because he thought Mitchell was in danger of being hit by Griffin’s car.
“It’s ugly. It’s sad. It’s tragic even,” Sylestine said during the January trial. “But ultimately it’s not criminal.”
Prosecutors disputed this in court, claiming that the car had already passed Mitchell when Cooks fired.
Police initially sought three suspects in the shooting and eventually arrested Cooks and Mitchell in the weeks afterward.
Mitchell was indicted in June 2021 for hindering the apprehension and prosecution of Cooks. He pleaded no contest and was sentenced to 118 days in jail.
Cooks was initially tried for murder, aggravated assault and unlawful possession of a firearm in late June 2023. A jury was unable to return a verdict on the murder and aggravated assault charges but did find Cooks guilty of unlawful possession of a firearm.
The Travis County district attorney’s office retried the case this month and was successfully able to convince a new jury that Cooks had not shot in self-defense.
Self-defense laws have increasingly come to play a role in murder cases, as state gun restrictions have loosened and firearms have become more prevalent.
“Having tried over 75 felony cases to jury in Travis County, I’m always impressed with how thoughtful and attentive our jurors are," Sylestine said in a text message after the sentencing. "In this case the jury listened to all the evidence and made a tough decision. My client and I appreciate their service.”
Travis County District Attorney José Garza did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Man sentenced to 23 years in prison for 2021 North Austin shooting death
