Despite startling news on Tuesday of Gary D. Cook’s death — reportedly by natural causes — just seven months after a Culpeper police officer shot and killed his wife on North East Street, his $ 5.35 million wrongful death lawsuit filed in May against that former officer will continue to move forward, according to his Charlottesville lawyer.
Attorney J. Gregory Webb of MichieHamlett said Wednesday that the late Patricia Ann Cook’s younger brother, John Weglier, of Pennsville, N.J. will replace Gary Cook as administrator of his sister’s estate in the civil matter against ex-officer Daniel Harmon-Wright, 32.
“I have talked to [Weglier] and he has indicated that is his intent,” said Webb, who started representing Gary Cook following his wife’s untimely death in February.
Webb, who spoke to Gary Cook as recently as last week, called his client’s death “an unfortunate and tragic turn to this whole story.”
“I wonder if he was lonely because he didn’t have his wife anymore,” Webb posed. “His plans that had existed in January of retiring and spending his retirement with his wife and enjoying the golden years was just ripped from him and I wonder if he died of a broken heart. I just don’t know. This whole thing is just awful.”
On Tuesday, a maintenance crew entered Gary Cook’s Friendship Heights apartment to conduct routine service for the apartment complex, and discovered his lifeless body, according to Virginia State Police.
Gary Cook was 62.
“At this stage of the investigation, it does not appear foul play was a factor,” VPS spokeswoman Corinne Geller said Tuesday.
On Wednesday, the VSP shared preliminary results from the Manassas Office of the Chief Medical Examiner regarding Gary Cook’s autopsy, [...]