Other neighbours in Dallas, Texas, were alarmed by the horrific murder of a valued member of the community.
Avanell Cowgill was murdered in her home in March 2013 in what appeared to be a botched robbery.
‘See No Evil: The Cookie Lady,’ a documentary on Investigation Discovery, focuses on how authorities tracked down the killer through surveillance videos and credit card activities. So, if you’re curious about what occurred, we’ve got you covered.
What Caused Avanell Cowgill’s Death?
Avanell Cowgill was a Texas native who spent most of his life in Dallas. The 79-year-old had recently lost her spouse and had been living alone in the Lockwood neighbourhood.
She was very involved in her church and spent a lot of time volunteering there. Avanell’s two daughters lived out of town at the time, but they kept in touch with her on a regular basis.
They were concerned, though, when Avanell did not return phone calls for several days.
On March 9, 2013, one of the girls went to Avanell’s house and requested a welfare check. The cops arrived at 11 p.m., but there was no response when they knocked on the front door.
They quickly noticed that the back door was wide open and entered. Avanell was found face down in a pool of blood inside the house by the cops. She’d been struck several times and had sustained significant blunt force damage.
Avanell’s pocketbook and identity, as well as a few other valuables, were all missing, implying that robbery was the purpose.
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Who was Avanell Cowgill’s killer?
On March 7, 2013, Avanell was last seen alive. She finished her voluntary duties at church at 3:15 p.m. and returned home.
The 79-year-old was believed to have died later that night, according to officials. They soon discovered that her credit cards were stolen and that someone had attempted to use them after she died.
With an apparently good lead, the authorities tracked down the locations of the attempted murders.
The credit card was used at an ATM on the night of the murder, but the withdrawal was unsuccessful. A male was captured by the camera, but his face was obscured.
Surveillance footage from a local Walmart in the early hours of March 8, 2013, revealed a man with a similar appearance purchasing an iPad with Avanell’s card.
The same person was then seen attempting to buy a laptop and a gaming system, among other things, at another Walmart a few hours later.
This time, the card didn’t work, so the suspect strolled over to a nearby fast food joint.
He was grabbed up and taken away from there. The iPad was linked to a nearby electronic resale store, according to the show.
The suspect sold the tablet there and left a copy of his driver’s licence behind, revealing the suspect’s identify to the detectives: Daniel Brooks, then roughly 28 years old.
They also discovered that he was already in detention in another city with another man, David Herron, for an unconnected matter.
Daniel appeared to be the man in the security video buying the iPad, and David was confirmed to have picked him up from the fast-food establishment.
Before meeting years later, the two had gone to school together. Both of them were heroin addicts at the time, living in David’s car.
When questioned by the police, David stated that on March 7, they needed money to buy heroin, so Daniel devised a plan to rob a house.
While David was hesitant, Daniel went ahead with the plan and borrowed the automobile.
David later said that his companion returned with some valuables, including jewellery, credit cards, and ancient coins.
They pawned the antique coins, as shown on the episode. There was no tangible evidence linking David or Daniel to the murder at the crime site. After the robbery, David said that Daniel had changed his shoes.
Avanell’s blood was found on those cowboy boots when they were investigated. Avanell’s driver’s licence and a few other items from her home were discovered during a search of the vehicle.
David also acknowledged to buying heroin using the proceeds from the iPad sale.
What happened to Daniel Brooks?
During Daniel’s first trial in June 2014, the jury was deadlocked, resulting in a mistrial. Daniel was convicted guilty of capital murder after the procedures in May 2015.
The blood on the boots was deposited while the blood was in motion, according to a bloodstain pattern specialist, and was not deemed a transfer stain.
The defence argued earlier on the show that Daniel entered the residence after Avanell had already died and was only responsible for the heist.
Daniel was eventually sentenced to life in jail with no chance of release. According to the show, because no proof linked David to the residence, he pleaded guilty to burglary and was sentenced to five years in prison.
Daniel is still detained at the James V. Allred Unit in Iowa Park, Texas, according to prison records.