When Tiffany Cooke called home on February 17, 2003, she had no idea what she was going to overhear. As she spoke with her father, Paul Cooke, 51, she heard her mother speaking to her brother on the other end. Her mother, Margaret Ruffin Cooke, 56, said, “Josh, you wouldn’t,” before Tiffany heard what she described as popping sounds. Moments later, her brother came on the line and when asked where their father was, he simply said he had to call someone. Joshua Cooke, 19, called the local authorities to report what he had done and told them he didn’t want to be shot, so he would be unarmed when they arrived. He even called the authorities again when he thought they were taking too long to come get him. The shotgun Cooke used had been legally purchased only a couple days before (Jackman)(“Matrix Defendant Sentenced to 40 Years”).
Cooke now remembers feeling off that morning as he shoveled neighbors’ driveways for them, but not being able to place what was wrong. The family had a simple dinner that night – frozen pizza – before Paul and Margaret had headed to the basement to do some work. Cooke had gone up to his room, where he stared at his poster for the movie, “The Matrix,” which he had watched so much he had needed to replace his VHS. He had found the protagonist, Neo, as someone he could relate to. Especially the way he took revenge with a 12-gauge shotgun, almost identical to the one Cooke had purchased at a Galyan’s Sporting Goods along with five boxes of ammunition just a couple days before the murders. Cooke had even bought clothes identical to those Neo wore and would walk around his home wearing them and listening to the soundtrack to the movie when his parents weren’t home (Perl).
That day, after Cooke retreated to his room, he changed into his “The Matrix” inspired outfit and put his headphones on. As he played “Bodies” by Drowning Pool, he took his shotgun and headed to the basement. His mother stood when she saw him and he shot her once, causing his father to hide under his desk. Cooke stuck his gun under the desk and shot several times before going upstairs to reload his shotgun. Upon return, he found his mother still alive and, when she spoke, shot her again. When it was over, he had shot his mother twice and his father seven times (Perl).
Joshua and his sister, Tiffany, had been adopted by the Cooke’s when they were still very young. His defense would argue at court that he had been abused in foster homes before the Cooke’s and suffered abuse at their hands as well. However, a letter written by Tiffany was read by prosecutors that stated otherwise. According to Tiffany’s account, the Cooke household was like any other family. They loved each other and did get into arguments, but she had never seen those arguments become violent. Despite this, the defense continued to argue that this alleged abuse, combined with the violent media Cooke absorbed and simple schizophrenia combined had lead to the murders. According to the defense, Cooke had come to believe that he was living in a simulation like that seen in “The Matrix,” and had concluded that he had to do something truly horrific to test his belief (Jackman)(“Matrix Defendant Sentenced to 40 Years”).
Cooke plead guilty to both murders in the first degree and using a gun in a felony and received a 40 years sentence. The psychologist who examined him, Dr. David Shostak, described Cooke as being naive, well-mannered, and compliant during examination. He diagnosed Cooke with simple schizophrenia, a diagnosis the defense leaned on in their arguments. It has since been revealed that his biological family has a history of mental illnesses, a fact that could have helped prevent the murders and gotten Cooke examined before these events took place. His biological mother and uncle had both been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, while his biological father had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder with paranoia. Perhaps, had this information been known to the Cooke’s when Joshua and Tiffany were adopted, he could have received help before the murders that could have prevented the simulation delusion that lead to the murders (Jackman)(“Matrix Defendant Sentenced to 40 Years”).
Perl, Peter. “’I Don’t Think They Deserved It’.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 30 Nov. 2003, www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/magazine/2003/11/30/i-dont-think-they-deserved-it/359622bb-90d2-43f8-97ec-be37f03e2ee7/.
“Matrix Defendant Sentenced to 40 Years.” Matrix Defendant Sentenced to 40 Years, 1 Oct. 2003, www.connectionnewspapers.com/news/2003/oct/01/matrix-defendant-sentenced-to-40-years/.
Schager, Nick. “He Thought He Was in ‘the Matrix’-and Killed His Parents.” The Daily Beast, The Daily Beast Company, 31 Jan. 2021, www.thedailybeast.com/he-thought-he-was-living-in-the-matrix-and-killed-his-parents.
Jackman, Tom. “Virginia Teenager Pleads Guilty to Murdering Parents.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 25 June 2003, www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2003/06/25/virginia-teenager-pleads-guilty-to-murdering-parents/b7d9ac19-56e7-49e0-a448-ea9f8b58fae7/.
Jackman, Tom. “Oakton Son Sentenced in Slayings.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 2 Oct. 2003, www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2003/10/02/oakton-son-sentenced-in-slayings/0104f11d-7388-41c6-be77-be0e696d3f77/.
Syn Writes 