Ohio serial killer may be close to release from prison

TOLEDO, Ohio - One of two brothers who admitted stalking, raping and killing young women during a string of eight murders in the 1980s is close to walking out of prison. A court hearing is scheduled for Thursday.

Nathaniel Cook confessed to three murders in all with his older brother, the ringleader who's serving two life sentences, but he has a good chance of being freed after serving 20 years, in accordance with the terms of his original plea agreement.

The victims' families and prosecutors agreed to a plea deal nearly two decades ago that called for Nathaniel Cook's eventual release this year in exchange for the brothers' confessions. It's now in a judge's hands to decide whether to uphold the agreement.

For the families, the confessions gave them answers they long sought, but now they're hoping there's some way to block his release.

"It's hard to think about it," said Mitch Balonek, whose 21-year-old sister Stacey was among the last victims killed by Anthony Cook in 1981. "I can't imagine anyone else, anywhere else getting out after being involved in those types of crimes."

His family didn't know who killed his sister and her boyfriend until Anthony Cook admitted to police that he had abducted the couple, raped Stacey and beat them to death with a baseball bat.

Nathaniel Cook, now 59, wasn't involved in either of those deaths, according to the brothers.

His role in the murders began in 1980 when he shot their first victim and then took part in the next two killings, the pair told detectives.

But for unexplained reasons Nathaniel Cook said he never killed again while his brother Anthony went on to kill five more people before he was arrested in just one of the killings in 1981 and sentenced to life in prison.

Nathaniel Cook later said the two never discussed the other killings, and he tried to forget what they had done.

"He had to know that was his brother's work when he heard about those other murders and didn't say anything or do anything," Balonek said. "He doesn't deserve to be out."

According to reports by CBS affiliate WNCN, Lucas County prosecutors are pushing for Cook to be evaluated and classified as a sex offender.