Cook sentenced to life in prison

With prosecutors saying she "should be put away from society forever," Ashley Mai Cook was sentenced to life in prison for first degree murder, plus 20 years for conspiracy to commit first degree murder on Monday. The sentences are to be served concurrently.

However, defense attorneys for Cook said they will be filing a motion for a new trial, which will be heard on Dec. 22.

Cook was convicted of the two charges in October for the shooting death of Bill Ross. Ross was shot three times while he slept in his bed at his Wartrace Pike home on Feb. 14, 2007.

His wife, 38-year-old Kimberly Ann Ross, was sentenced to life in prison last November after pleading guilty to first degree murder for her role in planning the slaying.

Justin Young, who loaded the gun and let Cook enter the home to shoot Ross in order to make the death look like part of a home invasion, recently pleaded guilty to second degree murder and was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Judge Robert Crigler handed down the concurrent sentences after hearing arguments from Eddie Barnard of the district attorney's office and defense attorney Jack Dearing.

Barnard questioned probation officer Laura Prosser about Cook's criminal history, who noted that she had previous charges of misdemeanor theft and two probation violations.

It was also noted by Barnard that Cook was already on probation when she committed the Ross murder.

"This was a terrible murder, an uncalled for murder," Barnard said, adding that Cook could have "backed out" of the crime but did not.

Cook took God's place by taking Ross' life, he continued, and there was no reason for the murder, pointing out that Kimberly could have divorced Bill Ross or filed charges against him for the alleged abuse that was one of the explanations given for the slaying by Cook.

Dearing said that Kimberly Ross was the mastermind behind the slaying and also put blame on Young for his role in the crime. He said that the judge should put little weight on Cook's prior convictions and that the sentences should be fair.

However, Judge Crigler pointed out that Cook attempted to frame two men for the crime and said if it wasn't for the excellent detective work by the Bedford County sheriff's department and the TBI, two innocent men could have gone to prison for life.

"That would have been a terrible miscarriage of justice," Crigler said.

Dearing had no comment about what his motion for a new trial will contain.