June 22, 2025 • 25 mins
The Black Effect Presents... Hunting 4 Answers!
In this episode of Hunting 4 Answers: In October 2014, she vanished without a warning, with no goodbyes and with no signs of trouble. In Part Two of Nina Cook’s story, her family's growing concern turns to horror when her remains are discovered inside an abandoned Memphis church. As detectives dig for answers, a tangled timeline, unanswered calls, and haunting final memories raise a chilling question: what really happened to Nina between summer and fall of 2014? Anyone with information about this case should contact the Memphis Police Department at 901-545-2677 or Crime Stoppers at 901-528-CASH.
This is the story of Nina Cook.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hunting for Answers is a production of the Black Effect
Podcast Network and iHeartRadio. Welcome to Hunting for Answers, a
true crime podcast. I'm your host, Hunter, and today we
continue our three part series into the life and murder
of twenty eight year old Nina Cook, a young woman
(00:23):
from Memphis, Tennessee, whose life was cut tragically short in
October of twenty fourteen. In the first part of the series,
we met Nina through the eyes of her siblings, Lydia,
Kenya and Chris. They painted a portrait of a woman
who was ambitious, loving, and fiercely protective of her family.
(00:47):
But today we step into darker territory. We examined the
circumstances surrounding Nina's disappearance, the last conversations, and the gruesome
discovery that would forever change the lives of those who
loved her. This is the story of Nina Cook. When
(01:12):
does a beloved family member's absence transform from a passing
concern into a growing fear? At what point does she's
just busy become something's wrong For the family of Nina Cook.
This transformation happened slowly and then all at once. Before
(01:36):
we can understand Nina's disappearance, we need to revisit the
last times those close to her saw or spoke with her.
These final encounters, ordinary at the time, would later be
examined for clues or warning signs, for anything that might
explain what was to come.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
I think when you speak to.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
When you speak to a loved one, uh, you don't
expect it to.
Speaker 4 (02:09):
Be the last time that you talk to them. So
I don't remember the last conversation that I had with
her because I didn't know that.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
It would be the last.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
I've tried to replay that and think about it in
my mind, but I don't recall. What I probably remember
last is uh my last visit coming down to Memphis.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Although Lydia may not remember the exact conversation, she does
remember her last visit with Nina.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
Vividly in celebration. And Nina couldn't make it, but promised
me that she would see me the next day. So
we met up at my uncle Bobby's house, and the
first thing she did was she came in with a
big smile, as she always did, and she wanted to
(03:15):
hold my hand and sit on my lap. So our
last pictures are of us cozy together on the sofa,
holding hands as always, and we laughed and she hugged
(03:36):
on my babies. I didn't want to let her go.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
For Chris, Nina's younger brother, his last memory of his
sister comes from a casual family gathering at their grandmother's house.
Speaker 5 (03:54):
Yes, I do now. That had to have been springtime.
And the last time that I saw, we were just
all chilling at my grandmother's house. And man, you know,
she was just very dressed to the nine. She had
recovered pretty nicely. You know, they talk about the rod
(04:15):
in her hip. She did have a little bit of
a car accident, and she had recovered nicely, and she
was getting dressed up to the nines.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
The surgical rod in Nina's like would later play a
crucial role in identifying her remains. But it's what happened
next that Chris holds most here, a moment that would
become the final memory of his sister.
Speaker 5 (04:41):
I was in my grandmother's room, laying on my bed,
laying on my grandmother's bed rather, and you know, she
kind of just came in very softly touched my face,
you know, and it's a you know, it's something that
you know, like a man just said, you never think
that this is going to be the last time you're
gonna see or hear from somebody.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
You know.
Speaker 5 (05:07):
The last thing that I remember my sister saying to me,
which is the first thing that I knew, and I
always knew, you know, she told me that she loved me.
You know, her last words to me was I love you,
and you know, it's it's it's it's hard to kind
(05:31):
of think about that as the last registered memory that
you have of your one of your greatest inspirations. And
that was what it was. And it was so soft
and so sweet, and literally I remember her walking out
to leave and going to get on her stride and
(05:54):
conquer the world, and her little confident walk that she
had with the hips swaying, and you know, that was it.
That was the last time that I talked to her.
She seemed very calm, very poised, and gave me that
I love you.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
Kenya. Nina's younger sister also recalled seeing Nina at their
grandmother's house shortly before her disappearance.
Speaker 6 (06:19):
So when I found out it was really more so
my family just kind of like, oh, we haven't heard
from we call her Gina In my family too. We
hadn't heard from Gina in a little bit. I recall
my last time seeing her was around maybe early June
(06:42):
or so. I mean, she came by my grandmother's house
and I saw her.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
None of Nina's loved ones remember her expressing any concerns
or fears during these last interactions.
Speaker 6 (06:55):
No, I don't recall any fears being express No, she
came around the family, She was fine, We had fun,
we talked. I think around that time, I probably had
just had my daughter not too long before, maybe a
year or two before she was missing, So she was
(07:16):
trying to be in my daughter's life and just making
sure she stayed connected with the family. But I didn't
sense any fear or any threat or you know, that
she was in danger or anything like that.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
Family gatherings, expressions of love, staying connected to family, Everything
seemed to be fine. There were no dramatic goodbyes, no warnings,
and no sense that anything was wrong, which makes what
happened next all the more disturbing. The exact timeline of
(07:52):
when Nina went missing is difficult to pinpoint. There was
no single moment when an alarm was raised. Instead, her
absence and lack of communication drew concern that gradually grew louder.
Nina was known to travel often, so it wasn't unusual
(08:14):
for her to be out of touch for short periods
of time. However, this time was different.
Speaker 6 (08:23):
When we didn't hear from her around her birthday, which
is in September, that's when my side of the family
for sure started, you know, getting a little bit more worried,
like Lydia said. And I was actually not the one
to submit the missing persons because I think for me
as well, we were just kind of like, oh, yeah,
she's out of town. It wasn't uncommon for her to
(08:45):
go out of town and we not hear from her
for a couple of weeks, or she's in the studio
working on music, or she'd be in Atlanta or just wherever.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
Since Nina was always on the go and at the time,
her family had no reason to suspect the worst.
Speaker 6 (09:03):
So I don't think the worst came to mind automatically.
I know it didn't for me, So I did not
fill out the missing person's report because I just knew
that we were gonna hear from her again, and she
would pop up when she's ready.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
She was not.
Speaker 6 (09:18):
She was known to kind of go do her own
thing and then we hear from her when she was
finished or you know, felt like talking or whatever.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
So, but there was one day that should have brought
word from Nina, her birthday. No matter where she was
or what she was doing, she would always speak to
her family on or around her birthday.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
Of course, I called and talked to Dad about it,
and Dad said the last time he had heard from
her was Father's Day. He had already mailed off her
birthday card and he was waiting to hear back from
her because she would always call when she got her
(09:59):
birthday card.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
Father's Day was in June. Nina's birthday was in September.
The realization that no one had seen or heard from
Nina in months finally began to sink in Lydia remembers
getting the call from Kenya about how Nina seemed to
be missing.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
Can you call me? And I remember I was helping
my mom out at the hair salon, and I am
always optimistic, so at the mention of her possibly being missing,
(10:48):
I'm like, no, you know, we'll hear from her birthdays
coming up. She's just traveling, you know how Nina is,
we'll talk to her soon.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
As the days turned two weeks and September gave way
to October, the silence became increasingly difficult to ignore. Eventually,
a missing person report was filed and the official missing
person's investigation was launched. But no one could have imagined
(11:21):
where the investigation would lead.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
Let's take the necessary steps in case there is something wrong,
but I could not. I couldn't allow my mind to
go there. So I think I just kind of compartmentalized
things and was just like, it's one of those days.
You know, she's gonna call. You know, of course we'll
(11:48):
find her. These type of things, don't you know happened
to us.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
In October twenty fourteen, Kenya rect an unexpected visit from
the police that would change everything for me.
Speaker 6 (12:06):
And then in the October is when I actually found
out that it really was something wrong. And so on
that day, it's when I got a knock at the
door from the police department and they gave me the
contact number for the sergeant and basically said that they
(12:26):
had you know, they wanted me to talk to the sergeant.
They felt like they had found a body, and they
just kind of wanted to confirm, and so that was
my first real notification that.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
She had passed.
Speaker 3 (12:40):
I believe it was October.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Once. Can you call me and said that they had
identified our body and that they had found her.
Speaker 7 (12:59):
That was really hard because it became real and something
that we now have to face and deal with.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
And you're wondering why and how I had to share
that news with my dad and for it to be
solidified through dental records and the ride that she had
(13:41):
in her leg from the accident.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
It wasn't.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
It wasn't something that I could deny.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
I just I just broke down. I don't know how
you and how you deal with something like that.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
The surgical rod in Nina's leg, along with the dental records,
was the final confirmation Nina Cook was gone. On October seventh,
twenty fourteen, Nina Cook's remains were discovered in a vacant
church building at eleven seventy five East Trigg Avenue in Memphis.
(14:35):
The property had been foreclosed and empty since October twenty thirteen.
A church caretaker made the grim discovery and called nine
one one. Nina's body was found lying on the floor,
covered by a soiled curtain and in an advanced state
of decomposition. Her remains were largely skeletonized, with only a
(15:00):
torn piece of red underwear still adhered to her. Scattered
around her puzzle pieces, a pen, a penny, a toy shoe,
and fragments of jewelry, including a hard necklace. According to
Nina's autopsy report, the medical examiner documented perry mortem fractures
(15:23):
to her facial bones, sternum, and vertebrae, concluding the cause
of death was homicidal violence, though the specific means remained
impossible to determine after so much time had passed by
a missing person's report had only been filed two weeks earlier.
(15:45):
Though family hadn't heard from Nina for approximately three months,
the window of time between her disappearance and the time
she had been discovered had its effect, leaving behind unanswered
questions about her final moments. With the discovery of Nina's remains,
the missing person case transformed into a homicide investigation. Memphis
(16:10):
police began the difficult task of piecing together what happened
to Nina. Cook Kenya recalls the early days of the investigation,
when the quest for answers had more energy.
Speaker 6 (16:28):
I remember in the beginning going down to the station,
to the investigations bureau and you know, talking to the sergeant,
getting you know, information, giving information details, and just trying
to come up with next steps.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
The family provided whatever information they could, trying to reconstruct
Nina's final days in weeks leading up to her untiled death.
Speaker 6 (16:54):
So yeah, being told about possibly running DNA through the
cysts them to see if there was a match, and
you know, talking about the crime scene and just giving
our statements and trying to recount and recall who we
remember her being in communication with, you know, people that
she knew, people that she went to school with, anyone
(17:16):
that she dated, or just anything that we could come
up with to try to find clues.
Speaker 1 (17:21):
Social media provided one potential source of information, a digital
trill that might offer insight into Nina's last movements.
Speaker 6 (17:32):
We were looking at her social media to kind of
see where she was or what she posted things like that.
And like Amanda say it, this was October and so
we were a few months behind, so it was a
lot that we could not get access to. But in
the beginning it did really feel like we were making
(17:53):
some lead way.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
I think any family member.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
That deals with a tragic loss. They want answers, they
want help, they want support from law enforcement, from media
to bring justice to your family member. When things first
(18:24):
started out, I felt like everyone was going strong, We're
gonna find the answers. Uh. There was talk about DNA.
I watched enough crime shows right to know that you
can find, you know, answers with just the smallest shread
(18:46):
of evidence. The hope was that people would talk, they
would see her story, calls would flood in. Unfortunately, things
died down really quickly.
Speaker 1 (19:05):
Despite the initial spark of interest in Nina's case, the
investigation faced significant challenges and roadblocks.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
So I didn't.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
Understand why we couldn't get more answers, why her email
couldn't be accessed, why checks in like the Green Dot
card things couldn't be.
Speaker 2 (19:33):
Traced.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
I understood because I went to some of the businesses myself,
and at the time a lot of them only held
recordings for thirty days, maybe ninety days, and we were
far behind from the time that they found her body
to the time that the investigation began.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
The condition of Nina's remains also presented for what is
it challenges for the investigation.
Speaker 3 (20:04):
So because of the state of her body. I did
understand that and the time frame. I did understand that
we were at a disadvantage, but I had so much
hope that we would have more resolved than we did
(20:32):
and just more support. I thought my phone would be
ringing off the hook trying to get answers and people
reaching out and wanting to share her story and also,
you know, fine justice, But.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
It just wasn't.
Speaker 3 (20:57):
Everything dried up and I didn't hear back from anyone
until now.
Speaker 6 (21:07):
Unfortunately, I don't think we got any clues or tips
through like the hotline, like the Rewards hotline. We were
trying to get some information, see if anybody could give
some anonymous tips, but we were not successful with that.
We did not have that much concrete evidence at all.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
As the investigation continued to unfold or lack thereof, Lydia
and the rest of Nina's loved ones felt like her
case wasn't being treated fairly or given the priority it deserved.
Speaker 3 (21:43):
And I think in the investigation, when her story didn't
look picture perfect, it didn't see news worthy enough to
pull on the heartstrings, it felt like her life didn't matter,
(22:10):
and things began to be swept under the rug.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
Lydia's frustration grew as she encountered roadblock after roadblock in
her own quest for information in the truth behind what
happened to her sister.
Speaker 3 (22:30):
I heard a lot of there wasn't enough of this.
I couldn't do that. I couldn't I wanted to get
into her post office box at the University of Memphis.
I wanted to get camera footage. I wanted DNA evidence.
I wanted, you know, different people to be spoken to
(22:57):
or interviewed more thoroughly.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
Despite the decline and resources into Nina's case, Lydia says,
the lead investigator did make genuine efforts, even when other
authorities began to turn their time elsewhere.
Speaker 3 (23:18):
And I know things probably take time. And I believe
that the sergeant who was working with us put in
really great efforts. He was supportive and communicative for a while,
(23:38):
but then I think he was on the verge of retiring.
And I'm sure there's processes and high crime city, all
these things. Perhaps her story was one that was easily
placed on the back burner.
Speaker 1 (23:58):
Over a decade later, the questions surrounding Nina's death remain
largely unanswered. Who would want to harm her? What were
the circumstances leading up to her final moments, and what
happened between June and October of twenty fourteen. In Part
(24:20):
three of this series, will examine the broader implications of
Nina's case, how it fits into patterns of unsolved cases
involving women of color, the challenges of Cold's case investigations,
and the family's ongoing journey for justice and answers. Anyone
with information regarding Nina Cook's case should contact the Memphis
(24:44):
Police Department or Prime Shoppers. Their number can be found
in the description box below. As we close out this episode,
don't forget to hit the follow button to stay updated
on this case and others like it. Subscribe to Hunting
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(25:07):
crime updates. And if you enjoyed this story, leave us
a five star rating. Thank you so much for joining
us on another episode until next time. Hunting for Answers
(25:27):
is a production of the Black Effect Podcast Network. For
more podcasts from the Black Effect Podcast Network, visit the
iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your
favorite shows,
Hunting for Answers is a production of the Black Effect
Podcast Network and iHeartRadio. Welcome to Hunting for Answers, a
true crime podcast. I'm your host, Hunter, and today we
continue our three part series into the life and murder
of twenty eight year old Nina Cook, a young woman
(00:23):
from Memphis, Tennessee, whose life was cut tragically short in
October of twenty fourteen. In the first part of the series,
we met Nina through the eyes of her siblings, Lydia,
Kenya and Chris. They painted a portrait of a woman
who was ambitious, loving, and fiercely protective of her family.
(00:47):
But today we step into darker territory. We examined the
circumstances surrounding Nina's disappearance, the last conversations, and the gruesome
discovery that would forever change the lives of those who
loved her. This is the story of Nina Cook. When
(01:12):
does a beloved family member's absence transform from a passing
concern into a growing fear? At what point does she's
just busy become something's wrong For the family of Nina Cook.
This transformation happened slowly and then all at once. Before
(01:36):
we can understand Nina's disappearance, we need to revisit the
last times those close to her saw or spoke with her.
These final encounters, ordinary at the time, would later be
examined for clues or warning signs, for anything that might
explain what was to come.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
I think when you speak to.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
When you speak to a loved one, uh, you don't
expect it to.
Speaker 4 (02:09):
Be the last time that you talk to them. So
I don't remember the last conversation that I had with
her because I didn't know that.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
It would be the last.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
I've tried to replay that and think about it in
my mind, but I don't recall. What I probably remember
last is uh my last visit coming down to Memphis.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Although Lydia may not remember the exact conversation, she does
remember her last visit with Nina.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
Vividly in celebration. And Nina couldn't make it, but promised
me that she would see me the next day. So
we met up at my uncle Bobby's house, and the
first thing she did was she came in with a
big smile, as she always did, and she wanted to
(03:15):
hold my hand and sit on my lap. So our
last pictures are of us cozy together on the sofa,
holding hands as always, and we laughed and she hugged
(03:36):
on my babies. I didn't want to let her go.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
For Chris, Nina's younger brother, his last memory of his
sister comes from a casual family gathering at their grandmother's house.
Speaker 5 (03:54):
Yes, I do now. That had to have been springtime.
And the last time that I saw, we were just
all chilling at my grandmother's house. And man, you know,
she was just very dressed to the nine. She had
recovered pretty nicely. You know, they talk about the rod
(04:15):
in her hip. She did have a little bit of
a car accident, and she had recovered nicely, and she
was getting dressed up to the nines.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
The surgical rod in Nina's like would later play a
crucial role in identifying her remains. But it's what happened
next that Chris holds most here, a moment that would
become the final memory of his sister.
Speaker 5 (04:41):
I was in my grandmother's room, laying on my bed,
laying on my grandmother's bed rather, and you know, she
kind of just came in very softly touched my face,
you know, and it's a you know, it's something that
you know, like a man just said, you never think
that this is going to be the last time you're
gonna see or hear from somebody.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
You know.
Speaker 5 (05:07):
The last thing that I remember my sister saying to me,
which is the first thing that I knew, and I
always knew, you know, she told me that she loved me.
You know, her last words to me was I love you,
and you know, it's it's it's it's hard to kind
(05:31):
of think about that as the last registered memory that
you have of your one of your greatest inspirations. And
that was what it was. And it was so soft
and so sweet, and literally I remember her walking out
to leave and going to get on her stride and
(05:54):
conquer the world, and her little confident walk that she
had with the hips swaying, and you know, that was it.
That was the last time that I talked to her.
She seemed very calm, very poised, and gave me that
I love you.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
Kenya. Nina's younger sister also recalled seeing Nina at their
grandmother's house shortly before her disappearance.
Speaker 6 (06:19):
So when I found out it was really more so
my family just kind of like, oh, we haven't heard
from we call her Gina In my family too. We
hadn't heard from Gina in a little bit. I recall
my last time seeing her was around maybe early June
(06:42):
or so. I mean, she came by my grandmother's house
and I saw her.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
None of Nina's loved ones remember her expressing any concerns
or fears during these last interactions.
Speaker 6 (06:55):
No, I don't recall any fears being express No, she
came around the family, She was fine, We had fun,
we talked. I think around that time, I probably had
just had my daughter not too long before, maybe a
year or two before she was missing, So she was
(07:16):
trying to be in my daughter's life and just making
sure she stayed connected with the family. But I didn't
sense any fear or any threat or you know, that
she was in danger or anything like that.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
Family gatherings, expressions of love, staying connected to family, Everything
seemed to be fine. There were no dramatic goodbyes, no warnings,
and no sense that anything was wrong, which makes what
happened next all the more disturbing. The exact timeline of
(07:52):
when Nina went missing is difficult to pinpoint. There was
no single moment when an alarm was raised. Instead, her
absence and lack of communication drew concern that gradually grew louder.
Nina was known to travel often, so it wasn't unusual
(08:14):
for her to be out of touch for short periods
of time. However, this time was different.
Speaker 6 (08:23):
When we didn't hear from her around her birthday, which
is in September, that's when my side of the family
for sure started, you know, getting a little bit more worried,
like Lydia said. And I was actually not the one
to submit the missing persons because I think for me
as well, we were just kind of like, oh, yeah,
she's out of town. It wasn't uncommon for her to
(08:45):
go out of town and we not hear from her
for a couple of weeks, or she's in the studio
working on music, or she'd be in Atlanta or just wherever.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
Since Nina was always on the go and at the time,
her family had no reason to suspect the worst.
Speaker 6 (09:03):
So I don't think the worst came to mind automatically.
I know it didn't for me, So I did not
fill out the missing person's report because I just knew
that we were gonna hear from her again, and she
would pop up when she's ready.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
She was not.
Speaker 6 (09:18):
She was known to kind of go do her own
thing and then we hear from her when she was
finished or you know, felt like talking or whatever.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
So, but there was one day that should have brought
word from Nina, her birthday. No matter where she was
or what she was doing, she would always speak to
her family on or around her birthday.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
Of course, I called and talked to Dad about it,
and Dad said the last time he had heard from
her was Father's Day. He had already mailed off her
birthday card and he was waiting to hear back from
her because she would always call when she got her
(09:59):
birthday card.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
Father's Day was in June. Nina's birthday was in September.
The realization that no one had seen or heard from
Nina in months finally began to sink in Lydia remembers
getting the call from Kenya about how Nina seemed to
be missing.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
Can you call me? And I remember I was helping
my mom out at the hair salon, and I am
always optimistic, so at the mention of her possibly being missing,
(10:48):
I'm like, no, you know, we'll hear from her birthdays
coming up. She's just traveling, you know how Nina is,
we'll talk to her soon.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
As the days turned two weeks and September gave way
to October, the silence became increasingly difficult to ignore. Eventually,
a missing person report was filed and the official missing
person's investigation was launched. But no one could have imagined
(11:21):
where the investigation would lead.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
Let's take the necessary steps in case there is something wrong,
but I could not. I couldn't allow my mind to
go there. So I think I just kind of compartmentalized
things and was just like, it's one of those days.
You know, she's gonna call. You know, of course we'll
(11:48):
find her. These type of things, don't you know happened
to us.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
In October twenty fourteen, Kenya rect an unexpected visit from
the police that would change everything for me.
Speaker 6 (12:06):
And then in the October is when I actually found
out that it really was something wrong. And so on
that day, it's when I got a knock at the
door from the police department and they gave me the
contact number for the sergeant and basically said that they
(12:26):
had you know, they wanted me to talk to the sergeant.
They felt like they had found a body, and they
just kind of wanted to confirm, and so that was
my first real notification that.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
She had passed.
Speaker 3 (12:40):
I believe it was October.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Once. Can you call me and said that they had
identified our body and that they had found her.
Speaker 7 (12:59):
That was really hard because it became real and something
that we now have to face and deal with.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
And you're wondering why and how I had to share
that news with my dad and for it to be
solidified through dental records and the ride that she had
(13:41):
in her leg from the accident.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
It wasn't.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
It wasn't something that I could deny.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
I just I just broke down. I don't know how
you and how you deal with something like that.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
The surgical rod in Nina's leg, along with the dental records,
was the final confirmation Nina Cook was gone. On October seventh,
twenty fourteen, Nina Cook's remains were discovered in a vacant
church building at eleven seventy five East Trigg Avenue in Memphis.
(14:35):
The property had been foreclosed and empty since October twenty thirteen.
A church caretaker made the grim discovery and called nine
one one. Nina's body was found lying on the floor,
covered by a soiled curtain and in an advanced state
of decomposition. Her remains were largely skeletonized, with only a
(15:00):
torn piece of red underwear still adhered to her. Scattered
around her puzzle pieces, a pen, a penny, a toy shoe,
and fragments of jewelry, including a hard necklace. According to
Nina's autopsy report, the medical examiner documented perry mortem fractures
(15:23):
to her facial bones, sternum, and vertebrae, concluding the cause
of death was homicidal violence, though the specific means remained
impossible to determine after so much time had passed by
a missing person's report had only been filed two weeks earlier.
(15:45):
Though family hadn't heard from Nina for approximately three months,
the window of time between her disappearance and the time
she had been discovered had its effect, leaving behind unanswered
questions about her final moments. With the discovery of Nina's remains,
the missing person case transformed into a homicide investigation. Memphis
(16:10):
police began the difficult task of piecing together what happened
to Nina. Cook Kenya recalls the early days of the investigation,
when the quest for answers had more energy.
Speaker 6 (16:28):
I remember in the beginning going down to the station,
to the investigations bureau and you know, talking to the sergeant,
getting you know, information, giving information details, and just trying
to come up with next steps.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
The family provided whatever information they could, trying to reconstruct
Nina's final days in weeks leading up to her untiled death.
Speaker 6 (16:54):
So yeah, being told about possibly running DNA through the
cysts them to see if there was a match, and
you know, talking about the crime scene and just giving
our statements and trying to recount and recall who we
remember her being in communication with, you know, people that
she knew, people that she went to school with, anyone
(17:16):
that she dated, or just anything that we could come
up with to try to find clues.
Speaker 1 (17:21):
Social media provided one potential source of information, a digital
trill that might offer insight into Nina's last movements.
Speaker 6 (17:32):
We were looking at her social media to kind of
see where she was or what she posted things like that.
And like Amanda say it, this was October and so
we were a few months behind, so it was a
lot that we could not get access to. But in
the beginning it did really feel like we were making
(17:53):
some lead way.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
I think any family member.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
That deals with a tragic loss. They want answers, they
want help, they want support from law enforcement, from media
to bring justice to your family member. When things first
(18:24):
started out, I felt like everyone was going strong, We're
gonna find the answers. Uh. There was talk about DNA.
I watched enough crime shows right to know that you
can find, you know, answers with just the smallest shread
(18:46):
of evidence. The hope was that people would talk, they
would see her story, calls would flood in. Unfortunately, things
died down really quickly.
Speaker 1 (19:05):
Despite the initial spark of interest in Nina's case, the
investigation faced significant challenges and roadblocks.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
So I didn't.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
Understand why we couldn't get more answers, why her email
couldn't be accessed, why checks in like the Green Dot
card things couldn't be.
Speaker 2 (19:33):
Traced.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
I understood because I went to some of the businesses myself,
and at the time a lot of them only held
recordings for thirty days, maybe ninety days, and we were
far behind from the time that they found her body
to the time that the investigation began.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
The condition of Nina's remains also presented for what is
it challenges for the investigation.
Speaker 3 (20:04):
So because of the state of her body. I did
understand that and the time frame. I did understand that
we were at a disadvantage, but I had so much
hope that we would have more resolved than we did
(20:32):
and just more support. I thought my phone would be
ringing off the hook trying to get answers and people
reaching out and wanting to share her story and also,
you know, fine justice, But.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
It just wasn't.
Speaker 3 (20:57):
Everything dried up and I didn't hear back from anyone
until now.
Speaker 6 (21:07):
Unfortunately, I don't think we got any clues or tips
through like the hotline, like the Rewards hotline. We were
trying to get some information, see if anybody could give
some anonymous tips, but we were not successful with that.
We did not have that much concrete evidence at all.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
As the investigation continued to unfold or lack thereof, Lydia
and the rest of Nina's loved ones felt like her
case wasn't being treated fairly or given the priority it deserved.
Speaker 3 (21:43):
And I think in the investigation, when her story didn't
look picture perfect, it didn't see news worthy enough to
pull on the heartstrings, it felt like her life didn't matter,
(22:10):
and things began to be swept under the rug.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
Lydia's frustration grew as she encountered roadblock after roadblock in
her own quest for information in the truth behind what
happened to her sister.
Speaker 3 (22:30):
I heard a lot of there wasn't enough of this.
I couldn't do that. I couldn't I wanted to get
into her post office box at the University of Memphis.
I wanted to get camera footage. I wanted DNA evidence.
I wanted, you know, different people to be spoken to
(22:57):
or interviewed more thoroughly.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
Despite the decline and resources into Nina's case, Lydia says,
the lead investigator did make genuine efforts, even when other
authorities began to turn their time elsewhere.
Speaker 3 (23:18):
And I know things probably take time. And I believe
that the sergeant who was working with us put in
really great efforts. He was supportive and communicative for a while,
(23:38):
but then I think he was on the verge of retiring.
And I'm sure there's processes and high crime city, all
these things. Perhaps her story was one that was easily
placed on the back burner.
Speaker 1 (23:58):
Over a decade later, the questions surrounding Nina's death remain
largely unanswered. Who would want to harm her? What were
the circumstances leading up to her final moments, and what
happened between June and October of twenty fourteen. In Part
(24:20):
three of this series, will examine the broader implications of
Nina's case, how it fits into patterns of unsolved cases
involving women of color, the challenges of Cold's case investigations,
and the family's ongoing journey for justice and answers. Anyone
with information regarding Nina Cook's case should contact the Memphis
(24:44):
Police Department or Prime Shoppers. Their number can be found
in the description box below. As we close out this episode,
don't forget to hit the follow button to stay updated
on this case and others like it. Subscribe to Hunting
for Answers on YouTube to watch the visuals to this episode,
and follow us on Instagram and TikTok for more true
(25:07):
crime updates. And if you enjoyed this story, leave us
a five star rating. Thank you so much for joining
us on another episode until next time. Hunting for Answers
(25:27):
is a production of the Black Effect Podcast Network. For
more podcasts from the Black Effect Podcast Network, visit the
iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your
favorite shows,
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DJ Envy
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