Convicted felon Robert Lee Douglas Cook was back in court again on Tuesday, Dec. 2 for formal sentencing.

Cook’s attorney Duke Holden told the court that at no time did Cook intend to harm his ex-wife Trisha Hartline, even though he had ample opportunity. He also said Cook admitted he was guilty of being in possession of a stolen car, license tag and guns.

Holden then asked the court to give Cook the same sentence that Cook’s mother Minnie Irene Cook received in the case, a total of 15 years’ imprisonment as opposed to the 27 years recommended for Cook. Holden also asked the court to omit any “heavy fines” and court costs and to give Cook, who has been jailed since April, 2007, credit for time served.

“He’s a young guy, he did some stupid things, but he had no intent to harm Trisha Hartline,” said Holden.

Assistant District Attorney Leah Edwards rejected Holden’s plea for reducing Cook’s sentence to equal that of his mother’s, saying his mother’s case is an “entirely different case.”

Judge VanDyck concurred, giving Cook the full sentence recommended by the jury, 10 years on the charge of endeavoring to perform an act of violence, 10 years on the charge of child stealing, two years on the charge of carrying a weapon with unlawful intent and five years on the charge of knowingly concealing stolen property, with sentences running consecutively. VanDyck did allow Cook to receive credit for time already served.

In addition, VanDyck required Cook, upon his release from prison, to make arrangements to pay fines and court costs totaling $6,500 within five days of being released.

“It’s been one hell of a ride,” said Hartline’s father Jim Hartline, who drove from Amarillo to Houston, to Ponca City to Little Rock distributing fliers of his daughter’s missing children. “I’m glad this mess is over with.”

Robert Cook and his mother Minnie Irene Cook were arrested near Ninnekah on April 4, 2008 when Ninnekah Police Officer Danny Cole ran the tag on their van and learned the plate was stolen.

After calling for back up, Cole and other officers arrested the Cooks after seeing two loaded guns in the front of the van, including an SKS assault rifle and a 38 caliber hand gun. Another gun and dozens of suspicious items were later found in the van, including ammunition, a Bowie knife, assorted black clothing, ski masks, latex gloves and a gun cleaning kit.

Police interviews with Robert Cook uncovered a plot to murder Hartline, with Cook admitting to Oklahoma State Highway Patrol Trooper Patrick Surber he had thought about killing Hartline “for a long time.”

On Nov. 9, 2008, a Grady County judge granted Hartline full custody of the couple’s three children and ordered Cook to turn them over. However, Cook disregarded the court order and fled to Texas with the children.

After the Cook’s arrest in April, Surber, working with Cook’s sister Barbie Lindsay, made arrangements for the three children to be returned to their mother.

Minnie Irene Cook was scheduled to go to trial on Monday, Oct. 27, but, in light of the jury’s guilty verdict against her son earlier in the week, she opted to plead guilty on three charges. The fourth charge, endeavoring to perform an act of violence, which carried a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment, was dismissed by the state as part of Cook’s plea agreement.

Cook admitted to helping her son Robert steal his children from custodial parent Trisha Hartline, driving the vehicle with a stolen plate and to having loaded guns inside the vehicle.