After less than two hours of testimony, Judge Timothy Brauer declared there was sufficient evidence presented to hold Robert Lee Cook and his mother Minnie Irene Cook over for trial.

Each of the two were charged with endeavoring to perform an act of violence, felony child stealing, possession of a weapon with unlawful intent and knowingly concealing stolen property.

On Nov. 9, 2007, Robert Cook’s ex-wife Trisha Hartline was granted full custody of the couple’s three children, who were living with Cook at the time. However, rather than turn them over to their mother, Cook and his mother reportedly took off with the children instead. Their mother would not see them again until April 4, 2008.

In his testimony, Robert Cook’s father Terry Cook said he asked his daughter Barbara Lindsey, known as Barbie, to take the three children back to their mother in April, 2008.

“By my request, Barbie came and got ‘em,” said Cook, who pled the fifth when asked where the children were at the time as well as when he was asked if the children were with him.

The three children were brought to the parking lot of the Grady County Courthouse in Chickasha on April 4, 2008, where they were reunited with their mother.

In November, 2007, Robert Cook and Minnie Irene Cook were stopped by Ninnekah Police Officer Danny Cole after he ran a routine check on their car tag. Cole said he ran the check because of the time of night - it was after midnight - and the fact that the van they were driving had an out-of-state tag.

When the dispatcher reported the tag was stolen, Cole said he turned around and caught up with the vehicle.

According to Cole, Robert Cook was a passenger, and Minnie Cook was driving the van. As he was speaking with her, he said he noticed an SKS rifle in the front of the vehicle.

Cole said Cook told him her son hunted wild boar with the gun.

Backup Officer Ritter then reportedly approached Robert Cook’s side of the van and noticed another gun, a 38 pistol, on the floor by Robert’s left foot. After checking his identification, Ritter found there were outstanding warrants against Cook, so he read him his rights.

Because of the stolen tag, Minnie Cook was also read her rights and both of the Cooks were taken into custody.

Once at the jail, Robert Cook first refused to speak with Oklahoma Highway Patrol Investigator Patrick Surber, saying he wanted an attorney. However, as Surber started to leave, Cook reportedly changed his mind, and crying, asked “Patrick, can we talk?”

Surber testified that Cook admitted having his children in his custody and had been keeping them from their mother.

Because Surber had to leave at that time, the interview was continued later that morning after Cook was again “Mirandized.”

According to Surber, the Cooks had in their possession a diagram of Watson’s Mobile Home Park, where Trisha Hartline lived. The couple had reportedly waited around the trailer park for about two hours waiting for Hartline to appear. Surber said Cook admitted looking for Hartline’s trailer and also admitted having guns in the van.

Surber also said Cook told him, “If anyone’s going to kill Trisha, it will be me. I’ve been plotting this murder for some time.”

Cook reportedly said he loved his children and didn’t want to see his ex-wife harm them.

Surber said he requested a search warrant for the van and reported on the items found in the van, which included, in part, a loaded SKS assault rifle, a loaded 38 pistol, a loaded 22 rifle, ammunition, black ski masks and an assortment of black clothing, two knives, a notebook containing the vehicle tag numbers of members of Hartline’s family members, large plastic trash bags, walkie-talkie radios, latex gloves, carpet and upholstery cleaner and paper towels, two black wigs, one brown wig and black electrical tape.

“They were going to take the life of Trisha Hartline,” said Surber.

Another witness, Linda Sauer, who worked for a forensic psychologist and psychotherapist in Norman who was seeing one of Cook’s children, testified about conversations she had with Minnie Irene Cook as she waited in the waiting room.

Sauer said Cook told her some of the fears she had as a grandmother and about allegations against the children’s mother.

“She talked about her grandchildren and her fear and concerns for the children and what lengths she would go to protect them,” said Sauer, adding that Cook said she would do “Whatever it takes.”

Sauer also testified that Cook told her she knew where the children were and that she had contact with them.

After hearing testimony from the six witnesses called, Judge Brauer deemed there was enough evidence to hold Robert Lee Cook and Minnie Irene Cook over for trial.

Brauer set the date for the formal arraignment for Tuesday, Sept. 7.