Kerry Max Cook talks to family members in the Smith County 114th District Court in 2016. This week, Smith County moved to dismiss all charges and the indictment against him in a 1977 crime he didn’t commit. (Tyler Morning Telegraph File)

Vanessa E. Curry, a former journalist for the Tyler Morning Telegraph, announced on Sept. 4 the release of her latest book, “Lies and Consequences: Covering the Trials of Kerry Max Cook.”

Curry takes readers through the complex narrative of the Cook case, one of Texas’ most notable capital murder cases of the last 50 years. Through her eyes as a journalist, she said the book provides an in-depth exploration of the trials and the significant implications of the case.

Cook spent 20 years on death row for the crime. On June 20, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals declared Cook innocent in the 1977 murder of 21-year-old Linda Jo Edwards, who was living in Tyler and working as a secretary. Her murder was described as brutal. Since Cook has been declared innocent, justice for the young woman still eludes today.

The recent innocence ruling ends, as Judge Bert Richardson wrote, a “winding legal odyssey” stretching 40 years that was “marked by bookends of deception.”

Curry’s book allows readers to “get an intimate look at what really happens in and out of the courtroom,” the book’s description states. “The responsibility reporters grapple with to provide a fair, unbiased accounting of events is a recurring theme throughout the book.”

“Drawing from court records, news reports, and personal interviews and observations, this story is equal parts legal drama and murder mystery,” the book’s description states. “It follows Cook’s first trial, multiple appeals, his two retrials, the plea deal that would finally release him from prison, and his quest for actual innocence.”

The assignment covering the appeal of Cook landed on Curry’s desk in 1991. She spent the next 30 years “entrenched” in the case.

Cook’s first conviction in 1978 was overturned in 1991, and a second trial in 1992 ended in a mistrial. A third trial in 1994 resulted in a new conviction and death sentence. However, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals reversed this verdict in 1996, citing misconduct by police and prosecutors.

In 1999, the Smith County district attorney planned a fourth trial but ultimately reached a plea deal that released Cook from prison while maintaining his conviction. Until 2024, Cook remained classified as a murderer by the Texas justice system.

Cook, now 68, became an advocate against the death penalty after his release.

“Lies and Consequences: Covering the Trials of Kerry Max Cook” traces the saga of a man who was nearly executed for a crime that Texas’ highest court determined he did not commit. The book provides an examination of Cook’s legal battles and the broader implications of his case.

Curry says her book takes readers on a mental rollercoaster of events, offering insights from the courtroom to the court of public opinion while detailing the personal and professional challenges she encountered.

The book is anticipated to be a good read for those interested in true crime or for people who are otherwise interested in the Cook case.

In the book, Curry also “shines a light into the dark corners of the criminal justice system, recounting instances of prosecutorial misconduct and lies told by witnesses and suspects alike,” the book details state.

The book can be purchased on Amazon now. The price is $25 for a paperback copy or $16 for the Kindle edition. It can be purchased on Amazon here or by visiting vanessacurry.com.

Curry has three upcoming book signings in Tyler, including:

• Oct. 18, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Tyler Public Library, 201 S. College Ave. in Tyler
• Oct. 19, from 1 to 3 p.m., at The Loft Downtown Mall, 117 S. Broadway Ave. in Tyler
• Nov. 14, from 1 to 3 p.m., at Half Price Books, 8966 S. Broadway Ave. in Tyler

If You Go

WHAT: “Lies and Consequences: Covering the Trials of Kerry Max Cook” by book signing events with author Vanessa Curry

WHEN AND WHERE: Oct. 18, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Tyler Public Library, 201 S. College Ave. in Tyler; Oct. 19, from 1 to 3 p.m., at The Loft Downtown Mall, 117 S. Broadway Ave. in Tyler; Nov. 14, from 1 to 3 p.m., at Half Price Books, 8966 S. Broadway Ave. in Tyler.

MORE INFORMATION: vanessacurry.com