Student Senator Richard Cook took responsibility for his son’s death in an email sent out to the Student Senate listserv last Friday evening. “My son died today because of my neglectfulness,” he wrote.
The case is currently under investigation by the Portland Police and is considered a suspicious death.
In the email to his fellow senators, he recounted the morning of the death. Cook who has taken a prescription medication everyday for the past two years said he took his pills and left them out unintentionally when sidetracked by his son to change his diaper. Cook and Justin then proceeded to the living room to watch Finding Nemo for “the umpteenth time.” After dozing through part of the movie he awoke to find his son also asleep in a chair nearby. Taking the opportunity to ready himself for his senate finance committee meeting at 11a.m. he hopped into the shower. Upon returning he tried to wake Justin and found him not breathing.
“My stupidity killed the boy I lived and did everything for,” wrote Cook in conclusion.
A press release from the Portland Police department states Cook phoned 911 and reported a possible overdose. The city dispatched an ambulance which arrived at Cook’s home on Mona St. in Portland a little after 10a.m. Justin was taken to Maine Medical Center and pronounced dead. An autopsy will be conducted on the body.
Contacted by phone Cook declined comment except to say that information presented by other media entities was inaccurate.
About 10 senators gathered Saturday, in a show of support, to discuss the tragedy and explore ways to offer their condolences to Cook.
“He was a wreck,” said Student Senator and ad manager of The Free Press John Marshall who visited Cook’s home Saturday afternoon.
Senator Johnathan Read accompanied Marshall to Cook’s where they discovered Cook’s mother and brother had arrived after flying in from California (Cook’s home state) late Friday evening.
“That kid was his whole life,” said Marshall who spent four days with Cook at a conference in Texas.
“In Texas, he kept saying ‘I gotta go home, I gotta go see my son.'”
Cook was a single father with full custody and often brought his son along to senate meetings. Cook was the most vocal senator on the issue of childcare access here at the University. His experience was that childcare at USM was too limited.
Marshall and the rest of the senate came into contact with the mischievous Justin frequently at 11 Baxter where senate meetings are held.
Tears were shed and remorse shared for Justin’s loss as Senators reminisced and recounted him playing in the stairwell and getting stuck in the elevator.
Christy McKinnon can be contacted at [email protected]