Courtney Denise Taylor

Female Arrested for Hindering Apprehension

A Gassville woman, 43-year old Courtney Denise Taylor was arrested late Thursday evening on charges of Hindering Apprehension or Prosecution and Endangering the Welfare of a Minor.

On Wednesday, October 30, the Sheriff's Office responding to a shooting in the Midway area. The Suspect in the assault and shooting, Alton Cooke was the subject of a two-day manhunt that ended Thursday, October 31, after entry was made at a residence on Kirkland Street in Gassville and found the Cooke deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. (See previous Press Release)  

Courtney Taylor and her 16-year-old juvenile son lived at this residence where Cooke was located.  During the incident the 16-year old juvenile had to be escorted from the residence by US Marshalls.

TAYLOR was interviewed by Investigators at The Baxter County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigation Division on 10-31-2019.  TAYLOR admitted to Investigators that she received a call from COOKE early in the morning of 10-30-2019 and Cooke asked her to come to an area in Promise Land to pick him up.  On the way there she received another call from Cooke requesting that she pick him up at 48 Frencl Lane in the Promised Land area which is the address of the parent of the female VICTIM of the related shooting incident that took place earlier.  TAYLOR admitted to Investigators that she took COOKE from that location to her residence in Gassville. Later in the day on 10-30-2018 Investigators from the Mountain Home Police Department, who were assisting the Sheriff's Office in the shooting investigation went to Taylor's residence.  Investigators from that department were following up on a lead of stolen property and that Courtney Taylor might have information concerning the thefts and possible location of Cooke. Those Investigators made contact with TAYLOR at her residence at 501 Kirkland and asked her if she had had any more contact with COOKE.  TAYLOR denied to those Officers that she had.  TAYLOR later admitted during the interview that COOKE was hiding in the residence at the time those Investigators were there talking with her about Cooke.

The investigation also revealed that TAYLOR took the juvenile to school on 10-30-2019 and later brought him back to the residence that day knowing that COOKE was an armed fugitive from the law and at her residence.

Courtney Denise Taylor is charged with:

Hindering Apprehension or Prosecution, Class B Felony
Endangering the Welfare of a Minor, Class D Felony

Taylor was booked into the Baxter County Detention Center where she is being held on $50,000 Bond pending her appearance in Baxter County Circuit Court on November 7, 2019.

Sheriff John Montgomery