I just learned that a former Tyler man’s near half-century nightmare to prove his innocence for a 1977 sexual-mutilation murder he has claimed all along he did not commit ended earlier this summer. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in June fully exonerated Kerry Max Cook in the killing of 21-year-old Linda Jo Edwards; finding him totally, and now legally, innocent of that crime.

Mr. Cook, now 68, married with one son and living in Dallas, spent 20 years on Texas’ Death Row for the murder of Ms. Edwards, a young Tyler woman whose sexually-mutilated and slashed body was found by her roommate in apartment home they shared in South Tyler.

From the very start, Mr. Cook’s arrest, conviction and death penalty verdict sank into a storm of controversy. In its ruling, the Texas court stated prosecutorial misconduct, hiding exculpatory evidence, obstruction of justice, perjury, suborning of perjury by law enforcement, death-bed confessions, recanted testimony and abject refusal by prosecutors to face the fact that they had compelled to death an innocent man all came into play.

Nothing short of the Second Coming — and maybe not even then — was going to change Smith County prosecutors’ minds that Mr. Cook was not guilty; committed as they were to nothing more than their conviction rates, political careers and tee times.

In 1977, Tyler’s ultra-conservativism was fanned into incensed flame by the heinous nature of Ms. Edwards’ murder. All judged Mr. Cook guilty just because all wanted to believe that a monster had been caged.

As a reporter, I covered Mr. Cook’s appeals while working for the Longview Morning Journal. I interviewed Mr. Cook on death row in Huntsville. The trial paraded all the perversions of Ms. Edwards’ murder and mutilation into the public view, but something just didn’t fit; something was wrong.

I’ve had front-row seats to many examples of man’s inhumanity to man, or women, and Mr. Cook was clearly no Jack the Ripper. In fact, he had no prior convictions and most media believed Mr. Cook would have had trouble shoplifting a pack of gum, much less committing sex-related psycho-murder.

I testified on Mr. Cook’s behalf during one of his retrials, telling the court I didn’t believe Mr. Cook killed Ms. Edwards and why. I didn’t believe it 47 years ago. I don’t believe it today.

I’m gratified to hear that Mr. Cook has been fully exonerated and ruled innocent. This won’t give peace to Ms. Edwards’ family who I’m sure still believe Mr. Cook did, in fact, murder their daughter, sister and friend. But, that doesn’t change the fact Mr. Cook is not Ms. Edwards’ killer.

Mr. Cook can fully move on now; a free man relieved of the ominous cloud he’s been under the past 47 years.

I’m sure Ms. Edwards’ family will continue to seek justice for their loved one. But today, they must leave Mr. Cook behind and look elsewhere. I pray they are successful.