Brothers plead not guilty in slaying

Kim Smith

Tuesday, May 16, 2000 | 11:39 a.m.

A November trial date has been set for a pair of brothers accused in the April stabbing death of a North Las Vegas woman.

District Judge Joseph Bonaventure set a Nov. 20 trial date during the arraignment Monday of Daniel Cook, 20, and James Cook, 17. Both pleaded not guilty to the murder of Walburga Soult, 61.

According to authorities, the Cook brothers went to Soult's Hoover Street home on the afternoon of April 8 and an argument erupted.

During the argument, James Cook allegedly took out a gun and shot at one of Soult's four daughters, 22-year-old Pamela Fremou. A bullet struck Fremou, who was pregnant, near the collarbone and grazed one of her ears.

Fremou was able to escape out of a back window. When she went back inside a few minutes later, her mother was lying on the living room floor bleeding from several wounds to the head.

An autopsy revealed Soult died from cutting and stabbing wounds. Fremou was taken to the hospital, where she miscarried.

James Cook was found less than 30 minutes after the slaying near the corner of Stanley Avenue and Bruce Street and confessed to the attack, police said. His brother was picked up early the next morning.

The younger Cook faces two counts of attempted murder and one count of murder with use of a deadly weapon and Daniel Cook faces a single count of murder with use of a deadly weapon.

Chief Deputy District Attorney William Koot is trying the case, while Drew Christensen of the public defender's office represents James Cook and Daren Richards of the special public defender's office represents Daniel Cook.

The brothers remain in the Clark County Detention Center.