On Aug. 28, the Charles County Sheriff's Office received an anonymous call indicating a man had been murdered on Lyles Place in Waldorf. The caller said the murder occurred Aug. 27 between 10 p.m. and midnight and the man's body had been placed into the trunk of a vehicle and the vehicle was driven away.
On Aug. 29, patrol officers took a report for a missing person who matched the description of the reported murder victim. Detectives spoke with the woman who reported Derrell Stephen Cooks, with whom she has a child in common, had been missing since Aug. 27.
The woman said Cooks, 25, of Waldorf, received a phone call Aug. 27 and, after a conversation, told her he was going to a residence on Lyles Place in Waldorf. Cooks left in his 1987 Honda Accord. When he did not return home, she reported him missing.
Detectives then responded to Lyles Place in search of additional information. Through their investigation, they determined Arthur Franklin White, Jr., 33, of Aquasco, John Howard Goldring, Jr., and William Tyrone Lyles, both 29 and of Waldorf, killed Cooks during a drug dispute, placed his body in the trunk of the Honda and drove away.
On Aug. 30, shortly before 6 p.m., the Metropolitan Police Department contacted the Sheriff's Office regarding a body they recovered in their jurisdiction. DC police reported they recovered the body in the back seat of a Honda that was registered to Cooks.
Detectives obtained warrants for White, Goldring and Lyles, for first- and second-degree murder, first degree assault and a handgun violation. White was arrested Aug. 30 and is being held at the Charles County Detention Center without bond. The Sheriff's Office is continuing its search for the other suspects. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Major Crimes Unit at 301-609-6496.
Charles County Crime Solvers offers rewards of up to $1,000 for information about a crime in Charles County that leads to an arrest or indictment. Anyone with information about a crime may contact Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS. All callers may remain anonymous.