Case Explained: Legal analyst explains impact of defendant’s death in Chickasha child abuse case – Legal Perspective

On Tuesday, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation announced the death of George Cole Jr.

He had been arrested and charged with several counts related to child abuse and child sex abuse, following the disappearance of his 12-year-old son, who was later rescued.

Last week, the Caddo County District Attorney announced that Cole had attempted suicide in his jail cell following a court appearance on Monday.

He remained in critical condition throughout the week and was declared brain dead on Friday.

His wife, Kimberly Cole, remains in Caddo County jail on similar charges. She is being held on a $1.5 million bond.

The Caddo County District Attorney declined an interview on Tuesday.

But legal analyst, criminal defense attorney, and former prosecutor Ed Blau explained how a situation of this type might play out.

“In most cases, if there’s a death of a codefendant, unless there was some need for that codefendant to possibly flip and testify against the other person, generally, if there’s enough evidence to prosecute one, there’s enough evidence to prosecute the other,” Blau said.

In the case of Kimberly and George Cole, both were charged separately and not as codefendants.

Without knowing exactly what kind of evidence prosecutors have against Kimberly, Blau said there’s still a relatively straightforward path for prosecutors despite George’s death.

“In any case involving a child, if the prosecution has to rely solely on the child’s testimony — that can sometimes be difficult,” he said. “However, if there’s other evidence, if there’s photographic evidence, if there are other witnesses, if there are other things out there that show that it’s likely the defendant committed the crime, then the prosecution’s job is a lot easier.”