Driver admits role in ‘senseless’ killing of father of 7 at Richland hotel

A 44-year-old man apologized Wednesday for his role in the shooting death of a father of seven and said he hopes the family may someday forgive him.

Michael G. Cook told his lawyer that he was in shock after his friend shot an acquaintance in the parking lot of the Riverfront Inn last September, said attorney Shelley Ajax.

The alleged shooter had a gun and Cook claimed he didn’t know what to do but to follow his orders and drive Jonathan M. Rodriguez away from the scene, instead of stopping to help victim Joshua R. Gibson.

Ajax said her client knows he made a mistake that morning at the Richland hotel, and says he will never forgive himself.

“He has talked to me emotionally about waking up at night reliving this, and how horrible it was. It was senseless, and those words have actually come out of his mouth to me,” Ajax said Wednesday in court. “He realizes the gravity of the mistake he made in being any part of this whatsoever, but he had no idea what was going to be happening that day.”

Cook pleaded guilty in Benton County Superior Court to first-degree rendering criminal assistance.

He immediately was sentenced to 4 1/2 years in prison. That was the maximum sentence allowed for the crime.

In a separate hearing Wednesday, the trial for Rodriguez, 28, was postponed to Nov. 29 at his request.

Cook’s plea — reduced from first-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping — came after separate meetings between prosecutors and Richland detectives, Gibson’s family and Cook and his lawyer.

“The state believes that they would be unable to prove the original charge,” said Deputy Prosecutor Julie Long. “(Cook) drove (Rodriguez) to the scene. (Rodriguez) got out of the vehicle and fired the shot.”

Long added that prosecutors would not be able to prove at trial that Cook knew Rodriguez was going to kill the victim, only that he drove Rodriguez away from the scene and helped him avoid apprehension.

“Our family is heartbroken. Josh was a kind soul ...,” the family said in a letter read to the court. “We have our memories. May God have mercy on your soul.”

Long said Gibson was described by his loved ones and others who knew him as a kind and caring person who went out of his way to help people.

On the day he was killed, Gibson was helping someone fix their car. Now, his seven children will grow up without their dad because of a senseless crime.

“Although the defendant is pleading to an amended charge, we believe that’s what he is guilty of,” said Long, referring to the murder. “I hope he understands the impact his and Mr. Rodriguez’s actions have on this family and it is lasting a lifetime. ... They are hurting and this is something that they will never recover from.”

Hotel parking lot

Gibson, 39, was found dying in the parking lot of the former Shilo Inn after police received calls about gunshots at 10:16 a.m. Officers and paramedics were unable to save him.

Gibson had been visiting some hotel guests when a gun-toting and mask-wearing Rodriguez showed up and ordered him to a parked Chevrolet Tahoe, court documents said.

Rodriguez got into the Chevrolet, followed by Gibson, but then Gibson hopped back out. A witness, who reported hearing a loud slap or smack come from inside the SUV, said Gibson told the Chevrolet’s occupants he would not get in if he was going to be hit, documents said.

Gibson also was overheard telling someone to tell his friend not to hit him.

Witnesses said two gunshots followed loud arguing. A number of people reported seeing Gibson fall to the ground just before the SUV sped away on Comstock Street.

Cook was arrested about 45 minutes later following an unrelated traffic stop by West Richland police. He was alone.

Ajax said her client had “good intentions” to report it and was trying to meet up with a police officer who’s also a friend, but was stopped in the interim.

“I just want to say I am sorry for their loss,” said Cook. “I hope someday they may forgive me for my actions and the role I took that day.”

This story was originally published August 18, 2021 at 12:52 PM.