Witness Helps Solve 2017 Stabbing Death of Birmingham Woman

In a time when many people prefer to avoid getting involved, one man stepped forward to help Birmingham police solve an old murder case.

The witness, whose name is not being shared, contacted Birmingham homicide detective Jonathan Ross. He told the detective that he knew who had killed 57-year-old Vergil Angela Cook seven years ago.

The witness felt he had to share the information, and Detective Ross appreciated it.

"It feels good when someone comes forward," Ross said, "because it makes them more believable."

On Thursday, police announced that 62-year-old Timoth Stone had been arrested on a murder charge.

Stone was a suspect in Cook's 2017 murder—they were a couple—but there wasn't enough evidence to charge him back then.

Cook's body was found around 11 p.m. on Friday, July 21, 2017, on 21st Street North in Birmingham’s Druid Hills neighborhood.

Police said she had been stabbed and had likely been dead for several days.

Her family discovered her body after they couldn’t reach her.

One of Cook's children, Don Johnson, previously told the news that Cook loved decorating, blogging, and reading. She also loved her dog and grandchildren.

"She was very outgoing, humble, and down-to-earth," Johnson said in 2017. "She welcomed everyone, no matter their race, religion, or political views."

Just two years before her murder, Cook’s brother, Otis Tyrone Cook, was killed in front of her. He was 62, and police say his neighbor shot him during an argument about Otis’s niece playing in the neighbor's yard.

Detective Ross said he was grateful to share the news with Cook’s family, especially her mother.

"She was screaming, shouting, and thanking me for what we did," Ross said. "They were happy."

Stone was arrested earlier this week and is still in the Jefferson County Jail.