Probe Into Missing Woman Intensified In Williamson County

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TX — On the 19th anniversary of the disappearance of Rachel Cooke in Georgetown, Texas, the sheriff's office is now seeking to locate an associate of the missing woman and offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to a case resolution, officials said Sunday.

For nearly two decades, Williamson County Sheriff’s Office detectives along with multiple assisting agencies have been searching for Cooke, who went missing Jan. 10, 2002, in Georgetown. In an advisory, the sheriff's office said they now seek insights related to a past associate of the missing woman to help further develop the case.

Cooke is believed to have exited her home at 9:30 a.m., and was last seen some 200 yards from her home, officials previously said. On vacation from college, she was wearing a gray running outfit, Asics running shoes and toted a yellow Walkman to listen to music as she jogged. She was described at the time as standing five feet, three inches tall and weighing 115 pounds. Law enforcement officials previously said she also had two heart-shaped cherries tattooed on her left foot.

Previous coverage: Police Seek To Solve Cold Case After WilCo Woman's Disappearance

In the Sunday advisory, sheriff's officials stopped short of categorizing the person sought as a suspect. Officials also did not specify the person's gender, although other media outlets have reported the person of interest is a man.

Detectives have investigated more than 2,000 tips while eliminating numerous individuals suspected to have been involved with the woman's disappearance. Now, the sheriff's officeis seeking a person who was living in the Georgetown area in 2002 who has traveled to multiple cities throughout Texas.

The person is known to have been an associate of Cooke while she was in the Georgetown area, officials said, adding that the person sought also is known to be involved in the cattle/horse industry. The sheriff's office said it believes the associate may have mentioned to an acquaintance the details pertaining to the woman's disappearance, likely speaking of the incident in third person and distancing himself from any actual involvement.

"The Cooke family have gone nineteen years without closure, and it’s WCSO’s goal to bring Rachel back to her family and give them the peace they deserve," officials wrote. They asked media outlets in Central Texas, Concho County Area, Amarillo and Terlingua to share this information with the public.

The sheriff's office, in conjunction with the Federal Bureau of Investigations, is offering up to $100,000 for information leading to the location Cooke. The sheriff's office urged anyone with information about her or the person of interest to call (512) 948-2911 or the cold case tip line at (512)v943-5204. Law enforcement officials assured that those submitting tips have the option to remain anonymous by sending information online at tips.fbi.gov or coldcasetips@wilco.org.