The Search for Rachel, a father's journal

Friday, Feb. 1

Saturday, Feb. 2

My friend Tony and I took lunch to the horse team. It is difficult for them to come to the search center to eat. They would have to trailer their horses before doing so.

A site was found that had been dug up and filled back in. The sheriff's department was called and they came out with dogs and checked the site out. They found nothing.

A decision was made that this was the last day of the search. I was uncertain that was the right thing to do. The media was told that the search would be all weekend and they had informed the public.

Three college girls told me that they would help me clean up the search center tomorrow.

Sunday, Feb. 3

I arrived at the search center early in the morning and started packing up the supplies, maps and other items. Two of the three girls came to help clean. They were a big help.

People kept coming in to volunteer to search. I told them that the search was over for now and asked them to sign up if they wanted to volunteer for future searches.

I took a load of boxes home and then returned to the search center in the afternoon. A new friend Barbara drove up while I was carrying boxes out. She had an SUV and told me that she would transport the Rachel Board to our house.

Monday, Feb. 4 through Friday, Feb. 8

Friend Tony and I planned a search in an area where a woman had heard screams in the nights after Rachel disappeared. I sent out e-mails and called volunteers.

Saturday, Feb. 9

We met on Saturday and formed four search teams. Friend Tony and I directed the searchers to their search areas. I went out with new friend Robert S.'s team. We covered several 10-acre tracts. Rachel's boyfriend Greg went out on another team.

Friend J.R. debriefed the teams as they came back from their assigned areas. Nothing was found in the search.

That afternoon a fundraiser benefit was held at Dell's Essan Haus in Walburg. My sister Elaine came by my house and drove Greg and me there. My wife Janet had left for the benefit earlier. It was a party-like atmosphere there with a lot of people eating and drinking. I ordered Greg and myself hamburgers and we sat down to eat them.

About half-way through my hamburger I starting getting emotional feelings stronger than at any other time. I felt that I no longer wanted to be there. Rachel was still missing. Why was everyone having a good time? It wasn't right. I had to leave, right then.

I walked down the street, found a place with picnic tables and sat down, almost collapsing. I cried harder than I had since the beginning. I could see a small children's playground and I started thinking about swinging Rachel and JoAnn when they were little. I sat there for almost 30 minutes, releasing emotions.

When I went back to the party, Tim Miller, the director of Texas EquuSearch, took me aside. He knew what I was going through. He had been there himself. He told me some things that I can't repeat to anyone, not even Janet.

Sunday, Feb. 10 through Wednesday, Feb. 13

I made reservations for a U-Haul truck and plane tickets for our trip to San Diego. We had to go there and pack up Rachel's apartment and bring her things home to Texas. It was not a job I wanted to do but it was necessary.

The cost of renting a trailer in Phoenix, Ariz., was less than half of the cost of renting one in San Diego. The plane tickets were cheaper, too. Since I had to pay Rachel's rent for February and other expenses, I decided to fly into Phoenix and then drive the six hours to San Diego from there. My father, Rachel's boyfriend, Greg, and I would go.

Greg would stay in San Diego after he helped us pack. San Diego is his home and his friends and family are there. I promised to fly him back if we found Rachel.

Janet and I met with the sheriff's department and discussed the case. We also talked about raising the reward to $50,000 to try and generate some more leads. We only had $30,000 in the reward fund at that time so Janet and I and other family members would pay the difference.

We began organizing a new program called the Ride for Rachel. Coworkers Ben and Kelly would finalize the details and call people while I went to San Diego.

Thursday, Feb. 14

Something has been bothering me for the last few weeks. Our car insurance payment is due tomorrow and I can not decide if I should pay for Rachel's coverage or not. The coverage for her amounts to over $500 so it was not a small amount of money. If I don't pay, it's like writing her off. I finally decided today that I can't give up on finding her yet. I am mailing the insurance company the full amount.

After work Rachel's boyfriend Greg and I went to the opening of my wife Janet's new play. Janet's brother Al and his wife Alice came also. The play was really good but I was uncomfortable.

After the play Greg and I drove to my parents' house to spend the night. My brother David was there also. David offered to go to San Diego instead of me. I told him that I had to go so I could turn in a change-of-address form at the San Diego Post Office for Rachel.

Friday, Feb. 15

I got up at 3:45 a.m. and got ready to go to the airport. Rachel's boyfriend Greg and my Dad got ready, too. We left for the airport around 4:30.

The line at the airport counter was extremely long. My dad did not have any check-in luggage but Greg and I did. We went to a sky cab outside. Unfortunately our baggage was selected to be searched. They searched our check in luggage and carry-ons.

When I went through the X-ray machine, I was identified to be scanned and searched again. Finally we got to the gate. When we were boarding Greg and I were pulled aside to be searched again. It seemed so pointless for us to be searched three times when other people were never searched.

We finally boarded the plane and flew to Phoenix, Ariz.. The flight was on time and we took a cab to the U-haul store. They gave us a very old truck that shook when we drove it. We finally made it to San Diego and my cousin Carolyn met us at Rachel's apartment. She lives north of San Diego and had picked up the apartment keys from the landlord earlier in the week.

We started packing up Rachel's things. I let them do her room. I couldn't do it; that would have been too hard. Carolyn drove back to her house and we drove Greg to his parents' house. After a short visit Dad and I drove back to Rachel's apartment to sleep.

Saturday, Feb. 16

Dad and I got up early. He started packing Rachel's things and I went to the post office and turned in a change of address form to have Rachel's mail forwarded to our house.

I returned to the apartment and helped Dad pack. My cousin Carolyn and her husband Lloyd came to help. Greg came over later also. We finished packing and I went outside to back the U-haul truck in position to load the boxes. The truck wouldn't start.

I called the 1-800 U-Haul repair number and they sent out a mechanic. While we were waiting my dad and I decided that we should turn that truck into U-Haul and get a better truck. After all, we had to drive 1,200 miles back to Texas.

The mechanic got the truck running and we took it to a U-haul center. At first they didn't want to exchange it. I was determined to have it replaced. They had no idea what I had been through in the past five weeks. They gave us a new truck.

It took nearly four hours to exchange the truck. We finally returned to the apartment and loaded it with Rachel's things. Greg's sister came to pick him up. We said goodbye and they left. My dad and I followed Carolyn and Lloyd to their house.

We visited with my two cousins for two hours. While we were there I called Rachel's landlord and told him that her apartment would be vacant in the morning. My dad and I then drove back to the apartment and slept there.

Sunday, Feb. 17

Dad and I got up around 5:00 a.m. and loaded the last items into Rachel's car and the U-Haul truck. We left San Diego before 6:00 a.m. Dad drove the U-Haul truck and I drove Rachel's car. We each had a two-way radio that we used to stay in touch.

There was some fog going over the mountains on Interstate 8. Sunrise occurred just as we hit the first mountain peak. We were making excellent time.

Our goal was to make it as far into New Mexico as we could that day. I called my sister Elaine on the way and she said a local Georgetown businessman had donated the use of a storage shed for six months. That would make it easier to unload and manage Rachel's things.

Dad and I pulled into El Paso, Texas, just before dark. We found a nice motel that had room to park the U-Haul truck. We ate dinner at a local Mexican food restaurant and went to bed.

Monday, Feb. 18

The next morning Dad and I got up earlier again and hit the road. I was glad we had the radios because there was no cell phone service between El Paso and Burnet. I called my sister Elaine from Burnet and asked her to meet us at our house to unload the truck. Her son Michael, daughter Amy and Amy's friend Kristie came to help, too.

We unloaded some of Rachel's things into our garage and then drove to the storage shed. The rest of the items fit easily into the shed.

After that, Dad and I took the U-Haul truck back and went over to my sister Diane's house. We ate pizza with Diane, Elaine, my Mom and other family members. I finally drove home by myself and went to bed.

It was good to be home but there was still that empty feeling. Rachel remained missing. I had to return to the task of finding her.

Tuesday, Feb. 19 through Thursday, Feb. 21

I returned to work today It was time start concentrating on the upcoming Ride for Rachel scheduled for Saturday. Coworkers Ben and Kelly had proposed the idea behind the Ride for Rachel two weeks before. A group of car and motorcycle riders would leave Georgetown and post the new $50,000 Rachel flyers as far away as Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston.

My sister Elaine wrote a press release and sent it out to the media. The Ride for Rachel would give them a new angle to report on. At the same time it would get old posters replaced and add new posters in places not covered before.

Friday, Feb. 22

A group of us met at my sister Diane's house. We stocked the Ride for Rachel packets. Each vehicle would receive a packet with instructions, two Spanish version flyers, two yellow Ride for Rachel signs for the car, tape and a yellow ribbon to tie to the car's antenna. A separate stack of English version flyers would be given to them also.

While we were there my wife Janet called me. She said that a female body was found outside of Waco. The sheriff's office said that they didn't think it was Rachel but not to tell anyone anything until they confirmed it.

My father overheard me talking to Janet. We went outside and he told me that our dentist had Rachel's records that could be used if necessary. He then hugged me. My dad and I have never been very emotional with each other but we were then. Both he and I were extremely upset.

The body turned out not to be Rachel, just as they thought. It was a relief. I say that but sometimes I think wouldn't it be better to be able to bury her than not to ever find out anything? I don't know the answer to that. I guess no one does.

Saturday, Feb. 23

About 45 cars and 5 motorcycles met at Faith Lutheran Church in Georgetown. Those vehicles and around ten others that had left the day before would make up the Ride for Rachel.

Each vehicle went out with a packet and a stack of Rachel's flyers to post. All of the old flyers were to be replaced with the new $50,000 reward flyers. New routes identified would also get flyers posted at new locations. News crews went on "the ride" with my parents, my brother David and our friend Michael.

I drove Rachel's car around Georgetown and replaced several flyers. People called us from Llano, Waco and Bastrop with updates on where they had posted the flyers.

I would later hear reports of Rachel's flyers being spotted in Florida, New Mexico and Arizona. The word was getting out!

Sunday, Feb. 24

I didn't go to church today so I can plan the search scheduled at 1:00 p.m.. A team of 11 people (friends and family) met at Faith Lutheran Church at 1:00 p.m. and drove down to Turtle Cove adjacent to the Core of Engineers property at the base of Lake Georgetown Dam. An off duty Georgetown Police Officer met us there with around ten other volunteers. They took one-half of the Core of Engineers property and our team took the other half. Robert S. (a friend) led our team of 11. We had a cave expert with us also.

We made two passes, using a G.P.S to keep a straight line. I had to return to where we parked to meet a woman with a dog. Our team made the last pass without me. The dog got Rachel's scent off some clothes I brought and they went out. A neighbor that lived there drove her car and I drove mine to pick up my team by the dam. Neither team found anything.

Later, I put together a package of new tips, Ride for Rachel information and a list of companies that I needed to notify of Rachel's disappearance.

Monday, Feb. 25

I met with Ben and Kelly (coworkers) to summarize Ride for Rachel results. We covered almost 70% of the routes. Around 60 vehicles came to the church and many others went out on their own. Over 3,500 flyers were posted! We decided to post the remaining routes on rachelcookesearch.org and let people call to volunteer. That should be posted by the end of the week.

On the way home from work I stopped in Round Rock at a possible search site to be scheduled this next weekend. After that I met with Tony to discuss that site and others. We will probably do a search Saturday morning and another search Sunday afternoon.

Tuesday, Feb. 26

I met with Ben and Kelly (coworkers) to discuss a new project, Run/Walk for Rachel. It will be a benefit to generate money for the Rachel Cooke Reward Fund and will be held in April. We discussed t-shirts for the event and also some Help Find Rachel Cooke buttons.

Good news! INSIDE EDITION called and is coming tomorrow night to do a story on Rachel's disappearance. They are a nationally syndicated show. Finally, some national coverage!

More good news! Jerry from KVUE called. He wants us to keep a journal of our activities and he will put them on kvue.com. He explained that KVUE is owned by Belo Broadcasting. They own the DALLAS MORNING NEWS and several other Texas television stations that reach over 60% of the Texas population.

Wednesday, Feb. 27

I met with Ben and Kelly (co-workers) and we discussed the Run/Walk for Rachel. Two possible locations were discussed, one in Georgetown and one in Round Rock. Kelly will research the two options. Sean, a graphics artist co-worker, did some excellent button designs. I asked Sean to make one change and then I will order 300 buttons from a local vendor.

INSIDE EDITION did an outstanding job interviewing us. They brought out a lot of equipment and interviewed the Sheriff, Janet (my wife), JoAnn (Rachel's sister), my sister Elaine, Rachel's friend Katie, Ben, Kelly and myself. It should air late next week one day. More on that later.

Thursday, Feb. 28

Sean (a coworker) sent me the final button design. I gave the design to my friend Thad and he will have 300 buttons made. The new button has both the web site and Williamson County Crime Stoppers number.

Four of us along met in Round Rock to search a barn and the area around it. We found nothing.

Channel 24, KVUE, came out for an interview around 5:30 p.m. Janet read a poem about Rachel she had written that morning. After that, friends Tony and Robert S. came over to discuss this weekend's searches. Both searches will take place just outside of Georgetown.