Man accused of killing girlfriend, tossing body off bridge has pled guilty, deputies say

LINCOLN COUNTY, N.C. — Deputies said pled guilty Thursday to second degree murder after he admitted to shooting his girlfriend before tossing her body off a Lincoln County bridge.

According to investigators, Steve Avery, 61, was charged with first-degree murder after confessing to shooting Mary Walters Cook, 56, with a .22 caliber rifle and tossing her body off a bridge on Boy Scout Road in 2019. He entered a guilty plea of second degree murder.

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After dumping her body, Avery told deputies he drove Cook’s truck to Johnny’s Mexican American Bar and Grill on West Highway 150 and parked it behind the building.

Cook's body was found Thursday night in Indian Creek.

Channel 9's Dave Faherty was there when firefighters used a ladder truck to lower a rescuer down into the creek to recover her body.

Deputies said bloodstains were found inside Avery's home on Drive Inn Road, where investigators believe he shot and killed Cook.

Channel 9 saw investigators removing bags of evidence from Avery’s home along with several firearms, but they backed out of the home after finding a pipe bomb. A robot could be seen moving it safely away from the home. Deputies said Avery also made a guilty plea to possessing a weapon of mass destruction related to the discovery of the pipe bomb.

Family members filed a missing person’s report two days after they last heard from Cook.

Cook’s ex-husband Ronnie Goodson said he received a text message from her early one morning that read, “SOS!” – a plea for help.

“I’m worried,” Goodson said. “She (doesn’t) do this. She left her pocketbook in the middle of the seat not covered up. She always covers her pocketbook up.”

Goodson said that his wife went out at about 5 p.m. the evening before he saw her text message.

He said he received the text from Cook after midnight but didn’t see it until the morning.

"She was reaching out," Lincoln County Sheriff Bill Beam said. "She felt like she was in danger, and she sent that text and that was probably one of the biggest things to help us solve this horrible murder."

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An hour after the text was sent, Cook's pickup truck was spotted on surveillance video pulling into the back parking lot of Johnny’s.

The restaurant was closed that day, but in the video Avery could be seen getting out of the truck and walking toward the highway.

Channel 9 talked to Avery’s daughter, Sherri Avery, who said she doesn’t believe her father is capable of committing murder.

"I don't believe that," Sherri Avery said. "Until I hear my father tell me he killed that woman, I will never believe he killed that woman."

His neighbors said they are in disbelief over what happened as well.

"He's a good neighbor, has always been," Lura Walker said. "Just couldn't believe that."

Avery has been held at the Harven A. Crouse Detention Center without bail. He was sentenced to a combined sentence of 23 years maximum and he will be held at Central Prison in Raleigh.