Kelsey Bransby's Pal is a No Show

The long and dark trail has been a sordid one. It really is the only way to describe it.

Kelsey Bransby was found shot in the face and dying in a south side Oklahoma City apartment on  October 27, 2011. She was pronounced dead shortly after being transported to a hospital.

Two of her friends, Danielle Cooley and Cole Hopper were arrested and charged with causing her death. In November of 2012 Ms. Cooley copped a plea and received a 25 year suspended sentence. In return she testified against Hopper in June of this year. He was convicted of manslaughter and Judge Tracy Schumacher sent him away for nine years.

Unfortunately the story is not over with. They never truly are when you're talking about the death of a young person. However, this one just took another grotesque and unexpected twist.

As hard as it is to believe, for Danielle Cooley things have gotten worse. Her record on display at the Oklahoma State Courts Network site reveals a descent into a hole so deep she might not see the light of day again--well, at least not until she is old enough to be a grandmother.

On November 2, 2012 the court issued a document saying Ms. Cooley would get credit for time served and had to submit to four years of supervised probation. In addition, she was required to, "comply with the terms of the cooperation agreement and testify at all required proceedings."

On May 16th of this year her Parole Officer hit her with three violations. One was a failure to report to him. Second, was a failure to abstain from possessing, or consuming controlled dangerous substances. The third was a failure to perform required community service.

On June 3rd, Cleveland County DA, Greg Mashburn filed to revoke her suspended sentence. A bench warrant was issued, but recalled on June 10th when she showed up in court with her lawyer, Kevin Finlay. The whole matter was delayed until the 21st of the month, probably because around the same time she was busy testifying against Hopper.

On the 21st she signed a document of confession, basically saying she would not fight the violation charges and would accept whatever punishment the court decided. Sentencing was set for August 7th at 130pm.

Then things went blank, until today. A little after lunch, Cleveland County Court document 1022601647 showed up on Cooley's OSCN record. The document is not available for viewing at this time, however there is a heavily abbreviated message above it which reads:

8-7-2013 CTFREE
SO: DEF FAILS TO APPEAR; DEF ASKED TO CONTINUE CASE; STATE ASKED TO FORFEIT DEF BOND AND ISSUE BENCH WARRANT; BW TO ISSUE; BF; NEW BOND SET AT $50,000; BOND TO REMAIN SET UNTIL DEF APPEARS BEFORE UNDERSIGNED. MR. FINLAY ALLOWED TO WITHDRAW AS COUNSEL OF RECORD (TS).

Yes, it looks like panic set in and Danielle Marie Cooley flew the coop, not only trying to escape from doing time, but the responsibility she shared in the death of her friend.

Of course she may have been busted by now. There is no way of knowing for sure since there was a nine day delay from her appearance date and today. I mean lets face it she isn't the brightest bulb in the chandelier, so it is doubtful she had a fake passport and large stash of cash laying around in case of an emergency like this. She may well be back in the Cleveland County Detention Center as I type and we wait on the public record to be updated.

If she is out there on the loose, she'll eventually be caught, or her body will be found. If it isn't here, then it will be someplace else. She is too hungry for that next hit and the fantastic rush it provides to avoid some future run in with law enforcement, either dead, or alive. At this point in her life she may think she is holding the needle when she shoots up, but in truth, the needle is holding her. And there is no escaping that.

So the trail continues deep into the woods. There is the victim, the incarcerated, and now the fugitive. The rest of us are just waiting for the inevitable dead end, Danielle Cooley is racing head long into.

Sex, drugs, and rock and roll, baby. It probably sounded like fun at first.

It isn't any more.

Just ask everyone involved in this ugliness.


8-16-13