Man charged in death of Methodist University employee
A former Methodist University custodian was arrested Friday in the death of another university employee whose body was found Tuesday in a wooded area of Linden Township, authorities said.
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Lewis Berlin Hilpert, 29, of 4203 Sweetwater Drive in Fayetteville, was charged with first-degree murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon. He was being held without bond in the Cumberland County Detention Center pending a Monday court hearing.
Edward Starr Cook III, 51, of Linden, was shot, and his body was dumped in the woods near his home, authorities said.
Cook’s body was found near Carowind Drive and Billy Joe Lane after nearby residents reported a foul odor.
Cook worked as a groundskeeper at Methodist University. His supervisor sent a co-worker to Cook's home Monday to check on him when he didn't show up for work, and the co-worker found the house unlocked with the lights and television on.
Hilpert worked at the university but left there in 2005.
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