COOKIE JACOBSON
In September 1998, Cookie Jacobson was living at a house in Tempe with her husband, Bill Jacobson, and her two teenage kids. Family told ABC15 Cookie and her husband Bill had adopted their children when the pair were still babies.
Previously a home health care nurse, Cookie was studying for a potential new career. The change was due to back injuries she suffered in a car accident. Almost 27 years ago, she had started taking graphic art and computer classes.
Her brother, Gary O'Neal, said that Cookie had too much going on in her life to just disappear.
"She was deep into her the work that she was doing, hopefully leading to a job with Disney, because she was an artist," said O'Neal.
He said Cookie was busy helping friends and her family, but she was also the authoritarian when it came to her children.
Hear more from Cookie's brother as the family continues to push for answers with part one of this episode of Arizona Crime Uncovered in the player below.
On Sept. 21, 1998, just days after Cookie's 49th birthday, Bill said he kissed his wife goodbye around 7:00 a.m. and left for work.
Police reports state that she was last seen by the two children as they left for school that morning. Cookie was still wearing her pajamas. When she was discovered missing, her purse, shoes, credit cards, makeup, and clothes were still in the house.
SEARCH FOR COOKIE
The search for Cookie started and covered hundreds of miles. To her neighbors and friends, it seemed like the Tempe mom had simply vanished.
ABC15 covered the search for Cookie, following neighbors who frantically passed out 5,000 missing person flyers to every business within 200 square miles of the family's Tempe home.
Cookie's daughter, 13-year-old Laura Jacobson, even joined in.
"Well I’m just hoping that she’s going to come home soon," said Laura at that time.
Former ABC15 reporter Christina Estes, who has tracked the case for decades, said people all over the Valley were following Cookie's case.
She said in a world without social media, everyone was turning directly to local news to learn more about the case.
"It was not just, you know, Cookies' family and like the immediate area," said Estes. "It was other people across the Valley who had heard about Cookie Jacobson and was watching this to see where she went. What had happened? What were police saying?"
Less than two weeks after Cookie went missing, Laura and her 16-year-old brother Aaron Jacobson were arrested.
Aaron for alleged second-degree murder and Laura for helping.
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Police records said Aaron told detectives he found his mother dead in bed. The teen allegedly relayed to police that he was afraid that he would be blamed, so with the help of his sister, he wrapped his mother in a bed sheet and placed her in a garbage container.
The Tempe community was left in shock; classmates shared their stories involving the teens.
But Aaron and Laura were quickly let go due to lack of evidence. ABC15 reported over the years that the teens were never officially charged.
"So, it was sort of this whiplash a little bit," said Estes. "What they were arrested? What they're released? What's going on?
BUTTERFIELD LANDFILL
Police later confirmed that blood found in a trash can was a match for Cookie. The search shifted from the family's home to the Butterfield Landfill in Mobile, Arizona.
With the kids released, the search was on to find the Tempe mom of two.
Workers at the landfill, zoned off an area where they estimated Jacobson's body could be. This field was roughly 70 feet long, 50 feet wide, and 13 feet deep.
After specialized training, 18 Tempe police officers spent 59 days picking through 8,000 tons of waste.
Tempe spent $375,000 on searching the landfill, but Cookie's body was never found.
ABC15 asked O'Neal what he thought would happen next with the case.
"You know, I really didn't have any expectations," said O'Neal. "I had never been involved in anything like this."
But he said his life has never been the same.
NEARLY 27 YEARS LATER
ABC15 sat down with O'Neal, but he said these interviews have become more difficult over the years.
For almost three decades, he's pushed for justice in his sister's case. O'Neal said the first detectives on the case were very dedicated and communicated with him regularly.
As time has passed, he's grown frustrated with communication and the lack of progress or work on the case.
He's speaking again, hoping someone will see this story and come forward.
It's a hope that partially came true after one of Estes' stories aired. She said the station received a tip that delivered a sliver of hope. The long-time reporter wouldn't share what was said, fearing it could still jeopardize the case.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
ABC15 set out to track down Cookie's family members, many who now have ties out of state.
We tried to reach out to someone close to Cookie's husband, but they hung up.
Laura, who is listed under an address outside of Arizona, did pick up. She told ABC15 she was driving and asked us to call her back. Laura never picked up again.
As for Aaron, our team found a home listed under his name in Gold Canyon, Arizona. A man came to the door but told our crew to leave. He quickly shut the door. ABC15 left a card, but we never received a call back.
In 2016, ABC15 reported that Tempe police officially considered Cookie's children 'persons of interest' in an 'unsolved cold case'.
When we reached out this year, Tempe PD denied our interview request. ABC15 was told the department was also, "unable to comment on any individuals involved, including potential suspects, persons of interest, or witnesses".
ABC15 sat down with former Phoenix cold case homicide detective Troy Hillman to get his outside perspective on the case and a lengthy statement sent by Tempe Police.
"Homicide in general is difficult and then you put another layer on it with no body, meaning that you really have no idea how the victim was killed," said Hillman.
Although no one knows what happened nearly 27 years ago, Hillman said cases like Cookie's become more difficult as the years pass.
Tempe police said this decades-old case is considered "inactive" but not closed. Right now, ABC15 was told a detective is not assigned to the case. The department said while there is no predetermined schedule for reviewing cold cases, they are reassessed based on the emergence of new leads.
"They went out of their way to say it's not closed, it's just inactive," said Hillman. "It will be open should information surface, and I used that during my tenure in cold cases..."
Hillman said he knows that's hard for families to hear.
O'Neal wants Tempe police to take one more look at the case, hoping emerging technology would be able to help shed some new light.
But Tempe police said they don't believe Cookie's case would benefit from any specific advancements in DNA technology.
"We have a killer running loose or we don't," said O'Neal.
He's urging anyone with information to come forward. Nearly 27 years later, O'Neal is still fighting for his sister.
"Gary is just he hasn't given up," said Estes. "It's really as much of us as it's a story about a woman who went missing, and we still don't know really what happened to her. It's really a story about a brother's love for his sister."
At the 25-year mark, ABC15 reached out to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office about the case. They said they didn't have any records, so at the time it appeared the case had never been submitted.
Tempe police said the case, decades ago, had been submitted to MCAO's Juvenile Division. ABC15 is following up to see if they have records of a submittal.
Tempe police released the following statement to ABC15 on the case:
"The Tempe Police Department remains committed to seeking justice for Cookie Jacobson and providing answers to her loved ones and the community. While this case is currently classified as inactive, it is by no means closed. We will continue to pursue any new, credible leads with the same diligence and determination that we have upheld since the incident occurred.
We understand the community's desire for updates and recognize the importance of maintaining an open dialogue with the family. To our knowledge, the last direct contact between the victim's brother and a sworn Tempe PD employee was last year, during a conversation with Lt. Bacon. At that time, there were no new developments to report. While we have not received any recent requests for updates, we remain available to engage with the family should they seek further information or wish to discuss the case.
There is no predetermined schedule for reviewing cold cases; instead, cases are reassessed based on the emergence of new leads and their potential for solvability. Since July 2024, our dedicated cold case detective has been actively investigating eight cases spanning back to
1997. The department prioritizes investigations based on the likelihood of uncovering new evidence that could lead to resolution. If any new information surfaces that could further this case, we are prepared to take immediate action.
We continue to evaluate evolving forensic technologies to determine their applicability to our investigations. Recent advances in DNA analysis have significantly aided in solving some cases, particularly those involving unidentified DNA samples. However, at this time, there is no available evidence in the Cookie Jacobson case that would benefit from these specific advancements. That said, we remain open to reexamining any forensic possibilities should new technology emerge that could be applicable.
At present, no detectives are actively assigned to this case. However, our longstanding approach has been to assign investigators immediately if new, credible leads develop. Over the past 25 years, we have reopened the case multiple times when fresh information became available, and we will continue to do so if new details come to light.
We know that unresolved cases have a lasting impact on families and the broader community. While law enforcement plays a critical role, community members can also be invaluable partners in seeking justice. If anyone has information, no matter how small they are encouraged to come forward. The department will thoroughly investigate any credible tips that could aid in solving this case.
The Tempe Police Department remains dedicated to serving our community with integrity and perseverance. We understand the importance of keeping this case open to future developments, and we will continue working to provide justice for Cookie Jacobson and her family."
Catch the full episode of Arizona Crime Uncovered on the ABC15 streaming app on your Roku, Fire TV Stick, or other devices starting Friday at 8:30 p.m.
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