Omaha double-murder cold case suspect in court

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - A suspect in an Omaha double-murder cold case from 2015 appeared in court Thursday.

Cavin Cooper is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and use of a gun to commit a felony after a May 2015 shooting near 28th and Spencer streets in north Omaha that left Diondre Mitchell and Lafayette Reed dead at the scene.

Prosecutors said the mother of Cooper’s children told investigators he allegedly shot the two men because he thought they had money. She also told detectives about his nickname, which matched what a neighbor said about him eight years ago. They reportedly saw him leaving the victim’s residence smiling and allegedly holding a gun.

Detectives say the crime log matched shell casings at the scene to Cooper’s gun.

Cooper was already in jail for first-degree assault, weapons charges, and habitual criminal charges related to a 2018 crime when the 2015 murder charges were filed in December. Omaha Police said the Metro Fugitive Task Force booked Cooper on Tuesday after transporting him to the Douglas County Jail.

Cooper’s preliminary hearing is set for April 12. He is being held without bond.

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