Chino Hills Killer Cooper Sentenced to Death

Convicted murderer Kevin Cooper was sentenced Wednesday to die in California’s gas chamber for the June murders of three members of a Chino Hills family and their 11-year-old neighbor.

Cooper, 27, showed no outward emotion as San Bernardino Superior Court Judge Richard C. Garner called the murders “cool and calculated.” After the sentence was read, Cooper calmly shook hands with his attorney, David Negus, and was led away by court bailiffs.

Cooper was convicted Feb. 19 of stabbing and hacking to death Douglas and Peggy Ryen, both 41; their daughter, Jessica, 10, and a neighbor, Christopher Hughes, 11.

Cooper also was convicted of the attempted murder of 9-year-old Joshua Ryen, who survived a slashed throat and blows to the head.

The same jury that convicted Cooper recommended on March 1 that he be executed for the brutal slayings.

At Wednesday’s sentencing, Garner denied a routine request for a new trial and asked Cooper if he wished to make a statement. Cooper declined on the advice of Negus, a San Bernardino County public defender.

“He did not commit the crimes,” Negus said. “And that is the only real statement he has to make as far as sentencing is concerned.”

Garner listened to Negus, then politely disagreed, saying that all evidence pointed to Cooper as the lone killer.

“The court is satisfied beyond all reasonable doubt that the defendant, Kevin Cooper, is the one who entered the Ryen home and committed the various murders,” Garner said.

Before allowing the victims’ family members to make statements, Garner delivered a short lecture to Cooper.

The murders were executed in a “cool, calculated and deadly manner,” the judge said. “I can understand rage and hostility, but there was nothing to explain those attacks in the middle of the night.”