Naman Shrestha
In Max’s ‘The Takedown: American Aryans,’ we get a detailed account of the workings and crimes of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT), a white supremacist and Neo-Nazi organization that was reportedly established in the 1980s. Amidst the multiple crimes that they committed across Texas in the 2000s, the brutal murder of one of their own — Scott Freeman — stands out. The killing is explored intricately in the four-part docuseries with the help of insightful interviews with individuals and officials linked to the case and the investigation that followed.
Scott Freeman’s Remains Were Found Near His Truck in Cleveland, Texas
On May 4, 1971, in Petoskey, Michigan, Roger and Sally Freeman welcomed a little bundle of joy into the world in the form of Scott Allan Freeman. Apart from the love and care of his parents, Scott also grew up alongside the support of his three sisters — Lori Ann Smith, Jody Freeman, and Kimberly Freeman. After graduating from Onaway High School in 1989 and completing his higher education, he began working as an electrician for Georgia Pacific. On the side, Scott also used to take time out from his schedule to work in the woods with his father as well as at Ralph Walker’s Sawmill in Millersburg.
Having spent the majority of his life in the Onaway area of Michigan, he moved to Texas in the early 2000s. Being a fan of baseball and football, he religiously followed the games of the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Bears. In his free time, he loved listening to music and spending time on computers. A few years after relocating to the Lone Star State, he became a member of a white supremacist organization called the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT). He managed to move up the ranks and held the position of a Major when the 37-year-old Livingston, Texas, residence was found dead on October 12, 2008, in Cleveland, Texas. Upon close inspection, the detectives learned that he had died of multiple gunshot wounds, after which they launched a homicide investigation.
Scott Freeman’s Involvement in the Rival Faction of ABT Led to His Unfortunate Demise
Since Scott Freeman was an ABT Major, the police started by investigating the brotherhood and his position in the organization. They found out that in 2002, the brotherhood had been divided into two separate rival ABT factions. As the investigators dug deep into Scott Freeman’s life and his involvement with the ABT, they learned that he belonged to a faction that was a rival to the faction led by one of the ABT Generals, Steven “Stainless” Walter Cooke. When Scott kept recruiting members to his rival faction, it created a lot of tension between him and the other faction’s members, especially Steven.
In light of the circumstances, Steven got permission to assault or murder members of the rival faction. Thus, on the fateful morning of October 12, 2008, several members, including Steven and Scott, were to travel to Cleveland, Texas, from the former’s house in Rye, Texas. Claiming that there was no space for him in his own vehicle, he managed to pull Scott’s vehicle over along with David Jason Michels. Right when he was coming to greet him, Steven shot the rival faction’s member six times. He and his accomplice David hid the body behind the vehicle and fled the scene.
Steven “Stainless” Walter Cooke Was Brought to Justice For His Violent Crimes
It wasn’t the first time that Steven “Stainless” Walter Cooke had committed a crime. As a matter of fact, he had a rap sheet full of crimes that dated back to 1987 when he was convicted of aggravated robbery, robbery, possession of crack cocaine, and theft of firearms. Moreover, after the murder of Scott Freeman, the police obtained a search warrant for his Tomball, Texas, residence after he was found in possession of a Romanian rifle. The search of his house led the authorities to discover several other firearms, including five shotguns, one Sterling .380 caliber pistol, and a couple of ROMARM/CUGIR 7.62 caliber from Romania. Moreover, he also had 300 rounds of ammunition and body armor on his property. Being a felon in possession of a firearm, he was taken into custody.
On February 16, 2010, Steven pleaded guilty to the firearm charge against him. A few months later, in June, he was sentenced to 96 months in prison without the possibility of parole for his crime. In addition, he was ordered to serve a three-year term of supervised release after serving his time. As the investigators gathered enough evidence against him, connecting him to the murder of Scott, he and David were indicted for various crimes, including murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and possessing and discharging a firearm with the intention of committing a crime or violence resulting in death.
More than a year and a half later, on November 22, 2011, Steven pleaded guilty to the above-mentioned charges. A few months later, on March 16, 2012, he also pleaded guilty to an aggravated assault charge against him related to the beating of an ABT prospect. The assault took place at the convict’s house on September 22, 2008, where the prospect was beaten by a dozen ABT members, leaving him severely injured in different parts of his body. Finally, on May 3, 2012, he was sentenced to life in prison for killing Scott Freeman. Later, in August of the same year, he was also sentenced to an additional 87 months in prison for being involved in the ruthless beating of an ABT prospect.
Read More: Dale “Tiger” Jameton: Where is the ABT Captain Now?
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