Anthony H. Cook was born on March 9, 1949, in Mobile, Alabama. He grew up in a challenging environment, which influenced his early life. Anthony was the elder brother of Nathaniel Cook, who was born nearly a decade later, in 1958. 

Anthony Cook and his younger brother Nathaniel Cook were both raised in Toledo, Ohio. Little is publicly known about their upbringing or early home life, though by the 1970s, Anthony was already becoming involved in criminal activities.

Anthony, nearly a decade older than Nathaniel, appeared to be the more dominant of the two. He was involved in petty crimes and eventually began committing sexually violent attacks. Nathaniel followed his brother’s lead, and by 1980, the two began working together.

The killings started in May 1980 when Anthony Cook and his brother Nathaniel attacked a couple in north Toledo. They threatened 24-year-old Thomas Gordon and his 18-year-old girlfriend with guns. The brothers took control of their car and drove them to the woods in western Lucas County. There, they shot Thomas, killing him, and then raped his girlfriend. After the assault, they stabbed her and fled, but the girl survived.

On January 3, 1981, the brothers picked up 19-year-old Connie Sue Thompson, a hitchhiker from Michigan. They drove her to western Lucas County, where they raped and then killed her. Her body was thrown off a bridge into a culvert, where it was later found on January 17.

In February 1981, Anthony lured 12-year-old Dawn Rene Backes into his car. Nathaniel joined him later, and they took her to an abandoned theater. They raped and tortured her for hours before killing her by crushing her skull with a brick.

On March 27, Anthony acted alone and attacked 21-year-olds Scott Moulton and Denise Siotkowski near a supermarket. After raping Denise, he shot both of them in Oregon, Ohio.

On August 21, 1981, again acting on his own, Anthony attacked 21-year-olds Daryl Cole and Stacy Lynn Balonek. After raping Stacy, he found a baseball bat in her car and used it to beat Daryl to death. He then killed Stacy in the same way and hid their bodies in the trunk of the car.

In September 1981, Anthony committed an attempted rape in a wealthy area of Toledo. He confronted 21-year-old Todd Sabo and 20-year-old Leslie Sawicki in a parked van. Leslie escaped and called the police, but Todd was shot and killed by Anthony before help arrived.

Anthony was arrested on October 14, 1981, after police gathered evidence from the crime scenes. In 1982, he was convicted of killing Peter Sawicki and received a life sentence. In 1998, DNA evidence linked Nathaniel to the murders, leading to his arrest for the murder of Thomas Gordon. In 2000, both brothers took a plea deal, admitting to multiple murders for a reduced sentence.

Anthony Cook received multiple life sentences while Nathaniel was sentenced to 75 years. Nathaniel was released on parole in 2018 after serving 20 years. Anthony has been denied parole and remains incarcerated.