Nathaniel Cook was born on October 25, 1958, in Mobile, Alabama. He was the younger brother of Anthony Cook, who was born in 1949. Growing up, Nathaniel lived in a household where his older brother had a significant influence on him.

The killings by Nathaniel Cook began in May 1980. He and his brother, Anthony, attacked a 24-year-old man named Thomas Gordon and his 18-year-old girlfriend in north Toledo. They threatened the couple with guns and took control of their car. The brothers drove the couple to the woodlands in western Lucas County. There, they shot Gordon. After that, they raped the woman, stabbed her, and then left. The woman survived, but Gordon did not.

On January 3, 1981, they picked up a 19-year-old hitchhiker named Connie Sue Thompson. They drove her to western Lucas County, where they raped and killed her. They disposed of her body by throwing it off a bridge into a culvert, which was found on January 17.

In February 1981, Anthony lured a 12-year-old girl named Dawn Rene Backes into their car. Nathaniel joined him soon after. They took her to the abandoned State Theater on Collingwood Boulevard. For several hours, they raped and tortured her. They ultimately killed her by crushing her skull with a brick block.

On March 27, 1981, Anthony acted alone to attack a couple named Scott Moulton and Denise Siotkowski. They were both 21 years old. Anthony took them to Oregon, Ohio, where he shot both after raping Siotkowski.

On August 21, 1981, again alone, Anthony attacked Daryl Cole and Stacy Lynn Balonek, who were also 21. After raping Balonek, he found a baseball bat in her car and used it to beat Cole, causing fatal injuries. He then killed Balonek in the same way and hid their bodies in the trunk of the car.

In September 1981, Anthony attempted to rape Leslie Sawicki, who was 20, while she was with Todd Sabo, who was 21. This incident took place near the Ottawa Hills police station. Leslie escaped and called the police. Before the police arrived, her father, Peter Sawicki, was shot and killed by Anthony.

Authorities arrested Anthony on October 14, 1981. In 1982, he was found guilty of killing Peter Sawicki and sentenced to life in prison. After this, Nathaniel stopped his criminal activities and was arrested only for minor offenses. In the mid-1990s, a blood sample was taken from him during one of these arrests. In 1998, DNA testing linked him to the murders. He was arrested on February 13, 1998, and charged with the murder of Thomas Gordon.

Both brothers later accepted a plea bargain in 2000, pleading guilty to the murder of Gordon. Nathaniel admitted to being involved in the murders of Dawn Backes and Connie Thompson. Anthony pleaded guilty to eight murders, including a murder from 1973 that was never connected to the Toledo cases. Nathaniel received a 75-year sentence, with the possibility of parole after 20 years, while Anthony received multiple life sentences.

After serving 20 years, Nathaniel filed for parole in 2018. Despite objections from victims' families, courts granted his release. Nathaniel Cook was released on August 10, 2018, under strict conditions. He had to participate in rehabilitation programs, wear a GPS bracelet, and stay away from places crowded by children. In 2019, it was reported that he lived 200 meters from a school in Toledo, but police found that he had not violated any rules.