This is one killer with a clean conscience.
An Indiana father charged with murdering a man convicted of molesting one of his young relatives declared “I did what I had to,” in a shocking jailhouse interview admitting to the fatal shooting.
Nicholas Stanley, 35, told ABC57 News that he has no regrets about hunting down Allen Cogswell, who was released in May after serving seven years in the slammer for committing sex crimes against one of Stanley’s family members.
“I’m tired of pretending like I did something wrong,” Stanley said. “You know, I don’t feel like I did anything wrong, and there are thousands of people out there who agree with me.”
“I don’t regret protecting my family,” he added.
Stanley is charged with murder in the shooting death of Cogswell early on the morning of June 24 in a Daylite Inn in Indiana.
He peered into Cogswell’s hotel window on the morning of the murder, knocked on the door and started firing when the victim answered, according to KKTV. Cogswell was shot in the head and the chest.
At the beginning of the remote video visitation interview the reporter, Annie Kate, lets Stanley – who is being held without bond at the Elkhart County Jail – know that everything is being recorded and will be on the record.
“We are recording everything. We are 100% on the record. Anything you say, we can report on the news,” Kate explained, before asking Stanley to go into the details of the shooting.
That didn’t stop Stanley from confessing.
“I took him out,” Stanley said.
Stanley told ABC57 that he had been obsessed with Cogswell for years.
“That’s why when he got released, I lost my mind. I literally lost my job,” Stanley said. “I just was like on a one-set path, man. As soon as he got out,” he said of Cogswell, “he wasn’t making it very far.”
On the night of the shooting he couldn’t sleep, thinking about the now free sex offender. That’s when he grabbed his gun.
“I drove out to go find him. And then when I found him, I did what I had to,” Stanley said without a trace of emotion.
Stanley, who faces a minimum of 45 years in prison if convicted, told ABC57 that he understands the consequence of his actions.
“I’m just tired of pretending that I have to be scared of the system when he obviously wasn’t scared of the system,” a seemingly frustrated Stanley said. “And now I’m going to get more time putting this piece of trash out, than he ever got for hurting my family and the ones that I love.”
“So, if the system wants to throw me away, let them. I don’t even care anymore,” he added.
Finally, the reporter asked Stanley if he had any message for his family.
“I know I’m going to miss out on my kids, and basically the rest of their whole lives,” he said.
“I love you guys, keep your heads up, don’t worry about me,” Stanley said. “Live your life. Have the best life you possibly can.”
“That’s pretty much it.”
