Demetrius Ronell Cooper, 35, is charged with first-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony in the 2005 shooting death of 18-year-old Calvin DeWayne Mack, of Roanoke. Cooper was 15 years old at the time of the incident.
On Dec. 30, 2005, at approximately 3:23 p.m., officers responded to the 2400 block of Staunton Avenue NW for the report of a person down. Upon arrival, officers located a man with gunshot wound injuries in the yard of a residence. Mack was pronounced dead at the scene.
Detectives initiated a homicide investigation, but despite extensive efforts, the case eventually became inactive.
On March 14, 2024, the case was reopened and assigned to the Roanoke Police Department (Virginia) Cold Case Unit. Over the next year and a half, detectives developed new information. Their findings were presented to the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office and later to a grand jury, which returned a true bill of indictment for Cooper. He was formally charged on April 10, 2026.
Cooper is currently incarcerated at a Virginia state prison on unrelated charges.
The Roanoke Police Department would like to thank the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office for their assistance in this case and their continued partnership in seeking justice for victims and their families.
Replublished courtesy of Roanoke Police Department