Donnell Clyde "Spade" Cooley (December 17, 1910 – November 23, 1969) was an American Western swing musician, big band leader, actor, television personality and convicted murderer. In 1961 he was tried and convicted for the murder of his second wife, Ella Mae Evans. [1]

2018年8月8日 · Psychiatrists found 54-old Spade Cooley legally sane to stand trial for the murder of 36-year-old Ella Mae Cooley. Even so, he pleaded innocent by reason of insanity. While awaiting trial, he suffered a heart attack and was hospitalized for several days.

1995年3月11日 · Cooley's jealousy peaked over a nine-day spree of savagery leading up to his wife's death. On April 3, at their Willow Springs home, Cooley made Melody watch as he dragged the already unconscious...

2019年4月26日 · Cooley suspected his second wife, Ella Mae Cooley, (who had been a singer in his band before they married 15 years earlier, of repeatedly being unfaithful. In March 1961, she told a friend she had had an affair with Roy Rogers in 1952 or 1953.

Ella Mae Cooley lay dead in the shower, she had been savagely beaten over several hours and tortured with cigarettes. Her daughter Melody Cooley had been made to watch. What followed was an unprecedented show business scandal.

2023年8月19日 · After he filed for divorce, they attempted to reconcile, and on April 3, 1961, Cooley killed Ella Mae in their home by savagely beating her to death, reportedly crushing a cigarette against her...

The defendant, Donnell Cooley, known as Spade Cooley in the amusement world, was convicted by a jury of murder in the first degree for the killing of his wife, Ella Mae. Thereafter, he withdrew his additional plea of not guilty by reason of insanity and waived a jury with respect to fixing the penalty for his crime.

Ella Mae Cooley, 37 years old, was declared dead on arrival at Tehachapi Hospital. Dr. Vincent Troy reported, "There were numerous marks of external violence noted on the body consisting of bruises over the entire body, indicating that the victim had been beaten severely."

She could see that Ella Mae was likely dead, but Cooley refused to allow her to call an ambulance. Instead, he called Dorothy Davis, the nurse and family friend, and his married son and daughter-in-law, John and Dorothy Cooley.

2017年11月14日 · In March 1961, Ella Mae and Spade Cooley filed for divorce. Cooley had long been suspicious of Ella's infidelity, though Ella plainly knew of Spade's own affairs.