Coroner confirms Peoria man died after being shot in the head

The death of a Peoria man found in rural Peoria County on Saturday was ruled a homicide Monday by Coroner Jamie Harwood.

Harwood said that an autopsy conducted Monday into the death of Gabriel K. Cook, 34, revealed that he had been shot in the head and likely died instantly. Cook's remains were found in the 2700 block of North Ellory Road Saturday afternoon after a homeowner found remains that were thought to be human.

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The coroner said that they were able to identify the body as Cook's through both items on his person and through a serial number on an orthopedic appliance attached to one of his joints. Harwood said that they were able to connect the serial number with that of Cook's medical records, considered conclusive in forensic science.

Cook's family reported him missing in March 2021. Even though no body had been found, the Peoria Police Department arrested 30-year-old Allan Schimmelpfenning in June 2021 in connection with Cook's death.

Schimmelpfenning was convicted on first-degree murder charges in May 2023, being sentenced to over 80 years in prison in what the Peoria County State's Attorney's Office said was a "first of its kind" case of a murder conviction without a body.

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