ELIZABETHTOWN—We’ve confirmed through official sources that the village president (mayor) of Elizabethtown was the last person to see fire chief Tim Dillard alive.
Our sources are reporting that Bertis Cook, who won the election this past Spring after having a year and a half stint as village president upon the resignation of Heck Rose, confronted Dillard yesterday, Tuesday, July 23, upon the release of the current issue of Disclosure wherein Dillard is featured in a front-page story about the investigation into Jerry Dean Fricker, school board president and father of Sheriff JT Fricker.
Hardin County prosecutor, the lovely Tara Wallace
It’s unclear what the confrontation was over, unless Cook was pissed at Dillard for assisting Disclosure in attempting to find out what the basis of the witch hunt against the elder Fricker was, this witch hunt emerging in February when it appeared new prosecutor Tara Wallace was targeting not only the school board president, but also the sheriff, and turning state and federal investigators on them both.
Village president Bertis Cook is the uncle of Tara Cook Wallace.
The argument, our sources tell us, was a real blowup, as Cook is the one who appoints the fire chief and is effectively his ‘boss.’ Reports indicate that after this very loud argument, during which Cook slung accusations against Dillard, Dillard then allegedly went home and unhooked the gas line coming into his Elizabethtown home.
Our sources are telling us that Cook later was the one who, after no one was able to find Dillard, entered his home and found the body.
The investigation into the matter of course has an incredibly-high level of response on the part of law enforcement, especially in the absence of Sheriff Fricker, who was in Memphis celebrating his anniversary when he got the news yesterday.
However, there might be another reason for such a response: Officials may not be convinced, as many aren’t, that the case is a suicide.
As reiterated from the article posted last night, Disclosure was in contact with Dillard about the story all the way up until production night Sunday, to ensure everything in the article was accurate. Dillard seemed fine and his usual self, with no hint that he was suicidal. Add this to the response of his friends and family, who to a one do not believe he was responsible for this act, and this is a very strange situation indeed.
Cook has called an emergency meeting of the village board tonight in order to “appoint a new fire chief.” However, a meeting is not necessary for such an appointment, as the fire chief, just like the police chief, serves at the pleasure of the village president with the advice and consent of the board, and it’s not an emergency to ensure there IS a fire chief: There’s an assistant chief, and he can step into the role without an emergency meeting having to be held. It’s likely that Cook has called the meeting as a public forum so he can vent his spleen, and verbally knock down any detractors he may encounter, as it appears people are blaming him for Dillard’s actions.
Sources close to Dillard’s family are confirming to Disclosure today that Dillard did suffer depression; however, despite the depression, they are still stunned at the suggestion of a ‘suicide’ as the cause of his death, and are looking for alternative answer.
Interestingly, it’s also been reported that on Friday, July 19, a day after Disclosure had extensive conversation with Dillard and others about the article, Dillard was observed walking in the area of the courthouse/sheriff’s department with Wallace. Dillard had advised Disclosure that he had never talked to Wallace before; so what he was covering up about his contact with Wallace under the circumstances is unknown at this time.