One Night in Georgetown

Marlene Chalmers Cooke was a woman who lived a life of luxury, married to Jack Kent  Cooke, the wealthy owner of the Washington Redskins. But one night, her wild behavior would  lead her down a dangerous path. It was a typical evening in Georgetown, the upscale neighborhood  of Washington, D.C., when the sound of screeching tires and banging on a car hood pierced the  quiet night. Eyewitnesses looked out their windows to see Marlene's Jaguar convertible careening  down M Street, with a man clinging to the hood and pounding on the windshield. It was later  revealed that the man was Patrick F. Wermer, 26, no stranger to Mrs. Cooke. What began as a  night out on the town turned into a wild ride ending with Cooke's arrest for drunk driving and  reckless driving. This is the story of Marlene Chalmers Cooke, a woman who seemingly had it all  but who found herself amid a dangerous situation. 

Marlene Chalmers Cooke's wild ride through Georgetown was not the first time she had  made headlines. She had a history of legal troubles that followed her wherever she went. In 1986,  Cooke pleaded guilty to a cocaine importation conspiracy charge. She had been caught trying to  smuggle drugs into the country and faced deportation despite her marriage to a U.S. citizen. Cooke  fought against deportation and the Georgetown incident became a blemish on her otherwise  glamorous life. Then there was the mysterious gunshot wound to Cooke's finger that occurred just  a year before her arrest for drunk driving. She and her husband had claimed that Cooke had  accidentally shot herself while exploring an antique chest at their farm in Middleburg, Virginia.  However, several people, including members of the hospital staff where Cooke was treated, had 

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reported that Cooke's husband had said she had been wounded accidentally while trying to remove  a firearm from the possession of her two sons. The conflicting stories had raised suspicions, and  the incident added to the intrigue surrounding Cooke's life. 

Despite her legal troubles, Cooke continued to enjoy the high life with her husband,  attending fancy restaurants and hobnobbing with the elite of Washington, D.C. Sources who knew  the couple described Cooke as a social butterfly who enjoyed going out and having a good time.  "She was always out on the town, always out and about," said one Georgetown bartender who had  seen Cooke and her husband at his establishment on numerous occasions. However, sources also  described the tension in the Cookes' relationship. A close friend of the couple had said that they  had been going through tough times lately and had their share of squabbles. But despite any  difficulties they may have faced, the Cookes continued to show up at high-profile events together,  including a Redskins game just before Cooke's arrest for drunk driving. 

It was evident that Cooke enjoyed the finer things in life, with her expensive cars and lavish  homes. She had been known to frequent The Watergate, where she had been seen with Patrick F.  Wermer, the man who clung to the hood of her car the night of her arrest. Cooke and Wermer had  been seen together numerous times leading some to speculate on the nature of their relationship – 

she claimed he was her nephew. Wermer had been arrested for disorderly conduct during the  incident, and the police report indicated that he lived at The Watergate. Despite the drama and  legal troubles that seemed to follow her, Marlene Chalmers Cooke lived a life of luxury and  indulgence. But her wild ride through Georgetown that night in 1993 would prove to be a turning  point in her life, and it would not be the last time her name would appear in the headlines.  

The night of September 15, 1993, started out as a typical evening for Marlene Chalmers  Cooke but it would soon take a dangerous turn. Cooke had been out with Patrick F. Wermer, a 

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man she claimed was her nephew, and the two were returning from a baby shower. According to  the Washington Post she had also been seen that evening at Café Milano, the high-end Georgetown  eatery known for its celebrity clientele. Ciro Costanzo, the restaurant’s general manager, said  Marlene Chalmers Cooke ate dinner with two other women and two men (one of them Wemer?)  and left between 11:30pm and midnight. Jack Kent Cooke was not with them. The Washington  Post quoted Costanzo as saying, “When she left here, she was perfectly fine.” 

It was then when things began to spiral out of control. While driving her late-model, dark  green Jaguar along M Street, Cooke was pursued by Wermer, who leapt onto the hood and was repeatedly striking the windshield while pleading with her to drive him home. The scene was  witnessed by an officer in a patrol car, who began to follow Cooke's car as it continued down M  Street. Cooke turned the car around and returned, and the officer stopped her car. Police officers  on the scene reported that Cooke was intoxicated, and she refused to take a Breathalyzer test when  asked. After an officer suggested she remove her shoes for better balance to take a motor skills  test, she hurled her gold shoes at a police officer. Cooke was charged with reckless driving and  driving under the influence. 

As Cooke was arrested, Wermer was charged for obstructing the officers and was fined  $25 before being released. There were many eyewitnesses to the chaotic scene including four Secret Service members who were unwinding at a bar in Georgetown after their shift guarding  dignitaries at the Israeli-PLO peace accord signing.  

Cooke's erratic driving had threatened harm to herself and Wermer and other drivers on the  road. Witnesses described how her Jaguar had swerved across multiple lanes of traffic and how  Wermer had to cling to the car for dear life. "I couldn't believe what I was seeing," said one witness.  "It was like something out of a movie." Cooke's behavior throughout the incident was captured in 

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quotes from police officers, witnesses, and Cooke herself. When questioned about the incident,  Cooke denied any wrongdoing. "This is ridiculous; I didn't do anything," she exclaimed. "I was  driving, and some drunk started pounding on my car. I didn't commit any crime. I didn't kill  anyone." 

Despite Cooke's denial, the evidence was clear. She had put herself and others in danger  with her reckless driving and her actions had resulted in her arrest. The incident would not be the  last time Cooke's name would appear in the headlines, but it would certainly be one of the most  memorable. As for Patrick F. Wermer, the man who had clung to the hood of Cooke's car, little is  known about his relationship with Cooke or what led him to act recklessly. His arrest for disorderly  conduct during the incident was a minor footnote in the larger story of Cooke's wild ride through  Georgetown. But for Cooke, the incident would serve as a stark reminder of the consequences of  her actions and the dangers of living without consequences. 

After their arrest, Marlene Chalmers Cooke was accused of driving recklessly and  intoxicated, while Patrick F. Wermer was charged with disorderly conduct. They were both  released pending a court appearance on November 3. The incident added to the already  complicated legal troubles Cooke was facing. She had been fighting deportation due to a previous  cocaine-related charge and attempting to secure her status as a U.S. citizen. Her marriage to Jack  Kent Cooke, a U.S. citizen, did not necessarily confer citizenship or prevent expatriation. Despite  these challenges, Cooke continued to live the high life of pampered indulgence. She and her  husband had been married since 1990 and continued to attend high-profile events together. The  incident did not seem to have a significant impact on their relationship, as they were spotted  together at a Redskins game just a few days later.

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However, Cooke's legal troubles did not end with the incident in Georgetown. The gunshot  wound to her finger that had been the subject of suspicion when it occurred would continue to raise  questions about her past and her relationship with her husband. While the Cookes had claimed that  the wound was accidental and had occurred while Cooke claimed that Marlene had accidentally  shot herself. Some individuals had told the police that Jack Kent Cooke had said Marlene had  been trying to take the gun away from her sons when the accident occurred. In the end, it is unclear  what ultimately became of Cooke's legal troubles, as there is little information available beyond  the initial reports of her deportation fight and subsequent arrest for drunk driving. However, the  incident added to the intrigue surrounding Cooke's life and would continue to be a memorable  moment in the history of the Washington Redskins and the Cooke family. 

The wild ride of Marlene Chalmers Cooke through the streets of Georgetown on the night  of September 15, 1993, was a shocking event that added to the already complicated legal troubles  she was facing. Her arrest for drunk driving and the subsequent legal proceedings would become  part of the larger story of her tumultuous life and the controversies surrounding her past. The  incident also raises questions about the privileges of wealth and the ability of those with power  and influence to navigate the legal system. As we reflect on the events of that night, we are left  with the question of whether justice was truly served or whether the power dynamics at play  allowed Cooke to escape with minimal consequences. It is a question that may never be fully  answered, but it invites us to consider the complexities of justice and how factors beyond the letter  of the law can influence it. 

For the record, Marlene Chalmers Cooke was deported and retired to the Bahamas with  $20 million from her settlement with the Jack Kent Cooke estate.

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