Douglas Cobb, 51, remains wanted in the Sept. 18 killing of Bruce Gress outside the Route 37 Wawa as investigators continue searching for the Toms River fugitive.
TOMS RIVER, NJ — Five days after a man was shot in the head outside a busy Route 37 Wawa, the suspect charged with his murder remains at large.
Douglas Cobb, 51, of Toms River, is wanted in connection with the Sept. 18 killing of Bruce Gress, 42, also of Toms River. As of Wednesday morning, Sept. 23, authorities had not announced Cobb’s arrest, and the search for him was continuing. The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office is leading the investigation, but Cobb remains an armed and dangerous fugitive at large.
The case has triggered a multi-agency manhunt, a search of Cobb’s Toms River home and an appeal from investigators for anyone who knows where he is to contact police.
What happened at the Route 37 Wawa
Toms River Township police were called at approximately 7:20 a.m. Sept. 18 to the Wawa at Route 37 and Garfield Avenue for a report of a person who had been shot.
Officers found Gress suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. He was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, where he was pronounced dead. The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office initially described the case as an active homicide investigation.
Investigators later identified Cobb as the person they allege shot and killed Gress. He was charged with murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon and being a certain person not to possess a weapon.
An arrest warrant was issued, and Cobb was entered into the National Crime Information Center database, authorities said.
New details emerge from murder investigation
More details about the moments before the shooting have since emerged from the probable cause affidavit filed in the case.
According to the affidavit, Cobb arrived at the Wawa shortly before 7 a.m. and entered the store for coffee. Gress arrived minutes later, went inside and then returned to his pickup truck.
Surveillance footage and a witness account described in the affidavit indicate Cobb later pulled his vehicle alongside Gress’s truck. Gress got out, and the two men briefly argued while Cobb remained in his vehicle.
Gress then returned to his truck. A witness reported hearing a “pop” and seeing Cobb’s vehicle drive away. Investigators said surveillance footage captured a muzzle flash, although the actual shooting was not visible on camera.
Gress was pronounced dead at 8:51 a.m., according to the affidavit.
Police searched Cobb’s Toms River home
The manhunt expanded over the weekend.
Law enforcement officers surrounded Cobb’s McKinley Avenue home in Toms River on Sunday, Sept. 20, and investigators executed a search warrant there. Cobb was not found at the residence.
Detectives also canvassed the neighborhood looking for surveillance footage as investigators attempted to trace Cobb’s movements and investigate other leads that could potentially tie the two men to each other previously to the deadly Wawa encounter.
According to the affidavit, investigators attempted to locate Cobb through cellphone data. The phone’s location information reportedly placed it Friday afternoon along Route 9 in Howell, where it appeared to remain stationary. The filing did not indicate whether investigators recovered the phone.
The developing case has been followed by Shore News Network since the morning of the shooting, with authorities initially searching for a suspect and a dark-colored Acura.
Five days after killing, Cobb remains at large
Wednesday marks five days since Gress was killed.
Cobb, who authorities say also uses the name Douglas Green and the nickname “Bootknock,” has not been publicly reported in custody. The latest publicly available information continues to identify him as a fugitive wanted on murder and weapons charges.
He was last known to be associated with a black 2016 Acura MDX bearing New Jersey registration T93YJL.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer previously said investigators’ focus was locating Cobb and taking him into custody.
“Our focus now is to locate Douglas Cobb and bring him into custody,” Billhimer said.
Authorities have urged anyone who knows Cobb to tell him to surrender peacefully.
Public asked to help locate fugitive
Anyone with credible information about Cobb’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit at 732-929-2027 or the Toms River Township Police Department at 732-349-0150.
The investigation has involved the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit and Narcotics Strike Force, Toms River police, the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, South Toms River police, Freehold Borough police, the Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office and the U.S. Marshals Service.
Readers can follow continuing coverage of Toms River, Ocean County, New Jersey, crime and breaking news on Shore News Network.