A 'relentless obsession': Family of man accused of domestic murder tried to keep woman safe
Devon Malik made his first appearance on a charge of first-degree murder Wednesday, four days after he is accused of fatally shooting Madisson Cobb, 23, in a parking garage along Macleod Trail, near her workplace.
On Wednesday, four members of Malik's family — two aunts and two cousins — attended his first court appearance to support Cobb and to shed light on what happened in the weeks leading up to her death.
"One hundred per cent we are here to support Madisson. We're here to provide justice for Madisson. We loved her," said one of Malik's aunts.
"She was so kind and all she wanted was for Devon to get help and maybe he thought that was hope."
Court documents show Malik's aunts and uncles had tried, for months, to protect Cobb and to work with Malik in getting him to leave her alone.
The aunts say Malik has a complicated relationship with his mother and that his father isn't in the picture.
At the time of the killing, Malik was bound by three judicial orders to stay away from Cobb after she reported to both police and the courts that her ex was harassing her "non-stop."
One of the aunts spoke in the lobby of the courthouse after Malik's brief appearance. Out of safety and employment concerns, CBC News will call her Melanie.
Melanie says she became close with Cobb over the last seven months after the younger woman asked her for help following her breakup with Malik.
At first, court records show Malik was incessantly calling, texting and leaving voice mails for Cobb, swinging between declarations of love and insults and veiled threats.
'I'm worried he might hurt you'
In early February, according to Cobb's affidavit, Malik pretended to be in the hospital in an effort to get her to visit him.
Then in March, he did end up in hospital, after stabbing himself in the stomach.
The court documents show, at that point, Malik's aunts urged Cobb to get a restraining order.
"Devon is being discharged as I type this text," wrote one of the aunts.
"He's just going home. Refused psych. I'm worried he might hurt you or your mom because he's super angry."
On May 30, four months after they broke up, Malik was served with the restraining order. Melanie says that happened in her living room.
"It's done. You go your separate ways," Melanie says she told her nephew.
But on June 1, Malik was charged criminally with harassment and stalking. His release conditions included a judge's order to have no contact with Cobb and to stay away from her.
'All she wanted was to move on'
In a handwritten affidavit filed at the Calgary Courts Centre, Cobb detailed "non-stop" contact from Malik. She told a judge she lived "in fear every day from him."
The restraining order was supposed to be in place until June 2026.
"This needs to be a call to action.The system needs to change. Domestic violence isn't taken as seriously as it should," said Melanie.
"This was a 23-year-old thriving young lady, all she wanted was to move on with her life."
'Infectious passion for life'
Cobb, who lived in Okotoks, worked for Lasik MD after graduating from SAIT with a diploma to work as an ophthalmic assistant.
Her obituary described her as having "an infectious passion for life."
A favourite pastime was cheering on her dad and brother — a hockey player and a hockey coach — at the rink. "These moments became cherished memories she held close," reads Cobb's obituary.
On Wednesday, the Okotoks Oilers Jr. A Hockey Club and its Minor Hockey Association issued a joint statement.
"It is with profound sadness that [we] mourn the tragic loss of Madisson Cobb," reads the statement.
"We extend our deepest condolences to her family — Brad, Jackie and Hunter — as they navigate this unimaginable loss … today, we stand with [Brad] and his family, not just as hockey organizations but as a united community, grieving alongside and offering our unwavering support to a family facing an unthinkable tragedy."
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