An accused murderer has been arrested in Florida in connection with the death of a mother-of-4, found dead in her Cobb County, Georgia, home last week.
According to Cobb County police, Charles Franklin Cook, 41, is charged with murdering his girlfriend, 44-year-old widow, Melinda Jolly. The incident occurred last week when Cook allegedly beat Jolly to death in her Marietta home, in the 3200 block of Perch Drive, investigators said.
The arrest followed a welfare check conducted by a family member who discovered Jolly’s body. Major Crimes Unit then initiated an investigation, according to AJC.
Police arrested Cook in a Publix parking lot in Okaloosa County on January 18.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Jolly moved to Georgia from California in 2019 after her then-husband died from cancer.
Officer Aaron Wilson from the Cobb County Police confirmed that Cook and Jolly were in a relationship. In a GoFundMe post, the victim’s sister, Kathleen Jolly, revealed that family members, upon discovering Melinda’s involvement in an abusive relationship, pushed for the wellness check.
“The abusive monster took Melinda’s life. The Cobb County Police Department put a warrant out for his arrest shortly after and he was nowhere to be found,” she wrote. “They finally located him Thursday, but in Florida. Thank God he was taken into custody there before he could hurt anybody else.”
Cook remains behind bars without bail on charges of murder and aggravated assault. Check back for updates.
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[Feature Photo: Melinda Jolly/GoFundMe]
