JONESBORO, Ga. — They were friends for more than 30 years. They did everything together.
Now one is dead, and the other faces murder charges in his death.
Channel 2’s Tom Jones was in a Clayton County courtroom for opening statements in the trial of 75-year-old Joe Link.
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Assistant District Attorney Brianna Jordan described to the jury how Link and 68-year-old Cowbern Jones had a close relationship.
“The victim, Cowbern Jones, and the defendant Joe Link were long-time friends,” Jordan said.
She described them as best friends. They did everything together.
“Playing pool. Cards. Dominoes,” Link’s attorney told the jury.
However, that friendship came to an end in October 2023 when prosecutors say Link shot and killed Jones near a cemetery in Jonesboro.
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Prosecutors say Link confronted Jones at an Exxon gas station with a pipe before that. Then followed him to the cemetery where he shot him.
“You’re gonna hear the defendant state they tussled over the gun, and it went off,” Jordan said. She said there was no tussle.
However, Link’s attorney says none of that is true.
“This was in fact an accident,” she said told the jury.
She said there was no confrontation with a pipe at the gas station, and said this was all over a borrowed gun.
“Joe let him borrow the gun, and he did give him $30,” she said.
The defense says Link went near the cemetery to get the gun and his $30 back. They said there was a tussle over the gun...and then Jones pointed the gun at Link.
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“Joe grabs the gun and tries to pull it away from both of them. Trying to move it up. Mr. Jones grabs it and tries to move it back down. Gun goes off. Everybody stumbles back.”
Prosecutors say it didn’t happen that way, and the evidence will show it.
“And that it was not an accident,” Jordan said.
The defense says police did a poor job investigating this case. Prosecutors say a lot of what happened was captured on video surveillance, except for the three minutes where the shooting happened.
Link faces felony murder, malice murder and aggravated assault. Testimony picks back up on Wednesday.
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