COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A Cobb County man has been found guilty of killing his longtime girlfriend and sentenced to life in prison.
According to the district attorney’s office, Charles Cook, 42, was found guilty of felony murder, aggravated assault and three counts of cruelty to children for the death of Melinda Jolly, 44.
Jolly, a mother of four, was found dead in her home in Jan. 2024.
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Cook fled their Marietta home and was arrested in Okaloosa County, Florida just a few days later.
Kathleen Jolly, Melinda Jolly’s sister, said the family had found out that her sister was in an abusive relationship around the time of her death.
“My mom and I live in California, so we have been calling the police department where she lives so that they could send police officers to her house to do welfare checks. The last time they checked on her was Jan. 15,” Kathleen Jolly wrote. “My cousin Jill went to Melinda’s home on Wednesday to check on her, and that is when she was found; Melinda was no longer with us.”
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In Oct. 2023, Cook had been charged with cruelty to children after allegedly picking up Melinda Jolly’s 4-year-old twins from school after he had been drinking, the D.A.’s office said. He reportedly fell asleep while watching the children who wandered outside. One of the children was locked in the car for 30 minutes before law enforcement broke a window to rescue the child.
“We are committed to seeking justice for the victims of violence in Cobb County,” said District Attorney Sonya F. Allen. “This case is a tragic reminder of the importance of protecting those who are most vulnerable, and we hope today’s conviction brings some measure of closure to the family affected by this senseless loss.”
Cook was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole plus another 30 years.
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