Bobby Lee Cook’s cases ranged from the child murders in Atlanta to the Midnight Garden of Good and Evil cases.
SUMMERVILLE, Ga. – One of Georgia’s most famous lawyers, a man whose manner and expertise in the courtroom made him a legend in legal circles for decades, has died.
Attorney Bobby Lee Cook died Friday aged 94 after a long life – and a legal career that began in the 1940s. His high profile clients once included Atlanta Child Murders suspect Wayne Williams and Savannah antique dealer Jim Williams, whose murder trial was featured on Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
Cook, known for his behavior at home, was allegedly the inspiration for Andy Griffith’s seersucker-bearing southern attorney, “Ben Matlock”.
A member of the Cook and Connerly law firm based in Summerville, Georgia, Cook specializes in civil, criminal, and local law.
The Chattooga County Historical Society, which recorded several stories about Cook, described his career as long and illustrious and said that he “would always play a prominent role in our county’s history”.
Georgia State University College of Law shared a post Friday afternoon describing Cook as a “tremendous friend” who had served on the college’s visitor committee since 2008.
The college added that it also received the Ben F. Johnson Jr. Public Service Award in 2017.
“His family is on our thoughts and prayers as we mourn the death of a true legal giant,” the school said.
The Chattooga County medical examiner confirmed Cook’s death Friday night to 11Alive. No details of services for the longtime attorney were released.
11Alive will provide an update as soon as this information becomes available.
