Man Shot 68-Year-Old Friend Over $30, Abandoned Body Near Cemetery

A 78-year-old man is on trial for the murder of his best friend of 30 years in October 2023. The defense told the court on February 25 that the gun was discharged accidentally, causing the death of his friend.

Joe Link is accused of murdering Cowbern Jones, 68, on Woodland Burn in October 2023. The two men had been friends for 30 years. Link faces charges of murder, felony murder and aggravated assault in connection with the shooting.

Link appeared in a Clayton County courtroom on February 25, when jurors heard testimony about the October 2023 shooting. Prosecutors showed jurors a gun that was found near the body at a cemetery. They alleged Link shot Jones and left the body. The defense said the shooting was an accident.

Jurors examined the alleged murder weapon in person. “This is a .22 caliber revolver pistol,” Clayton County Detective Rice Madden told the court. Prosecutor said the .22 caliber Saturday Night Special pistol was used shoot Jones in October 2023. Jurors were also showed the the shell recovered after the weapon was fired.

Madden, who investigated the fatal shooting, testified that the gun was found near Jones' body in a cemetery. “This is the distance where you observe the body and the firearm,” a prosecutor said as Madden measure the distance in the courtroom, which was 36 feet from Jones body.

A firearms examiner from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation testified the gun was manufactured in 1968. The defense elicited testimony that the weapon could discharge without the trigger being pulled.

“That means it can go off without the trigger being pulled,” the defense asked.

“That’s correct,” the examiner responded.

Police in Jonesboro said, “Jones' body was found lying on a road near a cemetery, on the evening of October 30 2023. Authorities said Jones died from a gunshot wound to the neck. Link was arrested on murder charges a few days later.

According to Assistant District Attorney Brianna Jorden, the two men argued at an Exxon gas station about money. Link had lent Jones $30 and let him borrow his gun. They men met that day so that Jones could pay Link back.

Link’s defense attorney said the men struggled and the gun fired the fatal shot that struck Jones. The defense argued that the incident shocked Link and he walked away from the scene.