Ex-Girlfriend's Killer Tracked Down After 13 Years: Police

LILBURN, GA – The Gwinnett County Police cold case unit tracked down a man who murdered his ex-girlfriend in Lilburn in 2005, police say.

In October 2005, 40 year old Leslie Marva Adams was reported as a missing person. A search of her apartment, located at 665 Jodeco Circle, in Lilburn was conducted and evidence was found to suggest she had possibly been murdered. Two days prior to Leslie going missing, she obtained a Temporary Protective Order against her ex-boyfriend Billy Joe Cook, 51. He was served with the protective order the day prior to Adams going missing.

Cook was developed as the primary and only suspect as the case was investigated as a homicide from the beginning, according to police.

Two years later, in 2007, Leslie’s remains were found in a swampy area off of I-85 North in Franklin County, Georgia. The GBI recovered her remains with the assistance of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office. The GBI completed an autopsy and the manner of death was confirmed as a homicide.

Mother of two named
Leslie Marva Adams.

The Gwinnett County Police Cold Case Unit continued to monitor the progress of the investigation and in 2017 they reopened the case. Together with the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office, more interviews were conducted and evidence was re-examined. The Cold Case detective was able to establish probable cause for the arrest of Cook. On Sept. 28, 2018 a warrant was obtained for Cook, charging him with murder. His location was unknown.

On Oct. 4, Cook was located on I-75 North in Henry County by Gwinnett County Cold Case detectives. With the assistance of the Georgia State Patrol and Henry County Police, a traffic stop was conducted and Cook was taken into custody without incident. He was ultimately transported to the Gwinnett County Jail where he is being held without bond.

The family of Leslie Marva Adams has been made aware of the update in this case.

Photo courtesy Gwinnett County Police