Posted on 10/27/2005 7:39:09 AM PDT by smartin
Five days before Leslie Marva Adams went missing, she asked a judge to protect her from her boyfriend, expressing fear for her life.
Her boyfriend, Billy Joe Cook, 38, said Wednesday he had nothing to do with her disappearance and that he is praying she will be found.
Gwinnett police are still searching for Adams, 40, of Lilburn, who was reported missing on Monday. Though police are aware of the restraining order granted against Cook, they have not named him as a suspect in Adams' disappearance, said Detective Marcus Head. He confirmed the boyfriend had been interviewed by police.
"I talked to him today," Head said. "He was cooperative, and at this time we do not consider him a suspect."
Adams filed for and received a restraining order against Cook on Oct. 19 in Superior Court. She claimed Cook was excessively jealous and had choked, stalked, beaten and threatened her numerous times during their 18-month relationship.
"I am fearful of my life and feel that even when I tell Billy Cook to leave me alone he does not listen," Adams wrote in the court document. "I am afraid that if I do not let him in my life he will become violent and angry."
The judge who granted Adams' request for a temporary restraining order scheduled a hearing for Wednesday to consider extending the order for six months, according to court documents.
Cook appeared in court for the hearing, which was postponed because Adams is missing.
Reached by phone Wednesday, Cook denied being violent with Adams, a hairstylist in Norcross. He said he has not seen Cook since the day she obtained the restraining order. Cook admitted that the couple had argued that day.
"We were just fussing, it was not violent," said Cook, who runs a vending machine business out of his Snellville home. "The restraining order was a misunderstanding. Some of her friends heard us fussing and called the police. But we were only fussing. Her friends never heard us fuss like that before."
Cook said he is aware that police and family members usually suspect significant others in missing person's cases.
"I have received six or seven calls from her family," said Cook. "Her daughter even called me and asked me what did I do to her mother. I am really suffering around this. I am deeply hurt that she is missing."
Lilburn police issued a news release on Tuesday asking for the public's help in locating Adams. Department spokesman Tyler Thomas said officers who searched her apartment "saw some things that didn't add up." He declined to elaborate. The investigation has since been turned over to county police.
In the interview, Cook also admitted to a troubled past. He said he served 13 years in federal prison on drug and weapons charges when he lived in Macon.
"That was 15 years ago," Cook said. "I've turned my life around now."
Adams works at Great Clips in Norcross and is a student at Gwinnett Technical College, according to court documents. One of Adams' co-workers at the hair salon said employees do not want to speculate publicly about what happened to her.
"She was a great person," said Pegah Doustani, a hairstylist. "She was always upbeat, always cheerful."
I guess he fussed her to death.
Funny. I think you might be right.
'was' . . .appears that Pegah assumes the worst here. . .
Yes it sure does. Good catch.
I wish the reporter had asked for Cook's definition of "fussing"
I'm guesiing the boyfriend gets arrested any day now
Yeah, since when does "fussing" justify obtaining a restraining order.
He did. But Cook told the reporter that if he didn't get out of Cook's face, Cook would fuss him with a baseball bat and then the reporter would be totally fussed up, big time.
Then they'll arrest him.
I hate it when you get fussed to death. :-)
Wow, I hope your husband or boyfriend never goes missing.
If he does then I hope YOU don't mind people thinking YOU DID IT.
If they find her body and he killed her, FRY HIM.
Anyone heard of the RUNAWAY BRIDE?
How many of you had him convicted?
I think the term "boyfriend" is a stretch. But I know a lot of people who use that term that are even older.
Yeah, the father of the child might be someone to look at. But this guy seems to have scared her enough to get a TRO.
LoL
Unbelievably, I never convicted that guy. I only thought less of him when he continued his relationship with her. But that's his choice.
Could be. I just see/hear so much BS associated with RO and these type documents, you only hear one side of the story.
OTOH, some guys really do need to be put in jail, the shelters of full of women with bad taste in men.
I've heard it said by cops that when investigating foul play committed against a woman, "before you look at the outlaws,you look at the in-laws".
Every ex-husband/boyfriend of this woman should expect at least one visit from the cops.
No judge in his/her right mind would deny an application for a Restraining Order today.
The last thing that a judge wants to see in the papers is a headline "Judge Jones Denied RO To Murdered Smithville Woman".
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