11.20
Additional thoughts…
In addition to previous comments about the Cochran suicide, it should also be said that if the Walker Sheriff’s Office or Rossville PD wanted Mr. Cochran dead they could certainly come up with a better way to do it than beat and hang him while he was in their care. If we’ve learned anything from Sam Parker, we know that law enforcement officers (even incompetent ones) are perfectly capable of murdering people without arresting them first. Anonymously killing Charles Cochran in an empty parking lot or in the woods would make more sense than police officers forcibly hanging him in a jail cell. One more unsolved murder in a year filled with them would have generated a lot less attention than what happened on November 6th.
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I believe that the argument isn’t that the murder was premeditated. There are many murders that happen that aren’t premeditated. Although, admittedly, I know next to nothing about this case aside from the news articles and comments, any kind of “fishiness” found in a suicide usually turns out to be quizzical; and this case oozes fishiness. Knowing our police department, this could have easily been an “authoritative power” kill.
-My Four Cents
The argument then is that he was arrested legitimately and then officers took things a bit too far and ended up killing him through overuse of force, then staged the hanging to cover their butts. This is a plausible argument, and might explain the absence of details and rushed/brief media coverage. The cell where he died had no cameras for “privacy” but there are security cameras all of the jail, and if he was abused outside the cell one of those might have evidence of it. If the SO wants to clear their name they should release any and all tapes from every camera in the prison between the time he was brought in and the time his body was found. Refusal to do so might be an indicator of guilt on their part, or at least an indicator of plain old “don’t give a rip what you think.”
Hopefully the GBI and its autopsy will find any injuries that would suggest mistreatment, but I’m not sure if the GBI can be trusted any more than the local law enforcement agencies. Mr. Cochran’s family, if they really feel like something fishy happened, should get a private autopsy – once his body has been turned back over to them it’s well within their rights to have one done, assuming they can afford it or get some donations to cover the costs.
I’d love to hear from the Cochran family, especially if they have knowledge of any history or animosity between Charles and the Rossville PD, Walker SO, or any of their officers. I’d also like to hear from the other inmates who claim (or rather their friends’ friends claim) that he was heard crying out for help and being beaten. Not hearsay but somebody who heard it with their own ears. My direct e-mail is lafayetteunderground@cityoflafayettega.com – I won’t give your name or information to anyone unless you give permission.
-// The LaFayette Underground //-
About the Charles Cochran death, I really think that something happened down there and I agree that the gbi is going to take up for the SO. I really feel for that family losing their loved one like that. I know their was someone posted a comment on the Walker County Messenger that used to work for Walker County Sheriff’s Office and they said there was so much corruption in that jail, and they were warned that if they said anything about it they would be dealt with. That person said that they had saw the guards beat inmates, slam one mans head up aginst the brick wall. That is really messed up. I know alot of officers harrass people and you know they need to start watching what their doing before they get into big trouble. I don’t know how anyone could live with themselves if they did take that man’s life. I sure wouldn’t be able to sleep at night. If I were the family I would try my best to get to the bottom of what happened to him. I wouldn’t give up, because somebody elses life could be endangered down there.
I had met Charles Cochran a few times and he was a very respectable man. I know some law enforcement get it in for people and treat them badly, and I know that if people would not get into trouble then they wouldn’t have to go to jail, but if they do they shouldn’t have to be mistreated and I read alot of comments about all of this expecially the one sportsfanatic wrote on the walker county messenger under the one that said he was restrained, and they used to work for walker county sheriff’s office and they were telling alot of wrong stuff that went on down there. Ok they said he had to be restrained well let’s see if he was restrained then how did he hang himself!!!! I am with alot of other people that are talking about this, he may have been hung by his t shirt but if he was I think someone did it for him. I really think that someone beat him and they new they would be in trouble because he would be able to tallk and identify the person or persons and so they new by getting rid of him would probably save their butts. Everything just sounds fishy and not right about this. Well I really hope they find out but I know the gbi is going to take up for walker county so if I was someone I would contact someone higher up and have a lot of investigation done if it was one of my family members, and I am sure the family is not going to let up easy on this, I know if it was me that I wouldn’t. This kind of makes you fear in law enforcement now. I am not saying all people in the sheriff’s office are bad, but their are some that let it go to their head because they have a badge and a gun, and I really can’t believe in the earlier comment I read where they never offer their condolences to that family, that is pretty cold hearted if you ask me. I know people who have been in that drunk tank cell and they also said their is no way to hang yourself and also that their is glass where the people who book you can see so why did not someone see or possibly they did and they are covering up also.
As of the Charles Cochran issue, I also think that the hanging was staged to cover up. I think they beat him so bad that they new if he came out alive they would be in some big trouble, so I kind of think they knocked him out and hung him with his own shirt, because I have also read the comment in the walker county messenger that sportsfanatic wrote that used to work at the walker county jail. If you really would like to talk to some of the Cochran family why don’t you try and see if you can find a way to get in touch with them. I knew Charles Cochran through some friends of mine and he wasn’t a violent person even when he was drinking. I wonder how long the arresting officer was down there after he transported him, he could have also been involved with this who knows!! It just sounds all fishy to me. You know even if someone is drunk or drinking and runs there mouth or whatever that doesn’t anyone a reason to lose their life. I just hope we all find out what happened down there, but I don’t know if we ever will but I really hope so. Sportsfanatic had alot to mention in his comment that was very interesting and I know an inmate in there now that said some of the same things that sportsfanatic said. I just think instead of them covering up for these people they need to come clean and get evil people like that out of there, because that is just plain evil. This man didn’t deserve to lose his life.
I agree we don’t know if the gbi can be trusted either. I know a guy that was in the jail that night being booked and he said that had asked Charles to quit doing something and he wouldn’t so they told him they were going to taise him and he told them to go ahead and he said instead they started beating on him, so yes I think it was a power kill. You know I don’t know what to think about what goes on down there but it is pretty bad that they have to take a man’s life. There was no sense in them beating him if that is true what that guy told me but I don’t know why he would just make something like that up. I just hope someone who knows something will just step forward and be a man because if they don’t then that just makes them a coward.
i really do feel that the walker county sheriffs office had something to do with charles cochrans death ther has been some really bad things happen at that facility and it is always over looked no matter what the reason is that you are taken to jail you dont deserve to be treated the way that walker county treats you we have a heart and feelings just like the corrections officers that are employed there and also have heard that some of the corrections officers have found them another job because of the way that they want them to treat the inmates that are in there then when you try and let them know the things that happen they overlook it and if you file a grievance on any of them it never makes it up to the front i feel that they tear it up its really awful how they treat the inmates something needs to be done about the situation because now they know that they can do anything and get away with it is the way that i see it from my heart so someone please try to get to the bottom of it and crack this case no one deserves to be treated the way that he was or any of the other inmates in there they need to be showed that they cant do people like that and get away with it
I appreciate the input that elvis put in the comment. I know i have talked to several people who have said the same thing about walker county and the way they treat people and believe me the family is trying their best to find out everything they can about what happened that night, because everyone knows he didn’t kill himself. There is alot of stuff that sounds fishy about that night. People that things like this or any kind of abuse has happened to them down there needs to come forward and tell what they can not only to help charles cochran but for themselves or their loved ones as well, so i urge anyone who knows anything about that night to come forward and tell what they know. People need to start standing up for their rights and i am not saying that people should get by with breaking the law and going to jail but they shouldn’t have to fear for they life being in jail. i am sure there have been correctional officers quit because of the way inmates have been treated if they have any decency about themselves. I couldn’t work anywhere knowing i mistreated or abused anyone just for the heck of it, but there are alot of cruel people in the world today, so if anyone knows anything about that night please just come forward even if it is in a comment or if you know any of charles cochran’s family or friends that you could contact please let them know, because his children doesn’t need to grow up thinking their father killed himself if he didn’t. Thanks to everyone who cares and can give any information or clues on this.