Crime & Public Safety
Crime & Public Safety

Decades later, the murder of a Polk County sheriff remains unsolved

Frank Lott Jr. stands by Polk County Sheriff Frank Lott’s gravestone in Cedartown, Ga. on August 18, 2017. Forty-five years after Polk County Sheriff Frank Lott was shot and killed as he investigated a reported burglary at the local high school, no one has been convicted. There was a suspect who went to trial but a jury acquitted him. Some say Lott’s successor, damaged the case by refusing to share information with other agencies investigating the shooting and by questioning but then releasing the only man to later be charged with the sheriff’s murder. (Rebecca Breyer)
Frank Lott Jr. stands by Polk County Sheriff Frank Lott’s gravestone in Cedartown, Ga. on August 18, 2017. Forty-five years after Polk County Sheriff Frank Lott was shot and killed as he investigated a reported burglary at the local high school, no one has been convicted. There was a suspect who went to trial but a jury acquitted him. Some say Lott’s successor, damaged the case by refusing to share information with other agencies investigating the shooting and by questioning but then releasing the only man to later be charged with the sheriff’s murder. (Rebecca Breyer)
By Rhonda Cook
Aug 23, 2017

The crime stunned this rural community in northwest Georgia: The Polk County sheriff gunned down responding to a burglary call.

More than four decades later, no one has ever been convicted in the killing of Frank Lott.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution explains why no one was ever punished in the case and how mistakes early on may have allowed the killer to walk free.

Read the full cold case story at myajc.com

WANT MORE COLD CASE STORIES? Sign up for our weekly crime and public safety newsletter. You’ll receive the latest in breaking crime news, trial coverage and unsolved cases.

About the Author

Rhonda Cook
More Stories

The Latest

(Photo Illustration: Philip Robibero / AJC | Source: Getty, Unsplash)

Credit: Philip Robibero / AJC

Homicides down, police staffing up heading into Atlanta’s elections

Cobb mother gets 50 years in prison for toddler’s fentanyl death

Georgia judge resigns after Florida strip club arrest

Featured

A MARTA operator is seen inside the control room of one of the new MARTA trains during the unveiling of these trains on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

MARTA chief says new train cars give smooth, quiet ride

Interim CEO Jonathan Hunt told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s editorial board he is focused on project delivery, which he said is key to winning back public trust.

God’s Acre: Former Native American boarding school reveals complex history

A Native American boarding school established by Moravian missionaries in North Georgia in the early 19th century reveals a complicated and compelling history.

Why Midtown’s holiday lights display is a little less vibrant this year

Midtown Bright, the annual winter lights display, was cut back this year.