Funeral held for former district attorney Tom Durden

HINESVILLE, Ga. (WTOC) - Generations of colleagues gathered in Hinesville to remember long time District Attorney Tom Durden.

They gathered at the First Baptist Church for the funeral service. For many it was a reunion of folks from different eras to remember past cases and remember Durden’s attention to every detail and his ability to communicate to a jury.

“Nobody had a bad word to say about Tom. You could call him in the middle of the night with a question and he would answer it. If he couldn’t, he’d look it up and call you back,” said Liberty County Sheriff Will Bowman.

Durden prosecuted some of Coastal Georgia’s most high-profile cases over the years from the Tomato Patch murder to Fort Stewart soldiers who’d murdered one of their own to hide their militia group. But longtime friends say he knew when to seek mercy and when to see justice.

“He was always apt to give somebody who needed a boost a boost up. But he was also stern toward people who continued to reoffend and victimize people,” said Hinesville Police Asst. Chief Tracey Howard.

Durden was elected in 1998 and served for 24 years before retiring in December.

After the service Thursday, Friday law officers from across the Atlantic Circuit will form a procession and escort Durden’s casket through the six counties he served for decades one last time.

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