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The late Odell Cochran was a good shepherd.

He carried with him a calming presence that deescalated situations he responded to as an officer with the Conway Police Department for nearly four decades.

Now, more than three years after he was murdered, the city of Conway is keeping his legacy alive by naming a downtown building after Cochran.

On duty, some people around Conway would say, 鈥渋f it wasn鈥檛 for him, their children would be in prison or dead,鈥� said Rea Gore, one of Cochran鈥檚 three sisters. 鈥淥ff duty, he was a person who stayed to himself. He liked to cook, and if there was a person who said they were hungry, he鈥檇 go home and cook for them.鈥�

Cochran鈥檚 first stint with the department started in 1978. It was the same year Theresa Tyler started with the police department as a records clerk. And the two quickly became friends, Tyler said.

鈥淚 guess you could say he was more like a brother to me," Tyler said. "If I needed anything, he was always there."

Conway Police Chief Dale聽Long, a rookie officer for Horry County Police Department in 1986, met Cochran at a scene and he immediately accepted Long as a fellow officer.

鈥淲hen I told him who my family was, he was like, 鈥榊ou come from good people,鈥欌�� Long said. 鈥淔rom the very beginning, he never treated me like I was a new officer, [like] I didn鈥檛 know what I was doing, just welcomed me right in even though we worked at different agencies.鈥�

Cochran spent a lot of his career downtown, and his presence there was larger than life. He also trained new officers.

鈥淚f we had a new person, he鈥檇 say, 鈥楥ome on Ricky, ride with me,鈥欌�� Tyler said.

Cochran retired in 2003, but came back for a second stint.

When Cochran returned to the department after his first retirement, he worked in the Huckabee Heights and Darden Terrace areas聽鈥� two of Conway鈥檚 government housing neighborhoods.

鈥淲e could show up on a call and it could be really, really dangerous,鈥� said Long, who at this point was with Conway Police Department. 鈥淎 lot of pressure, a lot of tension. But when he鈥檇 show up, as soon as he showed up, he didn鈥檛 even have to say anything. As soon as they saw him get out of the vehicle, they鈥檇 quiet down. They鈥檇 start to calm down. They knew he didn鈥檛 put up with any foolishness.鈥�

Community members respected Cochran. He could restore the calm, bring order to a situation.

鈥淗e commanded respect because of how he conducted himself,鈥� Long said.

His impact still influences Long today at scenes 鈥� How would Odell handle this?

On the side, Cochran was a painter, doing jobs around Conway.

Long once asked Cochran to paint the exterior of his home. Cochran said Long didn鈥檛 need his home painted, just needed a pressure wash.

鈥淗e didn鈥檛 try to take my money,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 really thought a lot about that 鈥� I didn鈥檛 tell him to go tell me whether or not I needed my house painted. I told him to tell me how much it would cost to paint it. That was a lot about his character there.鈥�

Cochran finally retired in 2016.

In March 2020, he was murdered at his home.

Long will never forget the night Cochran died. It was a dark and stormy night, raining sideways.

鈥淚 got a call, and I went鈥� to the scene, Long said, adding the solicitor and coroner on scene gave Long a courtesy call since the crime happened in Horry County鈥檚 jurisdiction. 鈥淓ven though he had not been with us for four years, he was still part of the police family.鈥�

Just over two years later, Cochran鈥檚 stepson pleaded guilty to killing Cochran, and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Today, Cochran鈥檚 work training officers continues to make an impact in the area and beyond.

鈥淭he multiplier of him is still working today,鈥� Long said. 鈥淗is legacy is still ongoing.鈥�

So it was a no-brainer to propose naming the downtown building the Lt. Odell Cochran Downtown Operations Center. And council accepted that proposal earlier this month. The satellite police building, near city hall at 223 Main Street, will serve as a convenient spot for officers to stop, use the restroom, printer or computer.聽

A dedication of the building will happen at a later date.

鈥淲e are very proud of that. My brother deserved that and some more,鈥� Gore said. 鈥淗e was a good shepherd.鈥�