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Shortly before his death, Cawthorn was the defense attorney in Bossier Parish for the former rodeo star Jack Favor, who was falsely accused and convicted in 1967 of the murders in 1964 of Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Richey, operators of a bait stand near Haughton. After a seven-year period of incarceration at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in West Feliciana Parish, Favor was exonerated in a second trial in 1974. After Cawthorn's death, the co-counsel, James B. Wells of [[Bossier City]], who believed in Favor's innocence, continued to represent his client. The exoneration of Favor required a lawsuit against the then warden at Angola, C. Murray Henderson, Jr. (c. 1920-2004)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.leagle.com/decision/1972771348FSupp423_1712|title=Jack G. FAVOR, P. M. B. 65386 v. C. Murray HENDERSON, Warden, Louisiana State Penitentiary|date=May 16, 1972|publisher=leagle.com|accessdate=June 16, 2020}}</ref> and a request before a federal judge to grant a second trial on the premise that the trial court judge, [[O. E. Price]], along with Bossier Parish Sheriff [[Willie Waggonner]], Waggonner's chief deputy and successor as sheriff, Vol Dooley, and District Attorney Louis Harvey Padgett, Jr. (1913-1980), had illegally conspired to rig the trial to convict Favor despite knowledge of his innocence.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://truthinjustice.org/LA-list.htm|title=List of Louisiana Wrongful Convictions Overturned since 1966|date=November 23, 2003|publisher=''The Baton Rouge Advocate''|accessdate=February 6, 2014}}</ref>​

Shortly before his death, Cawthorn was the defense attorney in Bossier Parish for the former rodeo star Jack Favor, who was falsely accused and convicted in 1967 of the murders in 1964 of Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Richey, operators of a bait stand near Haughton. After a seven-year period of incarceration at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in West Feliciana Parish, Favor was exonerated in a second trial in 1974. After Cawthorn's death, the co-counsel, James B. Wells of [[Bossier City]], who believed in Favor's innocence, continued to represent his client. The exoneration of Favor required a lawsuit against the then warden at Angola, C. Murray Henderson, Jr. (c. 1920-2004)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.leagle.com/decision/1972771348FSupp423_1712|title=Jack G. FAVOR, P. M. B. 65386 v. C. Murray HENDERSON, Warden, Louisiana State Penitentiary|date=May 16, 1972|publisher=leagle.com|accessdate=June 16, 2020}}</ref> and a request before a federal judge to grant a second trial on the premise that the trial court judge, [[O. E. Price]], along with Bossier Parish Sheriff [[Willie Waggonner]], Waggonner's chief deputy and successor as sheriff, Vol Dooley, and District Attorney Louis Harvey Padgett, Jr. (1913-1980), had illegally conspired to rig the trial to convict Favor despite knowledge of his innocence.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://truthinjustice.org/LA-list.htm|title=List of Louisiana Wrongful Convictions Overturned since 1966|date=November 23, 2003|publisher=''The Baton Rouge Advocate''|accessdate=February 6, 2014}}</ref>​

Cawthorn died on [[Veterans Day]] 1967 of a sudden illness in Memorial Hospital in [[Lake Charles]], where he was stricken while on business. A week before his passing, Cawthorn had been defeated in a Democratic primary for a seat in the Louisiana House of Representatives for DeSoto, Sabine,  and Red River]] parishes in a two-member district by incumbent [[Joe Henry Cooper]] of Mansfield and subsequent Judge John S. Pickett, Jr., of Many in Sabine Parish.<ref name=obit/> Though defeated for the legislature, he had won in the same election a seat on the [[Louisiana Democratic Party|Democratic Executive Committee]] for the 38th representative district.<ref name=obit/>​

Cawthorn died on [[Veterans Day]] 1967 of a sudden illness in Memorial Hospital in [[Lake Charles]], where he was stricken while on business. A week before his passing, Cawthorn had been defeated in a Democratic primary for a seat in the Louisiana House of Representatives for DeSoto, Sabine,  and Red River]] parishes in a two-member district by incumbent [[Joe Henry Cooper]] of Mansfield and subsequent Judge John S. Pickett, Jr., of Many in Sabine Parish.<ref name=obit/> Though defeated for the legislature, he had won in the same election a seat on the Louisiana Democratic Executive Committee for the 38th representative district.<ref name=obit/>​

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Cawthorn and his wife, Merle Sloan Cawthorn (1919-1998), had a daughter, Melody Merle Cawthon (born c. 1954). He is interred at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in DeSoto Parish alongside his brothers, W. B. Cawthorn (1900-1963) and Fred Cawthorn (1908-1940).<ref name=cemetery/>​

Cawthorn and his wife, Merle Sloan Cawthorn (1919-1998), had a daughter, Melody Merle Cawthon (born c. 1954). He is interred at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in DeSoto Parish alongside his brothers, W. B. Cawthorn (1900-1963) and Fred Cawthorn (1908-1940).<ref name=cemetery/>​