BIRMINGHAM — Julian Taylor Morris, a 2011 graduate of Dover High School, has been arrested and charged with murder in the death of his former boyfriend, Deundray Cottrell, more than two years after Cottrell disappeared during a Fourth of July visit to his family in Birmingham, Alabama, according to the Birmingham Police Department.
Morris, 33, was taken into custody by the United States Marshals Service on Monday in Miami and is being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in Florida without bond, pending extradition to Alabama.
Cottrell, 31, was reported missing on the Fourth of July while visiting his family in Birmingham. Police said they later found clothing believed to belong to Cottrell and surveillance video showing him walking near Fourth Avenue North while family members searched for him.
Two days after he was reported missing, officers found Cottrell’s body inside a shed about a block from his family’s home. The Birmingham Police Department ruled the death a homicide, saying Cottrell had been strangled.
Investigators identified Morris as a person of interest days after the body was discovered, saying he was the last person to see or hear from Cottrell and had stopped communicating with detectives once the body was found.
Birmingham Police Chief Michael Pickett said the arrest reflects the department’s continued commitment to the case.
“This arrest, as well as the other arrests on cases from previous years, show how relentless our department is and how dedicated our officers are. We never stop working for justice,” Pickett said. “We will continue to pursue those responsible for violent crimes, no matter where they may run. We will continue to seek justice for Deundray Cottrell and his family and remain committed to holding those responsible accountable.”
Morris is a 2011 graduate of Dover High School.
Editor’s Note: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and/or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
