A Georgia man who was found in a shed in Alabama on Saturday, two days after he disappeared, reportedly died as a result of homicide.
AL.com reported that Deundray Cottrell, 31, vanished on the Fourth of July while celebrating with family in Birmingham, after saying he was going upstairs to check on his dog due to the fireworks. Cottrell’s boyfriend, Julian Morris, 31, was at the home at the time — and he allegedly claimed he was talking to Cottrell when he ran away through a backyard.
Morris — who Cottrell’s family said was acting erratically — has been missing since Friday, according to AL.com.
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Cottrell and Morris are both from the Atlanta area. Morris told Cottrell’s brother that Cottrell had jumped off a patio balcony before vanishing, according to WSB-TV.
While searching for Cottrell, his family reportedly discovered his sunglasses, cellphone, and one of his shoes. They also saw Ring video footage of Cottrell running through yards and jumping over a gate, AL.com reported.
Two days after his disappearance, Cottrell was found dead in a detached shed of a vacant house, not far from where he was last seen. The Jefferson County Coroner has ruled his death a homicide, but how he died has not been revealed.
Police are considering Morris a person of interest in Cottrell’s death, according to WXIA. Anyone with information regarding this case or Cottrell’s whereabouts is asked to call Birmingham police’s Homicide Unit at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.
