An Atlanta man who vanished while celebrating the Fourth of July with his sister, has been found dead, according to Birmingham police.
Deundray Cottrell, 31, was last seen on July 4. On Saturday, police say they found Cottrell’s body near where he disappeared. His death is now being investigated as a homicide.
Cottrell Came to Birmingham with His Boyfriend to Spend 4th of July with His Sister
Cottrell’s sister, Angelica Harris, told AL.com that Cottrell, a doctoral student who lives in Atlanta came to Birmingham with his boyfriend to celebrate the holiday with her.
She said that around 10 p.m., Cottrell said he was going to go upstairs to check on his dog because of the fireworks. “He went and checked on the dog and I never saw him again,” Harris told AL.com.
Morris also was in the house and told family they had a conversation and the Cottrell had left and took off running through the backyard. Family members found Cottrell’s sunglasses, cell phone and one of his shoes when they began their search for him.
Morris, family said, was acting erratically and not like they’ve known him to act for the past three years. The family immediately began a search and eventually called police to file a missing person’s report.
Cottrell Seen on Doorbell Camera Video ‘Running for His Life’
She went on to say that they found one of his shoes and his phone in the backyard. They later tracked down Ring doorbell camera video that showed Cottrell running through yards and even hopping a fence. “It looked like he was looking for refuge,” Harris told AL.com. “He was running for his life.”
Birmingham police said on Saturday that they are looking for Cottrell’s boyfriend, identified as Julian Taylor Morris, who they say is the last person to have seen or heard from Cottrell. They are offering a $5,000 reward for anyone who can help them locate Morris, who has not been seen since Friday.
Cottrell and Morris were part of a gay dance trio called “Skiiboyz.”
