BIRMINGHAM, AL - A man in his thirties has been arrested two years after he allegedly chased down his boyfriend, strangled him to death with an electrical cord, and placed the body in a shed.
The alleged suspect, 33-year-old Julian Taylor Morris, is now facing a murder charge in the death of 31-year-old Deundray Cottrell. The Birmingham Police Department (BPD) announced that U.S. Marshals took Morris into custody on Monday, September 14, in Miami, Florida, when he was set to board a cruise, Law & Crime reported.
Cottrell, a dancer from Atlanta, Georgia, was reported missing on July 4, 2024. Two days later, he was found dead in a shed. Cottrell and Morris were reportedly in Birmingham for a July 4 celebration with friends. Family members said that Cottrell went to check on his dog around 9:00 p.m., which was the last time he was seen alive.
Family members later found a shoe and his phone in the backyard but no sign of Cottrell. After searching for him, they called the police when they couldn't find him. On July 6, 2024, Cottrell's body was found in a cluttered shed with an electrical cord around his neck.
Family members said that Morris gave them varying accounts of what happened to Cottrell. Morris has long been considered a suspect, according to authorities. Police said they obtained surveillance footage of Cottrell running through several backyards and jumping a fence at the time of his disappearance.
"This arrest, as well as the other arrest on cases from previous years, show how relentless our department is and how dedicated our officers are. We never stop working for justice," BPD Chief Michael Pickett said in a statement.
"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," he added.
Upon receiving word of the arrest, Cottrell's family was ecstatic. "I can't tell you the way I have screamed, the way we all have screamed," his sister Angelica Harris said. Morris' attorney, Victor Revill, said in a statement that his client is innocent and was with Cottrell's family when he went missing.
He noted that Cottrell was by himself when he was seen on the Ring camera video. "Mr. Morris cannot be in two places at the same time. It's a physical impossibility," the statement reads. "The truth is that we just do not know who caused the death of Mr. Cottrell and we may never know. We are disappointed that Mr. Morris has been charged with this crime, but we look forward to putting forward a vigorous defense and bringing the truth to light."
Morris remains in the Miami-Dade County Jail awaiting extradition to Alabama.
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