BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — More than two years after 31-year-old Deundray Cottrell disappeared during a Fourth of July visit to Birmingham and was later found dead inside a shed, authorities say an arrest has been made in the homicide investigation.
Julian Taylor Morris, 33, of Jonesboro, Georgia, was arrested Monday, Sept. 14, 2026, by U.S. Marshals in Miami, Florida, according to the Birmingham Police Department. Morris, who was Cottrell’s boyfriend at the time of his death, has been charged with murder.
Morris is being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in Miami while awaiting extradition to Alabama. Birmingham police said he will be held without bond. Authorities have not yet publicly detailed the evidence that led investigators to seek the murder charge.
The arrest marks a major development in a case that has remained unresolved since the summer of 2024.
Cottrell was reported missing on July 4, 2024, after spending the holiday with family and friends in Birmingham. Police said he was last seen in the East Lake area. Investigators searched the neighborhood in the days that followed, recovering some of Cottrell’s belongings and reviewing surveillance footage that helped narrow the search area.
On July 6, officers discovered Cottrell’s body inside a detached shed behind an abandoned residence in the 7800 block area of Fifth Avenue South. His death was subsequently ruled a homicide. Later reporting based on records identified Cottrell’s cause of death as asphyxiation.
Morris quickly became a central figure in the investigation. Birmingham police identified him as a person of interest, saying investigators believed he was the last person to see or hear from Cottrell before his disappearance. At that stage, however, Morris had not been charged with a crime.
Morris’ attorney, Victor Revill, pushed back against speculation surrounding his client in 2024. Revill said Morris loved Cottrell, was grieving his death and wanted answers himself. The attorney also said Morris would not provide additional statements to investigators on the advice of counsel.
For more than two years, investigators continued working the case without announcing an arrest.
That changed this week when Morris was taken into custody in Miami.
Birmingham Police Chief Michael Pickett said the arrest demonstrated the department’s commitment to continuing investigations even when significant time has passed.
“We never stop working for justice,” Pickett said following the arrest.
Cottrell’s death attracted widespread attention after his disappearance in 2024. Friends and relatives described him as a creative and accomplished young man. He worked in marketing, was pursuing doctoral studies and was also involved in dance and entertainment. His family repeatedly called for answers as the homicide investigation stretched from months into years.
Morris’ arrest represents the most significant development announced publicly in the case since Cottrell’s death.
Police have not yet released additional information explaining what evidence emerged during the investigation or what specifically led authorities to charge Morris more than two years after Cottrell was killed.
Morris now faces a murder charge in Alabama and is awaiting extradition from Florida.
The criminal case remains pending. A murder charge is an allegation, and Morris is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
