BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — One year after the tragic disappearance and murder of Deundray Cottrell, his family continues to search for answers. Cottrell, 31, vanished on July 4, 2024, and was found days later in an abandoned shed near 5th Avenue South in East Lake. The Jefferson County Coroner ruled his death a homicide, yet no arrests have been made.
Teresa Cottrell, Deundray’s mother, recalled the moment she learned her son was missing. “About 15 minutes till 9:00 I got a call, and it said Deundray is missing,” she said. Deundray was last seen with his boyfriend at the time, Julian Morris. “I said Julian, where is Deundray? You were the last person with Deundray, you went upstairs, and Deundray never appeared,” Teresa said.
Birmingham police named Morris a person of interest last year and sought to question him.
Victor Revill, an attorney representing Morris, released a statement six days after Cottrell’s disappearance saying, in part, “Mr. Morris wants answers as well and is awaiting those answers after a full and thorough investigation has been completed. Under the advice of counsel, he will not be giving any further statements at this time.” Police noted at the time that Morris and his legal team had not spoken with detectives since Deundray’s body was discovered…