Atlanta man arrested in Miami 2 years after missing boyfriend found dead in Alabama, police say

More than two years after an Atlanta man was found dead during a Fourth of July trip to his family, police have arrested his boyfriend in Miami for his killing.

Julian Taylor Morris, 33, was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals on Monday and is charged with murder for the death of his then-boyfriend, 31-year-old Deundray Cottrell, the Birmingham Police Department said.

Police say Cottrell was reported missing on July 4, 2024, while visiting his family in Birmingham, Alabama. While searching for the Atlanta man, police say they found clothes believed to belong to Cottrell and surveillance video showing him walking in the area around 4th Avenue North.

On July 6, 2024, officers discovered Cottrell's body in a shed around a block away from his family's home. The case was ruled a homicide, and officials said they believed he had been strangled to death.

Days after the body was discovered, investigators say they identified Julian Taylor Morris as a person of interest, saying that he was the last person to see or hear from Cottrell and had stopped speaking with detectives after Cottrell's body was discovered.

After two years, investigators say Morris was arrested. He is currently being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center without bond pending his extradition back to Alabama.

"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," said Chief of Police Michael Pickett. "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."