# Arrest in 2024 Birmingham murder case

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/arrest-in-2024-birmingham-murder-case
> Updated: 2026-09-18T23:25:00.000Z. Sources: 3. Developments: 2.

In September 2026, authorities arrested 33-year-old Julian Taylor Morris in connection with the 2024 murder of Deundray Cottrell in Birmingham, Alabama. U.S. Marshals apprehended Morris in Miami, Florida, as he was preparing to board a cruise.

Cottrell, a 31-year-old doctoral student and dancer from Atlanta, disappeared on July 4, 2024, while visiting family in Birmingham. His body was discovered two days later inside a shed with an electrical cord around his neck. Investigators noted that Morris was the last person to see or hear Cottrell alive and suggested the two may have been in a romantic relationship.

Morris has been charged with murder and is being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center pending extradition to Alabama. Birmingham Police Department Chief Michael Pickett stated the arrest reflects the department’s commitment to pursuing violent crime and seeking justice for the victim’s family.

## Timeline

### 2026-09-18: Birmingham man arrested for alleged murder of boyfriend

U.S. Marshals arrested 33-year-old Julian Taylor Morris in Miami for the alleged July 2024 murder of Deundray Cottrell in Birmingham, Alabama.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/birmingham-man-arrested-for-alleged-murder-of-boyfriend

### 2026-09-15: Julian Taylor Morris arrested in 2024 Birmingham murder case

Julian Taylor Morris has been arrested by U.S. Marshals for the 2024 murder of Deundray Cottrell in Birmingham, Alabama, more than two years after the victim was found dead.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/julian-taylor-morris-arrested-in-2024-birmingham-murder-case

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Cite as: Arrest in 2024 Birmingham murder case. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/arrest-in-2024-birmingham-murder-case