A man has been arrested in connection with the murder of his partner in a polyamorous relationship that ended in tragedy. Deundray Cottrell, 31, disappeared from a family Fourth of July party in Birmingham, Alabama in 2024 and was found dead two days later, strangled with electrical wire in an abandoned shed. Julian Morris, a former US Marine who formed a throuple with Cottrell and his long-term partner DeEric Williams, has now been charged with the murder after US Marshals arrested him in Miami this week as he attempted to board a cruise ship.

The case went unsolved for two years despite suspicion falling on Morris immediately after Cottrell's disappearance, when witnesses reported him acting bizarrely throughout the search. Morris refused to cooperate with detectives and cut off contact with Williams and Cottrell's family, whilst continuing a successful modelling and entertainment career. The three men had formed SkiiBoyz Entertainment, billing themselves as Atlanta's leading male performance and event hosting group, and maintained a visible public presence through magazine covers and glamorous photoshoots. Investigators recently conducted fresh interviews in Atlanta and reviewed bodycam footage, leading to Morris's arrest; he is being held without bail awaiting extradition to Alabama.