Ennis Cosby
Ennis Cosby, 1992
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| Time | Approx. 1 a.m. (PST) |
|---|---|
| Date | January 16, 1997 |
| Location | Los Angeles, California |
| Coordinates | 34°07′29.2″N 118°28′32.7″W / 34.124778°N 118.475750°WCoordinates: 34°07′29.2″N 118°28′32.7″W / 34.124778°N 118.475750°W |
| Type | Murder |
| Burial | January 19, 1997 |
| Suspect(s) | Mikhail Markhasev |
| Charges | First-degree murder and attempted robbery |
| Verdict | Guilty |
| Sentence | Life in prison plus 10 years |
On January 16, 1997, Ennis Cosby was killed near Interstate 405 in Los Angeles, California. Cosby, the son of comedian Bill Cosby, was shot in the head by 18-year-old Mikhail Markhasev in a failed robbery attempt. Cosby's death resulted in significant media coverage and public outrage. Seeking the $100,000 reward offered by the National Enquirer, an acquaintance of the shooter provided information that led to Markhasev's arrest in March 1997. Subsequently, Markhasev was tried and convicted of first-degree murder and attempted robbery on July 7, 1998. He was sentenced to life in prison in August 1998. Markhasev maintained his innocence until 2001, when he admitted committing the murder and asked that appeals in his case stop.
Ennis William Cosby (April 15, 1969 – January 16, 1997) was the third child and only son of American comedian Bill Cosby and his wife, Camille Cosby. Cosby, 27, was a graduate student at Columbia University in New York, where he was working toward his doctorate in special education. He had graduated from Morehouse College in 1992, despite struggling with dyslexia, and planned to set up a school for children with learning disabilities.
In the early hours of January 16, 1997, Cosby was visiting friends in Los Angeles and driving north on Interstate 405 through the Sepulveda Pass when, at approximately 1 a.m., he pulled off the freeway onto Skirball Center Drive to fix a flat tire. He called a friend, Stephanie Crane, who drove to meet him; she parked behind him to light the area with her headlights while Cosby changed the tire. She later testified that a man came to her window and told her, "Open the door or I'll kill you." Frightened, Crane drove away but after approximately 50 feet (15 m) turned her car around and came back. She saw a man running away and found Cosby lying on the ground in a pool of blood next to the driver's side of his dark green Mercedes-Benz. He had been shot in the head.
The Cosby family received an outpouring of support from friends and the general public. Truckloads of flowers were delivered to the family's home in New York City, and strangers left flowers on the spot where the murder took place. U.S. President Bill Clinton, Vice President Al Gore and South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu personally called Bill Cosby to offer condolences. Within 36 hours of his death, the high number of calls asking how Cosby's memory could be honored prompted his family to form the Ennis William Cosby Foundation. At the time of its inception, the foundation's purpose was to benefit programs focused on those with learning disabilities. Cosby was buried on January 19, 1997, in Shelburne, Massachusetts, after a funeral held at the family estate.
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