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Conviction January 16, 1997 Homicide

Ennis Cosby

Status Conviction
Type Homicide
Date January 16, 1997
Location Los Angeles, California
Victim Age 27
Gender Male

Ennis Cosby, son of Bill Cosby, was shot while changing a tire on Interstate 405 in Los Angeles. Mikhail Markhasev was convicted of the murder in 1998. The case shocked the entertainment world. Markhasev later recanted his confession and wrote a letter from prison claiming innocence.

Ennis Cosby is documented in the ColdCaseIndex database as a homicide case in Los Angeles, California. The events are dated to January 16, 1997. The victim is recorded as 27 years old and male. The last known information on record places the case at January 16, 1997, I-405 near Bel Air, Los Angeles, CA.

Within the ColdCaseIndex taxonomy, Ennis Cosby is filed under Homicide with a status of Conviction. A homicide entry documents a killing in which the perpetrator has not been identified, has not been convicted, or where the case is otherwise historically notable. The record is cross-referenced under the themes homicide, celebrity family, California, conviction, Bill Cosby son, which connect it to related cases across the database.

The Ennis Cosby case ended in a criminal conviction. It is retained in this index as a historically significant case — one whose investigation, prosecution, or aftermath shaped forensic practice, criminal law, or the public understanding of violent crime.

Primary jurisdiction for the Ennis Cosby case rests with local law enforcement in Los Angeles, supported by California state investigative authorities. The case sits within a wider national picture: the U.S. homicide clearance rate has fallen from roughly 90% in the 1960s to about 54% today, and more than 346,000 homicides recorded since 1965 remain unsolved. ColdCaseIndex documents individual cases like this one to keep them publicly visible and searchable.

homicide celebrity family California conviction Bill Cosby son
Last Known Information
January 16, 1997, I-405 near Bel Air, Los Angeles, CA
Date of Incident
January 16, 1997
Current Status
Conviction

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