Murder of Ennis Cosby

Ennis William Cosby (April 15, 1969 – January 16, 1997), the only son of American comedian Bill Cosby, was murdered on January 16, 1997, near Interstate 405 in Los Angeles, California.

He was shot in the head by 18-year-old Mikhail Markhasev in a failed robbery attempt.

Cosby was 27 years old.

Cosby's death resulted in significant media coverage, public outrage and an outpouring of support for the Cosby family.

Ennis William Cosby was born April 15, 1969, to actor and comedian Bill Cosby and his wife, Camille Cosby (née Hanks).

He was their third child and only son.

Cosby had four sisters: Erika (b. 1965), Erinn (b. 1966), Ensa (April 8, 1973 – February 23, 2018), and Evin (b. 1976).

When Camille was about to give birth to Ennis, Cosby joked during a television special: "It had better be a boy, you hear, Camille?"

and Camille responded: "Right!"

from offscreen.

Ennis was born at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Los Angeles and grew up in Southern California, Pennsylvania, and New York City.

He attended George School, a private boarding school outside Philadelphia, where he played football, basketball, lacrosse, and track and field.

He suffered from undiagnosed dyslexia, which caused low grades and friction with his parents, both of whom had advanced educational degrees.

Theo Huxtable, Bill Cosby's TV son on The Cosby Show, was based on Ennis, and this was reflected in storylines with Theo struggling in school until he was diagnosed with dyslexia.

It was also written into the script that Cosby's character, Cliff Huxtable, had been wrong in blaming Theo for his poor grades; this mirrored Cosby's real life, as he had felt guilty for thinking Ennis had struggled academically because of a character flaw.

Ennis's dyslexia was diagnosed when he entered Morehouse College in Atlanta, where a friend encouraged him to be tested.

He then spent a summer semester in Putney, Vermont, undergoing intensive academic training at Landmark College, a private university established exclusively for students with learning disabilities.

Ennis later returned to Morehouse, where he made the dean's list when his grade point average jumped from 2.3 to more than 3.5.

In his free time, Ennis tutored students at elementary and high schools and earned a Morehouse bachelor's degree in 1992, which he followed with a master's from Columbia University in New York in 1995.

While at Columbia, he worked at Alfred E. Smith Elementary School and also tutored students struggling with learning disabilities.

His friends recalled that he kept a low profile and did not want special treatment, and would just say that his father worked "in business" when asked why he had lived in three states.

At the time of his death at 27, Ennis was working toward his doctorate in special education at Columbia University's Teachers College and also planned to set up a school for children with learning disabilities.

He once wrote, "The happiest day of my life occurred when I found out I was dyslexic. I believe that life is finding solutions, and the worst feeling to me is confusion."

Ennis was recalled as friendly and outgoing, and he would greet people saying "Hello, friend," a greeting that became his legacy as described in the children's television show Little Bill created by his father.

The character Little Bill was also based on Ennis.

His parents had the phrase put on a sign near his grave, and several months after his death, his father released a jazz collection titled Hello, Friend: To Ennis With Love.

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.

In January 1997, Cosby was in Los Angeles during the winter break from his classes at Columbia University.

In the early hours of January 16, after visiting friends in the city, he was driving north on Interstate 405 through the Sepulveda Pass.

At approximately 1:00a.m. PST, he pulled off the freeway onto Skirball Center Drive to fix a flat tire of his dark green Mercedes-Benz.

He called his girlfriend, 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 said, "Open the door or I'll harm you."

Frightened, Crane drove away.

After moving approximately 50 ft away, she heard a gunshot and immediately drove back to Cosby's location.

She saw a man running away and discovered Cosby lying on the ground, by the driver's side of his vehicle, lying in a pool of blood.

He had been shot in the head.

Although it appeared that robbery was a motive, Cosby was still wearing a Rolex watch and had $60 in his pocket.

The Los Angeles Police Department contacted Congresswoman Maxine Waters, who was a close friend of Bill Cosby, to request his phone number.

Subsequently, Markhasev was tried and convicted of first-degree murder and attempted robbery on July 7, 1998, and was sentenced to life in prison the following month.

Markhasev maintained his innocence until 2001, when he admitted to committing the murder and asked that appeals in his case stop.