Ennis Cosby
Encyclopedia
Ennis William "The Music" Cosby (April 15, 1969 – January 16, 1997) was the son of comedian-actor Bill Cosby
and Camille Cosby. He was murdered in 1997 on Skirball Center Drive, an access road of Los Angeles' 405 Freeway by Mikhail Markhasev.
Several events in the life of Ennis Cosby were intentionally mirrored by the events in the life of his father's fictional son, Theo Huxtable, portrayed by Malcolm Jamal Warner on NBC
's The Cosby Show
(1984–1992). Both Ennis and Theo had four sisters: two older, two younger. Both had academic problems in middle school and high school. Both were diagnosed with dyslexia
and excelled academically in college
. Additionally, both sought master's degrees in education from elite colleges in New York City
: Ennis at Columbia University
, and Theo at New York University
.
Similarly, the character Griffin Vesey, portrayed by Doug E. Doug
on CBS
's Cosby
(1996–2000), was a surrogate son to Bill Cosby's character on that series. Griffin eventually became a teacher, as Ennis had aspired to become.
Although he performed on stage in high school, Ennis was not a public figure. He attended Eaglebrook School
and graduated from George School
, in Newtown
, Pennsylvania
, and Morehouse College
, in Atlanta, Georgia
. In 1990 he attended Landmark College
.
Cosby aspired to become a special education teacher after he overcame his dyslexia. At the time of his death, he was a student at Teachers College, Columbia University
, and was a Sunday school teacher in the Bronx.
got a flat tire along Interstate 405
, Los Angeles
. He pulled his vehicle near the off-ramp on Skirball Center Drive and phoned Crane, explaining what had happened. Crane drove out to meet Cosby and focused the lights of her vehicle on the Mercedes's flat tire to illuminate it.
As Cosby was changing the tire, Mikhail Markhasev, a Ukrainian immigrant who worked at a nearby restaurant, approached the driver-side window of Crane's vehicle and pulled a gun on her. Crane sped 20–50 feet down the street then turned the vehicle around to retrieve Cosby; by the time Crane got back to Cosby's vehicle, he had been shot in the head, and Crane could see Markhasev running down the street. Crane was unable to describe the killer, except that he resembled a character in the film Dead Man Walking
.
In the aftermath of Cosby's death, America's Most Wanted
and The National Enquirer
offered a reward for information leading to the killer's arrest. One of Markhasev's co-workers phoned the Enquirer, giving them Markhasev's name and telling them that Markhasev had bragged on the night of the killing that before work he'd shot a black man and that it was on the news.
According to prosecutor
s, Markhasev demanded money from Cosby, then shot him in the head because he was moving too slowly. Markhasev was convicted after a jury trial. His DNA
was found in a cap wrapped around the murder weapon, and a man to whom Markhasev had sent incriminating letters and told of the location of the murder weapon testified against him.
After Bill Cosby spoke out against giving Markhasev the death penalty, Markhasev was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus 10 years.
Markhasev confessed his guilt in 2001 in a letter to the court stating he wished to discontinue his appeals, also stating in the letter that he, "Wanted to do the right thing...More than anything, [he] wanted to apologize to the victim's family." Markhasev is serving his sentence in Corcoran State Prison.
Ennis Cosby's funeral
was held at the Cosby estate in Shelburne, Massachusetts
, where he was interred
.
In 2000, Bill Cosby started a scholarship in Ennis Cosby's name at Franklin & Marshall College
in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Ennis would often use the phrase "Hello, friend", a term Cosby would later adopt. The phrase would become Little Bill's on his eponymous Nickelodeon television series
.
Bill Cosby
William Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr. is an American comedian, actor, author, television producer, educator, musician and activist. A veteran stand-up performer, he got his start at various clubs, then landed a starring role in the 1960s action show, I Spy. He later starred in his own series, the...
and Camille Cosby. He was murdered in 1997 on Skirball Center Drive, an access road of Los Angeles' 405 Freeway by Mikhail Markhasev.
Life
Ennis' father, Bill Cosby, mined family life for much of his material, but kept the family itself quite private. Thus, much of what is known of Ennis' early life is seen through the filter of his father's comedy sketches and TV shows.Several events in the life of Ennis Cosby were intentionally mirrored by the events in the life of his father's fictional son, Theo Huxtable, portrayed by Malcolm Jamal Warner on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's The Cosby Show
The Cosby Show
The Cosby Show is an American television situation comedy starring Bill Cosby, which aired for eight seasons on NBC from September 20, 1984 until April 30, 1992...
(1984–1992). Both Ennis and Theo had four sisters: two older, two younger. Both had academic problems in middle school and high school. Both were diagnosed with dyslexia
Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a very broad term defining a learning disability that impairs a person's fluency or comprehension accuracy in being able to read, and which can manifest itself as a difficulty with phonological awareness, phonological decoding, orthographic coding, auditory short-term memory, or rapid...
and excelled academically in college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
. Additionally, both sought master's degrees in education from elite colleges in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
: Ennis at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, and Theo at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
.
Similarly, the character Griffin Vesey, portrayed by Doug E. Doug
Doug E. Doug
Douglas Bourne, better known as Doug E. Doug is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, producer, and film director. He started his career at age 17 as a stand-up comedian...
on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
's Cosby
Cosby
Cosby is a situation comedy television series broadcast on CBS from September 16, 1996 to April 28, 2000, loosely based on the British sitcom One Foot in the Grave. The program starred Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashād...
(1996–2000), was a surrogate son to Bill Cosby's character on that series. Griffin eventually became a teacher, as Ennis had aspired to become.
Although he performed on stage in high school, Ennis was not a public figure. He attended Eaglebrook School
Eaglebrook School
Eaglebrook School is an independent junior boarding school for boys in Deerfield, Massachusetts. It is located on the Pocumtuck Range near Deerfield Academy and sited on a campus which is also preserved by the Deerfield Wildlife Trust....
and graduated from George School
George School
George School is a private Quaker boarding and day high school located on a rural campus near Newtown, Pennsylvania, USA. It was founded at its present site in 1893, and has grown from a single building to over 20 academic, athletic, and residential buildings...
, in Newtown
Newtown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Newtown is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,248 at the 2010 census. It is located just west of the Trenton, New Jersey metropolitan area, and is part of the larger Philadelphia metropolitan area. It is entirely surrounded by Newtown Township, from which...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, and Morehouse College
Morehouse College
Morehouse College is a private, all-male, liberal arts, historically black college located in Atlanta, Georgia. Along with Hampden-Sydney College and Wabash College, Morehouse is one of three remaining traditional men's colleges in the United States....
, in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. In 1990 he attended Landmark College
Landmark College
Landmark College is an accredited junior liberal arts college in Putney, Vermont. Founded in 1985 with a first-of-its-kind program for dyslexics by Charles Drake, the school is one of only two in the United States designed exclusively for students with learning disabilities, including ADHD and...
.
Cosby aspired to become a special education teacher after he overcame his dyslexia. At the time of his death, he was a student at Teachers College, Columbia University
Teachers College, Columbia University
Teachers College, Columbia University is a graduate school of education located in New York City, New York...
, and was a Sunday school teacher in the Bronx.
Murder
On the evening of January 16, 1997, Cosby was on his way to visit his friend Stephanie Crane when his Mercedes BenzMercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
got a flat tire along Interstate 405
Interstate 405 (California)
Interstate 405 is a major north–south Interstate Highway in Southern California. It is a bypass of Interstate 5, running along the western areas of the Greater Los Angeles Area from Irvine in the south to near San Fernando in the north...
, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. He pulled his vehicle near the off-ramp on Skirball Center Drive and phoned Crane, explaining what had happened. Crane drove out to meet Cosby and focused the lights of her vehicle on the Mercedes's flat tire to illuminate it.
As Cosby was changing the tire, Mikhail Markhasev, a Ukrainian immigrant who worked at a nearby restaurant, approached the driver-side window of Crane's vehicle and pulled a gun on her. Crane sped 20–50 feet down the street then turned the vehicle around to retrieve Cosby; by the time Crane got back to Cosby's vehicle, he had been shot in the head, and Crane could see Markhasev running down the street. Crane was unable to describe the killer, except that he resembled a character in the film Dead Man Walking
Dead Man Walking (film)
Dead Man Walking is a 1995 American drama film directed by Tim Robbins, who adapted the screenplay from the non-fiction book of the same name...
.
In the aftermath of Cosby's death, America's Most Wanted
America's Most Wanted
America's Most Wanted is an American television program produced by 20th Television, and was the longest-running program of any kind in the history of the Fox Television Network until it was announced on May 16, 2011 that the series was canceled after twenty-three years, with the final episode...
and The National Enquirer
The National Enquirer
The National Enquirer is an American supermarket tabloid now published by American Media Inc . Founded in 1926, the tabloid has gone through a variety of changes over the years....
offered a reward for information leading to the killer's arrest. One of Markhasev's co-workers phoned the Enquirer, giving them Markhasev's name and telling them that Markhasev had bragged on the night of the killing that before work he'd shot a black man and that it was on the news.
According to prosecutor
Prosecutor
The prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries with either the common law adversarial system, or the civil law inquisitorial system...
s, Markhasev demanded money from Cosby, then shot him in the head because he was moving too slowly. Markhasev was convicted after a jury trial. His DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
was found in a cap wrapped around the murder weapon, and a man to whom Markhasev had sent incriminating letters and told of the location of the murder weapon testified against him.
After Bill Cosby spoke out against giving Markhasev the death penalty, Markhasev was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus 10 years.
Markhasev confessed his guilt in 2001 in a letter to the court stating he wished to discontinue his appeals, also stating in the letter that he, "Wanted to do the right thing...More than anything, [he] wanted to apologize to the victim's family." Markhasev is serving his sentence in Corcoran State Prison.
Ennis Cosby's funeral
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
was held at the Cosby estate in Shelburne, Massachusetts
Shelburne, Massachusetts
Shelburne is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 2,058 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.The village of Shelburne Falls is located in the town.- History :...
, where he was interred
Burial
Burial is the act of placing a person or object into the ground. This is accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing an object in it, and covering it over.-History:...
.
Legacy
The Hello, Friend/Ennis William Cosby Foundation was established in 1997 by Bill and Camille Cosby to assist educating those with learning difficulties.In 2000, Bill Cosby started a scholarship in Ennis Cosby's name at Franklin & Marshall College
Franklin & Marshall College
Franklin & Marshall College is a four-year private co-educational residential national liberal arts college in the Northwest Corridor neighborhood of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States....
in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
Ennis would often use the phrase "Hello, friend", a term Cosby would later adopt. The phrase would become Little Bill's on his eponymous Nickelodeon television series
Little Bill
Little Bill is a television show for children on Nick Jr. The stories are based on Bill Cosby's Little Bill book series, set in Philadelphia and feature Bill Jr. learning a lesson or moral. It was developed through research and in consultation with a panel of educational consultants.The show also...
.