Attorney General Steve Marshall announced that the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals has upheld the murder conviction of Teddy Donnell Cozart, 22, from Andalusia. Cozart was convicted in Covington County Circuit Court on December 17, 2024, for the murder of Treyvous Cobbins.
According to trial evidence, on October 19, 2022, an Andalusia police officer responded to reports of gunfire at a local apartment complex. Officers found Cobbins unresponsive in a parked Dodge Charger. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital due to a gunshot wound to the head. The investigation revealed that Cobbins had been involved in a separate murder case in Conecuh County and was expected to be a key witness before he was killed.
The Covington County District Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case and secured a guilty verdict against Cozart, who received a life sentence. Cozart appealed his conviction.
The Attorney General’s Criminal Appeals Division managed the appeals process and argued for affirmation of Cozart’s conviction before the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals. The court affirmed the conviction on January 30, 2026.
Attorney General Marshall stated: “I commend Assistant Attorney General John J. Davis for his successful work on this case and thank District Attorney Walt Merrell and his staff for their valuable assistance in defending the murder conviction.”
The Alabama Attorney General’s office serves as the chief law enforcement agency for the state, providing legal representation and services such as prosecuting crimes and supporting victims (official website). The office works across all counties in Alabama with statewide jurisdiction (official website). It also focuses on initiatives aimed at reducing violent crime and enhancing public safety (official website). Steve Marshall has served as Alabama’s forty-eighth attorney general since February 10, 2017 (official website).