02/11/2026
Attorney General Steve Marshall Announces Court of Criminal Appeals Upholds Murder Conviction in Covington County
Tuesday, February 10, 2026
(Montgomery, Ala) - Attorney General Steve Marshall announced that the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the conviction of Teddy Donnell Cozart, 22, of Andalusia, for murder. Cozart was convicted in the Covington County Circuit Court on December 17, 2024.
The evidence at trial showed that on the night of October 19, 2022, an Andalusia police officer responded to a call of shots fired at a local apartment complex. Officers found the victim unresponsive in a parked Dodge Charger. The victim, Treyvous Cobbins, was pronounced dead at the hospital as a result of a gunshot wound to the head. The subsequent police investigation revealed that the victim had been involved in a murder case in nearby Conecuh County and that Cobbins was going to be an essential witness in that case but had been murdered before he could give his testimony.
Covington County District Attorney Walt Merrell’s office successfully prosecuted this case and obtained a guilty verdict. Cozart was sentenced to life imprisonment for his murder conviction. Cozart sought to have his conviction reversed on appeal.
The Attorney General's Criminal Appeals Division handled the case during the appeals process, arguing for the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals to affirm Cozart’s conviction. The Court did so in a decision issued Friday, January 30, 2026.
Attorney General Marshall commended Assistant Attorney General John J. Davis for his successful work on this case and thanked District Attorney Walt Merrell and his staff, for their valuable assistance in defending the murder conviction.
