In the winter of 2012, the life of a young, aspiring rapper from Huntsville, Alabama, was tragically cut short in a violent encounter. On the evening of December 4, 21-year-old Larry Christopher Cole was fatally shot at a music recording studio on Poole Drive. The events of that night unfolded as a robbery, orchestrated by four individuals who believed Cole was in possession of money or other valuable items at the studio.
The plan was set in motion when Christopher Baker, an acquaintance
of Cole, made contact under the guise of purchasing marijuana. Baker arrived at the studio with three other men: Mardez Hobbs, Travius Washington, and Dederick Derrick. After Baker went inside and engaged with Cole, he allowed Washington to enter, who was carrying a high-powered rifle. A struggle broke out between Washington and Cole, and in the ensuing chaos, Cole was shot and killed. During the altercation, Baker also sustained an accidental gunshot wound. Throughout the deadly confrontation, Hobbs and Derrick remained outside the studio. The assailants ultimately fled with only a small quantity of marijuana.
The investigation into Larry Christopher Cole's murder led to the arrests of all four men involved. In the years that followed, three of the four would face justice for their roles in the fatal robbery. In October 2015, Christopher Baker pleaded guilty to murder and was handed a life sentence. The following month, Travius Washington, who was 17 at the time of the shooting, also entered a guilty plea and received a 30-year prison sentence. In January 2016, Mardez Hobbs admitted his part in the crime and was also sentenced to life in prison. The fourth individual, Dederick Derrick, was scheduled to face trial in March of 2016.
