On a cold afternoon in the Moxham section of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, the life of Marvin Lecon Price, a 41-year-old Black male, was tragically cut short. On January 23, 2023, at approximately 2 p.m., Price was discovered in the driver's seat of his vehicle on the 600 block of Park Avenue, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds. His death was swiftly ruled a homicide by authorities, launching an investigation that would lead across the country.
Surveillance footage from the area of the
shooting became a critical piece of evidence for investigators. The video captured an individual approaching Price's vehicle, leaning into the front seat, and then quickly fleeing the scene. This individual was later identified as 18-year-old Michael Cogdell of Pittsburgh, who had been residing in Johnstown in the days leading up to the fatal encounter. The investigation also brought another individual into focus, 26-year-old Lexus Simms. Simms, who identified herself as Price's wife, was seen removing a phone from Price's vehicle immediately following the shooting. It was later determined that the phone belonged to the suspect, Michael Cogdell.
In the aftermath of the shooting, Cogdell fled the state of Pennsylvania, prompting a multi-state search. He was eventually located and apprehended in Las Vegas in March 2023. Following his capture, Cogdell was extradited back to Pennsylvania to face charges for his alleged role in Price's death. The charges filed against him included criminal homicide and aggravated assault. For her part in the events, Lexus Simms was charged with hindering apprehension and tampering with evidence. In a significant development in the case, Michael Cogdell pleaded guilty to third-degree murder in November 2023. Subsequently, he was sentenced to serve 15 to 38 years in a state prison.
