In the late hours of a Thursday night in Marion, Indiana, the life of 23-year-old Mark A. Cotton Jr. was tragically cut short. On November 12, 2015, Cotton was found shot in the backyard of his residence located in the 3400 block of South Nebraska Street. Investigators from the Marion Police Department quickly determined that the shooting was not a random act of violence.
The events leading to his death appeared to be linked to a drug transaction that had gone fatally wrong.
The investigation into the shooting led police to a 17-year-old suspect, Shakur Johnson. On December 29, 2015, Johnson was formally charged with the murder of Mark Cotton. A critical piece of evidence came from text messages found on Cotton's phone, which were traced back to a number associated with Johnson. This information allowed law enforcement to obtain a search warrant for the apartment of Johnson's girlfriend, where they located and apprehended him. During the search, police also discovered bullet cartridges that were consistent with those found at the scene of the crime.
In November 2017, Shakur Johnson was convicted for the murder of Mark Cotton. Following the conviction, he was sentenced to 55 years in prison. However, five years of his sentence were suspended, making him eligible for release in as little as 25 years. Johnson later appealed his conviction, arguing that evidence from his cell phone and statements he made to his probation officer were improperly admitted at trial, but the appeal was denied.
