When Ennis Cosby stopped his automobile on the side of a Los Angeles freeway to fix a tire, Mikhail Markhasev shot and killed him while trying to rob him.

Ennis Cosby’s dyslexia was not officially identified until he was in college. He decided to help other students with learning challenges in the future.

Unaffected by subsequent controversies, Bill Cosby was considered one of America’s most humorous individuals by the 1990s. Unfortunately, a great tragedy occurred for the well-known comic when his only kid, Ennis Cosby, was shot and killed in Los Angeles while changing a tire.

Ennis, who assisted Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show and provided his father with endless material for laughs, experienced a flat tire while on vacation in Los Angeles. An 18-year-old named Mikhail Markhasev tried to rob him while he was attempting to replace it, but instead shot him.

The Cosby family appointed two individuals to take responsibility for his death in the tragic aftermath. They stated that while Markhasev was the one who fired the gun that killed Ennis, the violent act was driven by prejudice in America.

This is the sad story of Ennis Cosby’s life and death, the only kid of the discredited former “America’s Dad.”

Ennis William Cosby, born on April 15, 1969, immediately drew his father’s attention. The famous comedian Bill Cosby and his wife Camille already had two girls, and Bill strongly desired to have a male as their third child.

Bill, who was very happy to have a kid, often included his interactions with Ennis in his funny performances. And Bill based his own child, Ennis Cosby, on Theo Huxtable when he helped create The Cosby Show, which was on TV from 1984 to 1992.

As reported by The Los Angeles Times, Bill depicted Theo Huxtable as a student who first struggled academically but later overcame his learning difficulties by injecting Ennis’s experiences with dyslexia into the show.

That’s precisely how Ennis Cosby’s life unfolded. Cosby started participating in specialized classes after being diagnosed with dyslexia. His scholastic achievements were exceptional, and he eventually enrolled in Teachers College at Columbia University in New York City after transferring from Morehouse College in Atlanta.

The Los Angeles Times reported that Bill Cosby’s son expressed interest in obtaining a PhD in special education, specifically focusing on challenges related to reading.

Ennis Cosby expressed in an article that “I have faith in opportunities, so I don’t abandon individuals or children,” as reported by The Washington Post.

“I believe that fewer students, including myself, will be overlooked if teachers are more knowledgeable about the signs of dyslexia and learning difficulties in the classroom,” the young person stated.

Cosby acquired his father’s sense of humor as well as being good-looking and sporty. Bill Cosby once humorously remembered a situation where he made a promise to Ennis that he would give him his dream Corvette if he did better in school. Ennis asked his dad for his opinion on a Volkswagen, as reported by Bill.

Unfortunately, Ennis Cosby’s life was sadly terminated at the age of only 27.

Ennis Cosby flew to Los Angeles in January 1997 to see friends. However, on January 16, at around 1 a.m., he encountered an unplanned tire issue while driving his mother’s Mercedes SL convertible on Interstate 405, in the Bel Air area.

As per OK! magazine, Cosby requested help from Stephanie Crane, the woman he was dating. Cosby was advised to contact a towing company by the woman who had parked in front of him, but Ennis was determined that he could repair the tire on his own. Later, when Crane was still in her vehicle, a guy approached the window.

His name was Mikhail Markhasev. Markhasev, an 18-year-old Ukrainian immigrant, and his friends were loitering in a nearby parking lot when they spotted Ennis and Crane’s cars. Markhasev reportedly approached the cars while under the influence, intending to steal from them.

He began by heading to Crane’s car. She drove away with a sense of concern. He went on to confront Ennis Cosby after that. However, Markhasev shot him in the head because he waited too much time to give him his money.

The Cosby family and the whole world were very saddened by the news. An emotional Bill Cosby said on television, “He was my hero.” During that time, CNN faced criticism for broadcasting footage of Ennis Cosby’s body lying on the roadside.

However, it took some time and a crucial clue for investigators to locate Ennis Cosby’s murderer. An old friend of Markhasev called Christopher So reached out to the police after the National Enquirer offered $100,000 for any information about Ennis Cosby’s death.

According to the Associated Press, he allegedly proceeded to look for the gun that Markhasev had used in Ennis’s killing with someone else. As per the authorities, Markhasev proudly said, “I fired at an individual.” The news is widely covering it.

When the 18-year-old was caught by police in March, they found the gun he had discarded wrapped in a hat that had DNA evidence connecting him to Markhasev. In July 1998, he was convicted of first-degree murder and subsequently sentenced to life in prison.

Erika, Ennis Cosby’s sister, talked to journalists as they left the courthouse, even though the Cosby family did not release a statement following Markhasev’s sentencing. She was allegedly asked whether she was relieved and answered, “Yeah, finally,” according to The Washington Post.

Nevertheless, the death of Ennis Cosby would cause ongoing pain for his family in other ways.

Following the death of Ennis Cosby at the hands of Mikhail Markhasev, Cosby’s family faced difficulties in understanding the devastating event. In a compelling article that was published in USA Today in July 1998, Ennis’s mother, Camille, attributed her son’s death to racism in America.

She stated, “I believe that America caused our son’s murderer to develop a strong hatred towards black individuals.” Markhasev’s residence in Ukraine, where the black population was virtually non-existent, is likely not the source of his animosity against black individuals.

As per Camille, all African-Americans in America face ongoing risks based on their skin tones, regardless of their economic and academic accomplishments. Unfortunately, my family and I discovered it to be a racial truth in America.

The fact that Mikhail Markhasev refused to accept responsibility for Ennis Cosby’s death increased the distress felt by the Cosby family. He refused to admit firing the rifle until 2001. However, Markhasev officially admitted his guilt and stated that he would no longer be challenging his sentence in February of that same year.

According to ABC, he said, “Even though my appeal has just begun, I don’t want to continue because it is based on lies and deception.” I acknowledge my mistake and I desire to rectify it.

Above all, I would want to express my apologies to the relatives of the victim, Markhasev added. As a Christian, it is my duty and the little I can do considering the significant immorality for which I am accountable.

Years after Ennis Cosby’s death, Bill Cosby’s life has seen a tremendous change. Since the 1990s, when many women have accused the comedian of sexual assault, his popularity has significantly decreased. Prior to his 2021 acquittal of severe indecent assault, Bill was convicted in 2018.

It appears that he has been contemplating his son Ennis Cosby throughout. In an Instagram post, Bill recognized all of his children as the comedian prepared to go on trial in 2017. He said:

“I have strong affection for you Ennis, Ensa, Erika, Erin, Camille, and Evin; continue to persevere for Spirit.”