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Steven Martinez, 30, and Timothy Davis, 27, were charged on Wednesday, Aug. 7 with murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and weapons offenses, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said in a news release on Monday, Aug. 12. Malik Boone, 30, also from Egg Harbor City, was wanted on the same charges.
The three were accused of taking part in the shooting death of 21-year-old Demond Cottman of Atlantic City on Friday, Nov. 25, 2016. Hamilton Township police responded to reports of shots fired in the parking lot at Hamilton Mall at around 1:15 a.m.
Cottman was pronounced dead at the scene. A second victim was also found shot in the leg and the Associated Press reported the victim was Demond's 26-year-old brother Shadi Cottman of Clayton.
Martinez and Davis were in jail, while Boone was considered a fugitive.
Cottman was a 2013 graduate of Atlantic City High School, according to a 2017 ordinance passed by city council. That ordinance renamed Presbyterian Avenue as Demond "Oskii" Cottman Way in memory of the lifelong city resident.
The city said Cottman was a U.S. Air National Guard member. He was a volunteer coach for the Atlantic City Dolphins and played for the youth football team he played for as a boy.
The team retired Cottman's number 28 after his death, according to a YouTube video of the jersey retirement ceremony.
Cottman helped create "We The People," a charity group dedicated to helping people without homes in the city and throughout South Jersey.
Cottman was also part of the "The SPE@K Project," which was a 2013 short film that addresses problems facing teens and young adults like bullying, dating violence, and mental illness.
"The film is meant to encourage dialogue among viewers," the film's IMDb page said. "Its thematic content has the potential to create conversations that save lives."
Before his death, Cottman had become a new father and was an electrical apprentice, the AP also reported.
Anyone with information about Cottman's killing should call the county prosecutor's office at 609-909-7800. You can also submit a tip online at ACPO.tips.
You can also call the Crime Stoppers of Atlantic County at 609-652-1234 or 1-800-658-8477.
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