Miami-Dade / Instagram Robert Avery Coltrain (left) and Brian Trotter (right)
The body of a young Virginia man who’d been missing for over a week was found in the trunk of his friend’s car in Miami after the driver crashed on a highway, officials said. On Sunday, Florida Highway Patrol officers were responding to a crash on the Palmetto Expressway near Northwest 154th Street in the suburbs of Miami when they noticed a “foul smell” coming from the vehicle, the Miami Herald reported.
Investigators said they found the body of Brian Trotter, 25, in the trunk of the silver Acura, which was being driven by Robert Avery Coltrain, 25. The autopsy showed that Trotter, whose body was “in an advanced stage of decomposition,” had been shot to death, the Herald wrote. Troopers noted that Coltrain made a “spontaneous statement” that the body was male. The 25-year-old was taken to the police station, the Herald reported. Although he didn’t speak to detectives, Coltrain contacted Trotter’s sister from the station and apologized. He told her Trotter had died in Virginia, officials heard.
Miami-Dade County public records show that Coltrain is being held at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where he was booked on Monday afternoon under charges of second-degree murder with a weapon and transportation/violation of human remains.
Authorities Became Suspicious When Coltrain Removed a Glock Gun Case From the Vehicle After the Crash
On Sunday afternoon, authorities responded to the accident involving Coltrain’s silver Acura. Officials told the Herald that the vehicle was driving north in rainy conditions when it crashed. Because they noticed a foul smell, state troopers towed the vehicle to Hialeah’s Westland Mall’s parking lot to investigate.
According to the Herald, Coltrain asked if he could get his things from the vehicle and took out a Glock gun case, sparking suspicion among the troopers. Miami-Dade Detective Omar Manresa’s report of the situation, according to the outlet, stated that they noticed the scent of rotting flesh and flies around the vehicle. When they opened the trunk, they found Trotter’s body “wrapped in a piece of fabric.”
A motive in Trotter’s killing has not been revealed at this time. His father told the Herald, “No one can understand what happened. Hopefully, police can shed a light on what made a friend of over 10 years decide to commit something like that.”
The body was found in Miami which means that state law permits the case to be prosecuted in Florida, but it’s not yet clear if that will be the case.
The Victim’s Family & Friends Set Up a Facebook Group to Raise Awareness About the Missing Rapper
Missing Black male Brian Trotter from Triangle VA. There’s a search planned for 10/24:
Trotter’s family said he was an athlete in high school but had been focusing on a hip-hop career under the name “Kent Won’t Stop,” the Herald reported. According to the outlet, friends said Trotter and Coltrain had known each other for more than 10 years.
Trotter was last seen on Saturday, October 17, when Coltrain picked him up from his house in Triangle, Virginia, near Washington, D.C. Trotter’s father, who lives at the home, said, “I heard a knock on the door. It was Rob. He was very reluctant to talk to me. I noticed he was acting really strange. Usually, Rob comes in the house. This time, he was real distant and nervous and antsy.”
Trotter’s father said the two would be taking promotional photos in Washington, D.C. He told the Herald he remembered embracing his son, “I told him, ‘I love you,’ and he said, ‘I love you.'” Trotter never came home, however, and his family said when they called Coltrain he gave them the run-around, telling them that he’d dropped off Trotter in Washington, D.C. or that he was with another friend, the Herald wrote.
The family filed a missing persons’ report with Prince William County and a Facebook group was set up to share the message and raise awareness about his disappearance. A search was organized for October 24 in Triangle, Virginia. The missing person’s poster and Facebook group description state that Trotter “left with a friend to take photos in DC, and shortly after that an acquaintance posted a threatening social media post.” The aspiring rapper hadn’t been in contact with this family since October 17, the description reads.
On Monday, October 26, the group’s admin posted the following update to Facebook from Trotter’s family:
It is with heavy hearts that we tell you all that Brian was found deceased. We are grateful for your love and support over the last 9 days. Your concern for Brian has lifted us up and is a testament to the light he shined on every one who knew him. In the coming days we ask for your thoughts and prayers and for privacy as we grieve, and as the police thoroughly investigate Brian’s death. Please honor Brian’s memory by celebrating his life, light, and music. Justice for Brian.
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