Attorney General seeks help in Youngstown cold case

John Cotton

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine is asking the public for any information on a 2008 homicide at a Youngstown automotive repair shop.

John Cotton was shot to death inside Cotton's Automotive Repair Shop in Youngstown on May 22, 2008.

Cotton left his McGuffey Road business that morning to go to a junk yard on Atkinson Street. Later that evening, neighbors noticed the victim's pickup truck parked in front of the shop, but no one answered the business door.

Police later discovered Cotton's body inside the office of the business.

"We urge anyone who knows anything about this case to contact detectives with the Youngstown Police Department," said Attorney General DeWine.

Those with information on this or any other unsolved homicide can also contact the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) at 855-BCI-OHIO or submit a tip through the Ohio Attorney General's website.