Two men plead guilty in murder of Phenix City man
Two men have pleaded guilty in connection with the 2020 murder of a Phenix City man, Anthony Wilborn, whose disappearance and death sparked a nearly five-year investigation.
Anthony Wilborn
District Attorney’s Office’s officials confirmed on Monday, August 18, 2025, Gary Cochran pleaded guilty to Felony Murder in the death of Mr. Wilborn. Just days later, on Friday, August 22, Juavon Williams entered a guilty plea to the same charge.
The State had been prepared to present substantial evidence showing that Mr. Wilborn was abducted on October 21, 2020, after a suspicious vehicle was seen repeatedly driving along his road that morning. He was reported missing that same day, prompting an initial investigation by the Phenix City Police Department.
Nearly ten days later, on October 30, 2020, Mr. Wilborn’s body was found in a creek in Hurtsboro, located in neighboring Russell County. An autopsy confirmed that he died from a gunshot wound to the head.
Breakthroughs in the case came through “DNA analysis of an item left at the abduction scene, which linked Gary Cochran to the crime,” officials stated. Investigators later tied Juavon Williams to the case through surveillance footage showing his vehicle in the area at the time of the abduction. A search of that vehicle uncovered evidence containing Mr. Wilborn’s blood, further connecting both men to the murder.
Formal sentencing for both defendants is scheduled for September 10, 2025, before Honorable Judge Walt L. Gray.
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