Today in History: Enis Cosby Shot to Death 15 Years Ago by North Hollywood Teen

Fifteen years ago today, Enis Cosbsy, the son of famous comedian Bill Cosby, was shot to death on Skirball Center Drive in Los Angeles as he was attempting to change a flat tire on his car.

Cosby's killer was Mikhail Markhasev, an 18-year-old Ukranian-born immigrant who lived and worked in North Hollywood.

The killing shocked the country and made international headlines due to Bill Cosby being one of America's most beloved entertainers. Enis was said to have been the inspiration for the character of Theo Cosby on The Cosby Show, one of the most popular television shows of all time. Enis was also a frequent subject in many of Bill Cosby's famous stand-up routines.

A March 15, 1997 story in the New York Times revealed many details about Markhasev, who was described as a quiet loner who had frequent brushes with the law and was "a kid really hard beyond his years," according to one police investigator. 

Markhasev worked at Mainly Seconds Pottery and Plants on Magnolia Boulevard in North Hollywood (now Valley Village).

The store's owner, Jim Herzoff, remembered Markhasev as ''someone who was really nice to customers, spoke good English, always on time to work -- and that's about all there is to say.''

Mainly Seconds closed last year after 36 years in business. to read an interview with Herzoff on one of his final days in business.

In 2001, Markhasev admitted killing Cosby in a letter to California Deputy Attorney General Kyle Brodie, where he also dropped all requests for an appeal, according to ABC News. 

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