Bond Denied For Virginia Man Found With Decomposing Body In Trunk After Miami Crash
MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- A Virginia man was denied bond in Miami-Dade County court on Tuesday, after police found a decomposing body in the trunk of his car after he was involved in a crash.
Robert Coltrain, 25, was denied bond on one count of 2nd Degree Murder and $5,000 bond on a charge of illegal transport of human remains. He was also appointed a public defender.
Authorities found the body of aspiring hip-hop artist, Robert Trotter, in the trunk of Coltrain's car after a single vehicle accident on the Palmetto Expressway just south of NW 154th Street near Miami Lakes on Sunday, October 25.
When FHP troopers arrived, they immediately smelled a "foul odor emitting from the rear of the 2009, Silver, Acura RL," according to the police incident report. The car had a Virginia license tag registered to Coltrain.
Due to road conditions and rain, the car was towed to the parking lot of the Westland Mall in Hialeah.
When they got there, Coltrain told police he wanted to take some belongings from the car, including a gun, which he admitted to troopers belonged to him, stated the report.
According to the police report, troopers opened the trunk "as a result of the continuous foul odor and insect presence."
That's when they discovered a body, later identified as Brian Trotter, who disappeared from Triangle, Virginia a week earlier.
The body was wrapped in a piece of fabric and was in an advanced stage of decomposition, according to the police report.
Coltrain then told police "the body in the truck of his vehicle was a male."
Investigators determined Trotter was last seen alive on October 17 after being picked up at his Virginia apartment by Coltrain. The two had been friends for more than a decade. On October 18, Trotter was reported missing by family members who said he was trying to build a hip-hop career. His rap name was "Kent Won't Stop."
The vehicle, with the body inside, was towed to the Medical Examiner's Office where a preliminary examination revealed "he sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his torso."
With a search warrant, police recovered a Glock .45 caliber hand gun. Police also recovered a casing and a projectile which "suggested that the victim was shot at least once inside."
During a recorded call at the Homicide Bureau, the police report states Coltrain apologized and told his sister the shooting took place on Oct. 17 in Virginia.
Detectives are still trying to determine a motive for the killing.
His arraignment is scheduled to take place in three weeks.
