Former UConn Basketball Player Charged With Murdering Mother

Former Connecticut Huskies men’s basketball player Eric Cobb was charged with second-degree murder in relation to the death of his mother, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office told the Florida Times-Union on Tuesday (February 11).

Erika Ellen Winford, 51, was found with “multiple gunshot wounds to the head, stomach and left leg” and wrapped inside blankets and towels in the backyard she shared with her son. Cobb, 28, was found alone inside the home when police arrived at the scene and brought him in for questioning.

Officers discovered “multiple apparent bullet defects” on the floor in the main hallway of the house, along with blood, while other sections appeared to have been cleaned, according to a police report. A “soft case” with an AR-style rifle and a Smith & Wesson 9mm semiautomatic handgun, as well as live rifle and 9mm rounds, were located near Cobb’s bed, while 14 “spent” 9mm shell casings were inside an outdoor trash can taken to the curb.

A male friend of Winford called police after coming to the house to check on her after she didn’t answer her phone, at which point he found a “large amount” of blood and what appeared to be a body inside of a blanket, at which point he contacted another friend about his findings, the department said. The second male friend was with Winford on Sunday (February 9) and said she “appeared apprehensive” about exiting his car while her son was at home.

Another person living nearby told investigators that they heard a woman yell, “he’s going to kill me” and a second neighbor claimed to have heard several gunshots fired on Monday (February 10). Cobb’s brother told police that Eric appeared schizophrenic and was involved in an incident in which he “cursed out” their mother about a month and a half ago.

“He also owned firearms and had been angry lately, according to the report,” the police report stated.

Cobb began his collegiate career at South Carolina during the 2015-16 season before being dismissed after being charged for firing at an occupied car, at which point he transferred to UConn and averaged 3.0 points and 3.4 rebounds in 47 games for the Huskies from 2017 to 2019.