Atlanta police hope new sketch will solve Georgia Tech grad's cold case murder

ATLANTA - It is a cold case murder which has gone nearly a decade without being solved. Georgia Tech graduate Patrick Cotrona was gunned down during a robbery in East Atlanta.

The family of the 33-year-old cannot believe he has been gone for nearly 10 years.

Thursday morning, the Atlanta Police Department shared a new sketch of the man they believe shot and killed Cotrona, hoping that someone out ther has the one key piece of information that will break the case wide open.

Patrick Cotrona (Supplied)

On May 25, 2013, the video game engineer and graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology was shot and killed during a robbery near the intersection of May and Flat Shoals avenues in East Atlanta. He and two friends were on their way to a pub at the time.

Police say the shooter took off in a dark-colored 4-door vehicle.

Based on descriptions and ballistics evidence, APD Homicide Detective Scott Demeester says investigators connected the murder with two robberies in Kirkwood earlier that night.

The first victims were a couple from North Carolina who were in town for a wedding. The second was a jogger.

Using witness testimony, a GBI sketch artist created a drawing that the victims said was very similar to the gunman's appearance. Police have now commissioned a new drawing from the GBI that shows what the man may look like 10 years later.

Demeester described the crime spree as "completely random acts of violence."

"I've been the homicide unit since 2010 - so over 13 years - and I have only four unsolved cases," Demeester said. "This is the only case that I have where I have no leads."

Robber is described as a skinny Black male who is now in his late 20s or early 30s. He was around 5 feet 10 inches tall.

There is a $25,000 reward for any information leading to an arrest in this case. Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS. Tipsters can remain anonymous.