Man charged in Atlanta stabbing death of Nat King Coleâs great-nephew

A man was arrested Saturday after last month’s stabbing death of Tracy Cole, the grandson of Freddy Cole and great-nephew to Nat King Cole, police said.

Ricardo Gayle is facing a murder charge in connection with the Sept. 14 incident at a downtown Atlanta apartment building that again brought tragedy to a family known for its legendary jazz influence.

There had been air of mystery surrounding Cole’s death. On Saturday, police said investigators determined the stabbing was not a random act.

“The victim and suspect were confirmed to be familiar with each other,” police said in a statement.

Cole, 31, suffered multiple stab wounds around 2 a.m. at the MAA Centennial Olympic Park apartments on Centennial Olympic Park Dr. Authorities did not say if he was found outside or inside the complex. He was rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital but later died from his injuries.

He was a sales representative for former NFL wide receiver Chad Ochocinco’s Eighty5 Cigars brand and was mourned online by the local festival Atlanta Cigar Week, which took place last month. “The Atlanta cigar community is deeply saddened by the loss of such a vibrant soul,” the festival posted on Instagram.

Nat King Cole died from lung cancer in 1965 at age 45 after he had reached an immortal level of fame in his three-decade music career. Freddy Cole, Nat King Cole’s youngest brother, lived a long life and grew to become a jazz legend in his own right. In the 1970s, he relocated his family to Atlanta and lived here until his death in 2020 at the age of 88.

Tracy Cole was among Freddy’s four grandchildren.

After the killing, Gayle, of Union City, was taken into custody by Fairburn police during a traffic stop, according to Atlanta police.

He was booked into the Fulton County Jail on charges of murder, armed robbery, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm or knife during the commission of or attempt to commit certain felonies, and hindering persons making emergency telephone call, online records showed.

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