FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. — A Fayette County man who murdered his daughter and son-in-law two years ago went on a verbal tirade when he was sentenced Monday in Fayette County Circuit Court.
Carl Cox, 62, of Fayetteville, threatened to kill Fayette County Prosecutor Anthony Ciliberti and Fayette County Sheriff Mike Fridley, Ciliberti said.
“He had a boisterous outburst laden with expletives, cussing at the judge, cussing at me, we’re all out to get him (Cox said) and that’s been part of his defense and that Fayette County is out to get him,” Ciliberti told MetroNews following Monday’s sentencing.
Cliberti said Cox killed his daughter, Rhonda Cox, 38, and her husband Jimmy Neal, 34, in the bedroom of their Fayetteville residence in January 2022. Cox told an inmate at the jail he did it because the couple was threatening to tell police about many years of incest between Cox and his daughter that began when she was a minor.
Cox had another story. He told police Neal killed Cox’s daughter and then Neal when shot as he was trying to take the gun away. Ciliberti said home security video contradicted that account.
“It showed he had a gun in his holster when he went upstairs,” Cliberti said.
The jury did find Cox guilty of murder with mercy on both counts. He was sentenced Monday by Fayette County Circuit Judge Paul Blake to serve the life terms consecutively. He’ll have a chance for parole in 30 years when he’s 92.
Cox has shown no remorse, Ciliberti said.
“None whatsoever. He threatened to kill me during the sentencing hearing if he ever got out,” Cliberti said. “Apparently it’s my fault that he is where he is.”
Ciliberti said the murders were senseless.
“There was no reason for these two individuals to be killed, none whatsoever,” he said. “Mr. Cox knows for sure why this happened but regardless the killings were not justified and I don’t believe the evidence showed that they were.”