Theresa Cox, a 9-year-old girl from Mattoon, Illinois, tragically lost her life on April 27, 1968. Theresa, along with her siblings, was a victim of a horrific crime that shocked the local community. On that fateful day, Theresa, along with her siblings Louis Cox (age 16), Mary Cox (age 8), Gary Cox (age 7), and Kenneth Cox (age 5), was found dead.
The children were discovered in various locations around their home, with Theresa and Mary found about 200 yards from the house in a corncrib.
The investigation into the deaths of Theresa Cox and her siblings led to the arrest of Thomas Charles Fuller, II. Fuller was charged with the murders of the five children and subsequently convicted on October 23, 1968, after pleading guilty to five counts of murder. The court proceedings revealed that Fuller had shot and killed the children, a crime that left the community in deep sorrow and disbelief. During the hearing in aggravation and mitigation, which lasted from November 4 to November 11, 1968, Fuller was sentenced to indeterminate terms of 70 to 99 years for each count of murder.
The legal proceedings surrounding the case were complex. Fuller's defense raised issues regarding the effectiveness of his legal representation, citing a conflict of interest involving one of his attorneys. Despite these claims, the court upheld Fuller's conviction and sentence. The tragic deaths of Theresa Cox and her siblings remain a somber chapter in the history of Mattoon, Illinois, highlighting the devastating impact of such violent crimes on a community.
