On a Tuesday morning in Council Bluffs, Iowa, the life of 44-year-old Millisa Cox came to a tragic end. On October 15, 2013, a neighbor witnessed a distressing scene as Millisa emerged from her home, sat by a tree, and cried out for help. She was quickly taken to a nearby hospital, but tragically, she was pronounced dead. An investigation revealed she had been shot in the back with a revolver.
When police arrived at the Cox residence, the situation escalated into a tense standoff.
Millisa's husband, 55-year-old Darwin Cox, had barricaded himself inside the house. The seriousness of the situation prompted the dispatch of a negotiator and a SWAT unit to the scene. After nearly two hours, officers breached the home and found Darwin Cox on the floor. He had sustained a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his chin, which was determined to be non-life-threatening.
The investigation concluded that Darwin Cox had fatally shot his wife before turning the gun on himself in a failed suicide attempt. He was subsequently hospitalized for his injury. Following the investigation, Darwin Cox pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, intimidation with a dangerous weapon with intent, and going armed with intent for the death of his wife.