On January 29, 2022, Rhonda Cox, a 38-year-old resident of Fayetteville, West Virginia, and her husband, James Neal, 34, were found dead in their residence on Dempsey Road. The incident was reported following a 911 call received by the Fayette County Sheriff's Department around 4:45 a.m..
The primary suspect in this double homicide is Carl Cox, Rhonda's father. At the time of the incident, Carl Cox was 59 years old and a resident of Fayetteville. He was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of his daughter and son-in-law. When deputies arrived at the scene, they found Carl Cox and another individual in the yard with their hands raised.
The second individual was not charged, as he was asleep at the time of the incident and had no involvement.
The investigation, which involved multiple agencies including the Fayette County Sheriff's Department and the West Virginia State Police forensic lab, revealed that the double shooting was of a domestic nature. According to Chief Deputy Rod Perdue of the Fayette County Sheriff's Department, the shooting occurred following an argument. Carl Cox was found to be in possession of a seven-shot revolver chambered in. 357 magnum, which was used in the killings.
During the trial, which concluded on February 16, 2024, after several delays, Carl Cox presented a defense that contradicted the evidence gathered by the prosecution. Cox claimed that James Neal had taken the gun from the bathroom and shot Rhonda, and that he had then wrestled the gun away from Neal and used it in self-defense. However, this version of events was disputed by the prosecution, which presented surveillance video footage from the home's security system. The video showed that Cox had the gun with him throughout the time leading up to the shootings and did not leave it in the bathroom as he claimed. This evidence, along with testimony from family members and Cox's former cellmate, suggested that Cox may have feared that Rhonda and Neal would reveal an alleged incestuous relationship between him and his daughter, which prosecutors argued was the motive for the murders.
The prosecution, led by Fayette County Prosecuting Attorney Anthony Ciliberti, presented a compelling case that led the jury to return a guilty verdict on both counts of first-degree murder in under an hour. The jury recommended mercy, which made Carl Cox eligible for parole after serving at least 30 years of his two consecutive life sentences. During the sentencing hearing on April 22, 2024, Carl Cox threatened the life of Prosecuting Attorney Ciliberti, but this outburst did not significantly impact the judge's decision. Judge Paul Blake handed down the maximum penalty permissible by law, emphasizing the seriousness of the crime and Cox's lack of remorse throughout the trial.
Carl Cox and his family have indicated their intention to appeal the verdict, disputing the allegations of an incestuous relationship and claiming there was insufficient evidence to support the conviction. However, the prosecution's case, supported by extensive evidence and testimony, has been deemed robust by the court and law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation.
