A double murderer has been sentenced to life in prison following the slaying of his girlfriend. Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell announced that Gary Lenall Cox had been sentenced to life in prison for the violent murder of his girlfriend. Before the murder, Cox had just been released from prison after completing his sentence for the murder of his wife in 2001.
On August 7, Tempe Police responded to a welfare check at a motel. The 911 caller informed police that Cox had said his girlfriend was dead. At the motel, police found the victim deceased on the floor of the motel room. The Medical Examiner’s Office determined that the victim had extensive bleeding in all regions of her brain, roughly twenty rib fractures, and overlapping bruises around her chest and neck.
Authorities say they found evidence that Cox attempted to clean up the crime scene as well as the victim’s wound. Before meeting Cox, the victim was described as a friendly person who would talk to neighbors at the motel. Her behavior reportedly changed after Cox entered the picture. During a video call, Cox’s brother noticed that the victim had a black eye.
On February 13, 2024, Cox was convicted of first-degree murder, kidnapping, and tampering with physical evidence.
Jay Skelton is an independent crime journalist with a passion for covering the uncovered and the under covered.