Man Makes Shocking Admission Just Before Being Put to Death
On Nov. 17 at 6:12 p.m., 50-year-old David Cox Neal became the first person in nine years to die by execution in the state of Mississippi.
His execution by lethal injection was carried out at the Mississippi State Penitentiary after he confessed to the murder of his wife and sexual assault of his young stepdaughter in 2010.
According to WAPT, Cox shot his wife Kim Kirk Cox in the stomach and then sexually assaulted his stepdaughter Lindsey Kirk (who was 12 at the time) as her mother died.
He pleaded guilty to the heinous crime. In a statement released on behalf of Governor Tate Reeves, the execution was imminent — Cox himself requested it, saying he was “worthy of death,” according to the New York Post.
“The governor has reviewed the facts of this case and there is no question that David Cox committed these horrific crimes,” the statement released by press secretary Bailey Martin read.
“Mr. Cox has admitted his guilt on multiple occasions and has been found competent by both the Circuit Court and Mississippi Supreme Court. Further, Mr. Cox himself filed a motion requesting that all appeals be dismissed and his execution date be set. In light of this, the Governor has no intention at this time of granting clemency or delaying this execution.”
“The Attorney General’s Office has the responsibility of ensuring the faithful performance of the laws of the state, which have culminated in the Supreme Court’s order of this execution,” read another statement released by Michelle Williams, Chief of staff for Attorney General Lynn Fitch.
“Beyond that, out of respect for the families of the victims and the condemned, we will not comment.”
Cox’s last meal consisted of fried catfish, french fries, cornbread and banana pudding. Lindsey Kirk, now 23, and other family members witnessed the execution.
According to the Post, Cox addressed his children in his final words.
“I want my children to know that I love them very much and that I was a good man at one time,” Cox reportedly said. He thanked the state corrections commissioner for being kind to him and advised, “Don’t ever read anything but the King James Bible.”
Two days after Cox’s death, District Attorney John Weddle’s office was contacted with information of a kind of “deathbed” confession Cox had made, as he had “felt deep remorse and wanted to bring closure,” according to a statement by Mississippi’s Office of Capital Post-Conviction Counsel.
Cox, who had long been considered a suspect in the disappearance of his sister-in-law, Felicia Cox, admitted to her murder, too, directing authorities to a place where they would allegedly find her remains.
In July 2007, Felicia Cox went missing after visiting Kim Kirk Cox, and had never been seen again. Cox reportedly waived his attorney-client privilege upon death and came clean with the confession to his attorneys as he waited for execution.
On Monday, Weddle’s office released a statement regarding this confession and revealed that an area of Pontotoc County, where Felicia Cox was last seen, would be investigated.
“We would like to stress that locating the remains of Felicia Cox is not a foregone conclusion,” Weddle said.
“We are hopeful that the information is accurate and that recovery efforts will be successful so that Felicia’s family may give her a proper burial.”
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