Mississippi man kills wife, holds children hostage for hours

By Janice Broach - bio | email

SHERMAN, MS (WMC-TV) - Flowers were placed in front of a Sherman residence Monday that was the scene of a house of horrors Friday night.   

It was there, according to investigators, that Kim Cox's estranged husband shot her to death in front of her 12-year-old daughter and his 7-year-old son.

"I heard Kim screaming, 'No David, don't,'" Cox's sister, Kristie Salmon, said Monday. "I heard her telling me to run, and when I got outside I heard more gunshots."

David Cox appeared in court in Union County on Monday, charged with first degree murder in his wife's death.  Kim Cox had moved into her sister's house with three of her four children when her husband bonded out of jail a few weeks ago on another charge.  

"He had sent several messages that he was going to kill her and take his boys," Salmon said.

Salmon said Kim Cox was planning on moving to a safe house. Relatives said her estranged husband would drive by point his finger at her and simulate a gun."

After the shooting, investigators said, David Cox held his stepdaughter and son hostage for ten hours.

"Every conversation we had with him over the phone was he was going to kill the children and kill himself," Union County Sheriff Tommy White said.

According to White, investigators did not know that Kim was already dead inside. White said he keeps going over the decisions that were made during negotiations, including not storming the home sooner. There is one decision he is sure of.

"In my opinion we will seek the death penalty," he said.

David Cox had nothing to say Friday as investigators put him in a squad car.

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