His mother 'didn't even see it coming,' son accused of murder allegedly tells deputies

The morning before he fatally shot his mother in the neck, a 21-year-old Greene County man had an argument with his father about the gun that was in the family’s attic, court documents say.

According to court documents, Cox’s father said he put his gun in the attic a year ago to hide it from Cox.

On Tuesday morning, the father left for work, and Cox retrieved the gun, walked into his mother’s home office and shot her in the neck, court document say.

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The incident is described in a probable cause statement used to charge Cox with first-degree murder.

Cox allegedly told a sheriff’s deputy that his mother “didn’t even see it coming.”

According to the statement, Cox recalled his father telling him that morning, “Don’t hurt her,” and Cox said that his father’s words “didn’t resonate well with me.”

The statement said Cox explained that he shot his mother because she was “always being down” and so he thought he would "end that." Cox allegedly said his mother was in pain because of his actions.

Angela Cox was 53.

Her body was found that evening by her husband at their home in the 4000 block of East Whitehall Drive, the statement said, and he called 911.

The husband allegedly said he had exchanged text messages with his wife at about 9 a.m. but had not heard from her after that.

Deputies found bloody footprints in the office, the statement said, and Angela Cox’s car, a red Toyota SUV, was missing.

Conner Cox was found and arrested early Wednesday morning in his mother’s car near a subdivision in Taney County, the statement said.

He is currently being held in the Greene County Jail without bond, according to court records.

Photos: Deputies respond to apparent homicide

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