MESA, Ariz. — The man accused of raping two women in Mesa, and killing one of them, more than 30 years ago was recently tracked down and arrested through DNA technology, police said on Tuesday.
Thomas Cox, 58, is accused of raping and killing 22-year-old Susan Morse at an apartment in 1989. A year later, a 23-year-old woman was raped and robbed at the same complex.
Investigators determined that the man in both crimes was the same person through DNA evidence, but police couldn’t find a suspect and the case went cold.
With DNA tracking technology that wasn’t available at the time, a Mesa police investigation led them to Cox who now lived in Colorado.
FBI agents gathered DNA from Cox at his home in Colorado Springs, and police said it matched the original crime scene evidence.
Police also found out that his mother lived in the same apartment complex on Southern Avenue and Country Club Drive when the first crime happened.
Cox was arrested on March 23 and extradited back to Arizona.
He faces numerous felony charges, including first-degree murder, sexual assault, kidnapping, burglary, aggravated assault, and sexual abuse.
The 23-year-old woman who was also raped by Cox said she never thought this day would come.
"I thought my case was stored somewhere in a dark basement. I am very thankful for Det. Samuel and the Mesa Police Department for never giving up on these cases," the woman said in a statement to police.
To the family of Susan Morse, you have my deepest sympathy. I didn't know Susan but my fight became her fight, my pain became her pain and my tears were her tears.
Never give up on yourself even through all the darkness. My life changed that night but I know that my 9 month old son and I were meant to be here for a purpose and that God protected us.
Thomas Cox took a lot from me that night and throughout the years but I learned how to stop letting him continuously take. I learned how to stop the pain by not giving in and giving it away to him any longer. I learned how to stop being a victim and start being a survivor"
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Silent Witness:
Arizona's Silent Witness program allows people to send in tips and share information about crimes happening within their local communities.
The program shares unsolved felony case information in multiple ways, including TV, radio and social media.
Anyone who has information on a crime or recognizes a suspect described by the program is asked to call 480-948-6377, go to the program's website online or download the Silent Witness app to provide a tip. The identity of anyone who submits a tip is kept anonymous.
Calls to Silent Witness are answered 24/7 by a live person and submitted tips are accepted at all times. Submitted tips are then sent to the detective(s) in charge of the specific case.
Individuals who submit tips that lead to an arrest or indictment in the case can get a reward of up to $1,000.