Mike Cox comes from a family where storytelling is a way of life, a tradition passed down through generations. As he puts it, “The title of my memoir is going to be blood and ink because that summarizes my whole family.”
Indeed, Cox’s parents met while covering the murder trial of a contract killer in 1943. The crime, which took place in Littlefield near Lubbock in the lower Texas panhandle, involved the brutal murder of a doctor and his wife while their two-year-old daughter hid in a closet.
Cox’s future parents, Bill Cox and Betty Wilke, were rival reporters then. Their romance blossomed amid the grim details of the trial, leading to an elopement aboard a private airplane owned by the newspaper where Bill worked.
“It was an old open cockpit airplane, even though this was 1947,” Cox recalls. “It was sort of a glorified crop duster. My mother always told me that my dad had brought along a newspaper that had a big page, one story by him, with his byline, and proudly showed it to my mother. Well, when they got over Palo Duro Canyon, they got in some air turbulence, and my mother got nauseated and barfed all over his front-page byline.”
A Young Reporter’s Baptism by Fire
Cox’s journey into journalism began early. As a senior in high school and editor of the school paper, he sold his first story to a true crime magazine. Simultaneously, he wrote a teenage news column for the Austin American-Statesman, where he famously (and incorrectly) predicted that the Beatles would never outlast Sonny and Cher.
But it was on August 1, 1966, that Cox’s instinct for journalism truly sharpened. At just 17 years old, working in production at the Statesman, he heard a broadcast that a sniper was on top of the University of Texas Tower.
“The first bulletin that somebody was shooting from the UT Tower, I put on a snap-on tie and a white shirt and or white shirt and snap-on tie and rushed to the UT campus,” Cox remembers.
He found himself within the four-block range of rifle fire from 25-year-old Charles Whitman, who killed 15 people and wounded 31 others in what was then the deadliest mass shooting by a lone gunman in U.S. history.
A Career Steeped in Crime
In 1970, Cox joined the Austin American-Statesman as a police beat reporter, where he broke the story of notorious serial killer Henry Lee Lucas. Over the years, he would cover hundreds of crime scenes, each seemingly more grisly than the last.
Fifteen years later, Cox transitioned to a new role as the Chief of Media Relations for the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), which oversees state troopers and the legendary Texas Rangers. During his tenure at DPS, I met Cox, covering the state’s darkest moments, including the Luby’s Cafeteria Massacre, the 51-day Branch Davidian cult siege, and the standoff with the Republic of Texas separatists.
The toll of these experiences was significant. “I think I counted up one time I was the spokesman during in 13 cases where a trooper or a DPS officer was killed in the line of duty, including one Texas Ranger,” Cox says. “So I had just, you know, by the time I left the DPS in 2000, I really was pretty murdered out.”
From True Crime Fatigue to True Crime Fascination
Despite being “murdered out,” Cox’s interest in true crime was rekindled by an unlikely source: his wife’s fondness for true crime television shows, especially “Dateline.” The couple set a regular date night to watch the show together.
What began as a lighthearted joke about the popularity of true crime shows eventually inspired Cox’s latest book, “Getting Away With Murder: Learning from Dateline and Other True Crime Shows.”
“So it just occurred to me, you know, I ought to do kind of a fun little tongue-in-cheek book discussing stupid ways that people end up getting caught from murdering someone. And frame it in the context of these were pro tips,” Cox explains. He’s quick to add a disclaimer: “And of course, early in the book, I make a declaration that I ran by my lawyer, and that is that, of course, I have no intention of actually trying to assist anyone in getting away with murder, that this was written as a tongue in cheek spoof, in a way.”
The Surprising Stupidity of Criminals
Throughout his career, Cox has been struck by the often astonishing lack of forethought displayed by criminals. “I began to notice this as a reporter. Most criminals, most murderers, are just plain dumb. I doubt very seriously if many murderers spend much time watching Dateline or other shows or reading True Crime books,” he observes.
This observation is borne out by the actions of real-life criminals. “There are still so many people out there who apparently believe that you can type into your computer, you know, ‘How to Get Away with Murder,’ and that somehow that will not be seen when they start looking at your history.”
True Crime Clichés and the Devil’s Dictionary
In his book, Cox includes a section called “Devil’s Dictionary of True Crime Show Speak,” which pokes fun at the clichés used in true crime shows. These include phrases like “a quiet, well-mannered young man,” “the loner who kept to himself,” and “provide closure to the family.”
“I’d have to call that my favorite part of the book,” Cox says. “You know, as a long-time writer, I have always tried to keep clichés out of my writing, and I can spot the cliché fairly well.”
He offers examples of his tongue-in-cheek definitions: “The line ‘quote he swept her off her feet, right into a shallow grave,’ that is, and ‘she was finally leaving him this time. Unfortunately, she waited too long.'”
Cox notes that these clichés aren’t limited to the narration of true crime shows. “Another fascinating thing that I’ve noticed in watching Dateline and the ilk, and that is that cops have fallen back on these clichés. And I think part of it is that whoever’s interviewing them is basically feeding them the line, like the interviewer will say, ‘Well, that must have broken the case wide open.’ And sure enough, the cop will come back said, ‘Oh yeah, that broke the case wide open.’ And you just hear that almost in every show.”
The Enduring Appeal of True Crime
Despite the often grim subject matter, Cox sees value in the genre. He notes the educational aspect of true crime shows, particularly for women viewers. “I think women are able to identify with that more so than a man. And I think also from some of the stuff that I read, and I think I use it in the book, is that some women watch these shows with a mind of toward, you know, learning from them and in ways that they can stay safe,” he explains.
Ultimately, Cox sees the fascination with true crime as a fundamental aspect of human nature. “The interest in true crime goes back, really, to about the time that movable type was invented, if not even farther back, you know, because people just seem to have a fascination about, you know, why would somebody want to kill somebody else, and how did they get caught?” he muses. “You know, how did police finally figure out who done it. And, you know, on a lower level, it’s like the old popular board game, Clue.”
From his early days as a teenage reporter to his current role as a true crime author, Mike Cox’s career has been defined by his ability to shed light on the darkest aspects of human nature. His latest book, with its blend of humor and insight, offers a unique perspective on the true crime genre, inviting readers to laugh even as they learn about the grim realities of murder and its aftermath.
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