Detectives close investigation into Alex Cox’s death
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - The Gilbert Police Department in Arizona has released a heavily redacted report on their findings surrounding Alex Cox's death. Cox is the brother of Lori Vallow Daybell and has been named in connection to the disappearance and deaths of her two children, JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan.
The report features interviews and medical reports that lay out what was discovered in Cox's sudden death in December 2019. This was months before the discovery of Lori's children, but authorities were able to pinpoint the exact location of the children's remains in Chad Daybell's yard based on GPS data from Cox's cell phone.
The report shines light on Alex's new wife, Zulema Pastenes, and his new stepson, Joseph Lopez. According to reports, Lopez was the one who discovered Cox gasping for air on the master bedroom floor.
"Joseph advised me he was in his bedroom with the door closed and his headphones on, when his mother Zulema Pastenes called him and asked him to go check on Alexander," the report states. "…dispatch advised the RP [related person] was advising his mother's boyfriend was passed out and unresponsive in the bathroom… choking on his own vomit."
The report goes on to explain that Cox's wife mentioned he had not been feeling well over the past few days.
"Zulema advised she received a text message from a family friend telling her she needed to get home and check on Alexander," the report says. "Zulema said that is when she called her son to go check on Alexander."
Cox was transported to the Banner Gateway Medical Center in Gilbert, Arizona where he was pronounced dead.
The report also involves an autopsy report that states "no obvious signs of trauma to his person or outstanding evidence discovered during the exam."
The document is heavily redacted but lists that Cox died as a cause of "Bilateral Pulmonary Thromboemboli" with "Atherosclerotic and Hypertensive Cardiovascular Disease."
Police also provide an explanation for a search warrant at the home that Cox was residing in with Pastenes, though all mentions of the evidence gathered have been redacted.
Alex's sister, Lori Vallow Daybell and her husband Chad Daybell are currently in jail on charges related to the discovery of the children's remains in Chad Daybell's backyard.
