Autumn Lee Cox (born February 22, 1970), known as Miss X while unidentified, was a young woman whose remains were found near Spartanburg, South Carolina, in 1991. Foul play is suspected in her death.
She was identified in December 1992.
Case[]
Background and disappearance[]
Cox was born in North Carolina on February 22, 1970. She had a history of running away during childhood, but always called in a day or two later. She graduated from high school in Concord, North Carolina, in 1988, and lived with her mother. She obtained a job at a Pizza Hut in Concord in March 1990. Cox frequently traveled back and forth to Asheville, North Carolina, where her boyfriend lived.
Cox had gotten in contact with a rough crowd at the time of her disappearance. She was last seen alive on the Saturday afternoon of February 17, 1990, five days before her 20th birthday. She told her mother she intended to hitchhike to visit her boyfriend in Asheville. Her mother persisted against her daughter doing so, but Cox said it saved her money. Hitchhiking was reportedly not an unusual method of traveling for her.
Cox then left her mother's house in Concord at 4:45 PM. She was wearing a pink sweatshirt, stone-washed blue jeans, and a London Fog denim jacket when she left. She took a small, pink Espirit overnight bag containing underwear and a denim pocketbook along with her. Cox may have hitchhiked from Concord, North Carolina, on Interstate 85 to Asheville. She was supposed to return to work at Pizza Hut the following Monday.
However, her boyfriend stated that she did not come to see him, and she never returned home. Family members noted that Cox did not come to collect her paycheck at work and missed her birthday. They then formally reported her as missing that year. She was described as being 5'6, and weighing between 135 and 145 pounds, with brown hair, hazel eyes, and a fair complexion.
Discovery and identification[]
A man picking blackberries discovered Cox's skeletal remains in a field in Spartanburg, South Carolina, on July 5, 1991. The site was near Spartan Undies on Derrick Road, off John Dodd Road, and west of Interstate 26. Found at the scene were a bra and a sweatshirt. Investigators suspected foul play in her death. They were unable to identify Cox's remains and nicknamed her "Miss X".
A year later, an investigator re-examining missing persons files noticed a resemblance between Miss X and Cox. Dental record comparison confirmed the match in December 1992. Serial killer Lesley Eugene Warren may be a suspect in Cox's case.
Characteristics[]
- Brown hair.
- Hazel eyes.
- Fair complexion.
Clothing and accessories[]
- Bra.
- Long-sleeve sweatshirt with the words "Chippies Diner".
Gallery[]
Sources[]
- The Greenville News
- Go Upstate
- The Charlotte Observer
- Lesley Eugene Warren on Wikipedia