NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Norfolk police are revealing new information to 10 On Your Side that may help crack a cold case.
11 years ago, someone gunned down 40-year-old Navy Lieutenant Todd Cox in front of his family.
Cox and Megan McGuire were looking forward to a new beginning. The recently engaged couple took their kids out to walk the dog after dinner on April 24, 2008.
They were strolling along Beverly Street, in a quiet neighborhood near DePaul hospital, when a man Megan had never seen ripped their world apart.
“How somebody can live with themselves for 11 years you know, getting up every day and knowing that that is what you are capable of, I mean, I just can’t comprehend that,” McGuire told WAVY.com.
She recalled walking down Beverly Street when a two-toned (hunter green and white) 1990s Ford pickup truck slowly passed them, turned around, and then parked.
“Within a few seconds he’d come around the bed of the truck and I heard gunshots … Todd pushed me out of the way, and as quick as it happened, it stopped.”
Their daughters began banging on doors screaming for help. The man in the truck calmly drove down Beverly Street, turned on to Granby Street, and disappeared.
Witnesses told police the shooter appeared to be in the military by the way he held the gun with both hands — legs spread apart. His hair was also high and tight.
They described a black man with a medium complexion, about 6 foot tall. Police are now telling 10 On Your Side they believe the killer worked with Cox at Naval Station Norfolk.
“We strongly believe that Todd was targeted,” Detective John Smith told WAVY.com.
Smith said he believes the suspect still lives in Hampton Roads and that he borrowed the truck he drove that night. Police want to talk to the person who loaned it to him.
11 years is a long time for a secret like this to weigh on someone, and police believe the killer has told someone. Even a small detail could help them crack the case and fill a void for Megan.
“We just need every little piece of the puzzle, and that’s what this is, it’s a big puzzle,” Smith said.
McGuire wants to see the shooter held accountable. “People don’t realize when they do something like this, whether it’s a grudge or just anger or opportunity, you’re hurting the people that are left behind more than anything, you know, you’ve got two kids that grew up without a father that needed their dad.”
If you have heard or seen anything suspicious, contact police. Even if you think it’s insignificant, it could help. You can call the Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP or submit your tip through the P3 tips mobile app.