‘Confronting scene’: Matthew Cox charged with murder of wife Tayla, baby Murphy in Rockhampton home
The man charged with the murder of his wife and 11-week-old baby girl will remain in custody as new details emerge about the 31-year-old television executive.
The man charged with the murder of his wife and 11-week-old baby girl was treated in hospital for a mental health issue last year.
Queensland Health Minister Shannon Fentiman confirmed Matthew Cox was treated as an inpatient at Rockhampton hospital about a year ago.
But she said she had been advised he had not received “any recent treatment”, the Courier-Mail reported.
“I understand about a year ago he did seek treatment from the Rockhampton Hospital,” she said.
Asked whether that treatment was given, Ms Fentiman said “yes, absolutely. He was an inpatient there”.
Mr Cox, 31, has been charged with two counts of murder (domestic violence offences) after police found the bodies of his 30-year-old wife Tayla Cox and their 11-week-old daughter, Murphy Margaret..
The television advertising executive did not appear before Brisbane Magistrates Court when his matter was briefly mentioned on Friday.
Legal Aid duty lawyer Lauren Heaney requested the court order the brief of evidence to be provided.
The matter was adjourned to August 21 for committal mention in Brisbane Magistrates Court.
Mr Cox did not apply for bail, as bail can’t be granted for murder in the magistrates court.
In a statement, Mr Cox’s parents Denis and Linda said they were devastated by the news.
“We have lost a beautiful daughter-in-law Tayla, but also our much loved granddaughter Murphy,” the statement reads.
“At this stage we have very few other details and are in an absolute state of shock.
“We ask that the media respect our privacy while we grieve and try and process what has occurred.”
Queensland Police were called to the Bean Street house in Park Avenue, Rockhampton, about 10.50am on Thursday after Mr Cox allegedly attended a Brisbane police station and reported two dead people at the address.
Police have also declared a second crime scene at an apartment complex on Constance Street in Fortitude Valley where Mr Cox is believed to have been staying while in Brisbane.
A vehicle was also seized at the Rockhampton Airport and taken away for forensic examination.
Superintendent Darrin Shadlow told reporters on Thursday the bodies are believed to have been in the Park Avenue home since Tuesday.
He confirmed the couple were not known to police.
“We believe that the two died on the afternoon of the 8th (of August).”
The shocking deaths of Mrs Cox and her young child sparked an outpouring of grief from the local community in Rockhampton.
Rockhampton resident Annie Grant said Mrs Cox’s “infectious laugh” and smile would stay with the community forever.
“There are no words to convey the sadness we all feel for you, Murphy and your family,” Ms Grant wrote on Facebook.
“You were so much more life than this. Her life mattered.”
Naomi Goldman expressed her condolences to Mrs Cox’s family following their loss.
“I didn’t know her as an adult but did when I was a teen and then when she was a teen,” Ms Goldman said.
“She has the most beautiful parents and siblings.
“She was a well loved member of the community in Rockhampton.”
St Ursula’s College in nearby Yeppoon said it was saddened to learn it had lost an alumni.
“Tayla is fondly remembered for her vivacious spirit and positive attitude,” the school said.
“During her time at the college, Tayla was a beacon of hope, joy, and love, and had such a positive impact on others in the broader community.
“Tayla was a competent, capable young woman who embraced opportunities with joy and enthusiasm.
“We extend our thoughts and prayers to Tayla and Murphy’s family and friends.”
The couple were married in May 2021, after Mrs Cox, whose maiden name is Black, had moved to Victoria, where Mr Cox was from.
It is unclear how they first met but the pair confirmed their relationship online in 2015.
Mrs Cox, who grew up in Rockhampton, had told the Morning Bulletin more than a decade ago there were a lack of eligible men in her local area.
She’d told the newspaper there were too many “creeps” and “weirdos” who would come to Rockhampton from out of town to pick up girls.
“They are not attractive at all and are weirdos. A lot of men get really drunk and try to pick up chicks all the time,’ she told the Morning Bulletin in 2012.
Mr and Mrs Cox moved back to Rockhampton in November 2022 after Mr Cox accepted a job as a TV account manager at media firm Southern Cross Austereo.
Mrs Cox then shared the news of her pregnancy with friends and family with a photo of her and Mr Cox cradling her baby bump while enjoying a holiday on Great Keppel Island.
“We can’t wait to meet you”, she wrote.
Keppel MP Brittany Lauga posted on social media following the news of the alleged murder.
“To Tayla’s friends and family, my sincere condolences for your loss,” she wrote.
“It will take a long time for the pain of this terrible tragedy to heal.”