Theresa Cox

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Snapped: Women Who Murder – Theresa Cox

Host: Oxygen
Episode Date: March 22, 2026

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Episode Overview

This true crime episode from Oxygen’s “Snapped: Women Who Murder” delves into the brutal double homicide of Alex Shute and Briana Sproul in Willard, Missouri. What initially looked like a shocking porch gunfight in a peaceful small town soon unravels into a story of custody disputes, manipulation, and a murder plot orchestrated by Alex’s ex-wife, Theresa Cox. Through interviews, police investigation, and court proceedings, the episode lays out the tangled relationships, mounting motives, and the chilling aftermath for the victims’ young daughter.

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1. The Crime Scene & Initial Response

• Discovery of the Bodies
  • [01:25] A neighbor, serving breakfast to her family, sees two bodies sprawled on the porch: Alex Shute (28) and Briana Sproul (30), both shot multiple times.
  • [03:12] “There was blood all over the ground and there was a gun lying just outside of his hand.” (First Responder)
• Child Found Safe
  • [05:22] During the sweep, police find the couple’s 4-year-old daughter unharmed in the bathroom.
    • “She acted like she was happy to see us, just like nothing happened.” (First Responder)
• Early Theories and Initial Evidence
  • [13:10] The positioning, caliber mismatch, and fully loaded weapon quickly rule out murder-suicide.

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2. Backgrounds & Relationships

• Alex Shute’s Story
  • [06:30] Raised in St. Louis, described as fun-loving, close to his family, and a dedicated father.
  • [09:39] Served in the Army National Guard as a military police officer.
• Theresa Cox
  • [08:12] Met Alex in high school; both shared interests in anime and video games.
  • [09:12] Married soon after high school.
  • [10:52] Family describes her as aloof to motherhood.
• Briana Sproul
  • [11:26] Alex’s new partner post-divorce, described as deeply loving towards Alex’s daughter.
• Custody Battle
  • [25:04] Teresa’s neglect leads Alex to seek—and win—full custody.
    • “She just would leave her there to cry, and she would show no love for her.” (Family Member of Teresa Cox, [25:04])

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3. The Investigation & Motive

• Pinpointing the Timeline
  • [16:13] Police use a neighbor’s doorbell camera to pinpoint gunshots to 1:21 am.
• Notable Evidence
  • [18:03] No forced entry; legal paperwork and loaded weapons suggest victims anticipated danger.
• Theresa Cox as Suspect
  • [19:27] Custody paperwork and prior threats from Teresa soon place her in investigators’ sights, especially after the revelation of her animosity toward Alex.
    • “My suspicion immediately went to Theresa Cox.” (Lead Detective, [19:56])
• Alibi and Phone Evidence
  • [22:29] Teresa’s supervisor confirms she was at work, and cell data places her in Springfield, not at the murder scene.
• Text Messages Reveal Accomplice
  • [27:45] Messages point to an intimate accomplice, Duncan Bogle, who is later placed at the scene via cell data.

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4. Unfolding the Murder Plot

• The Co-Conspirators
  • [28:33] Duncan Bogle (partner) and Matthew Plum (Theresa’s manager) emerge as co-conspirators.
  • [33:56] Suspicious behavior from Matthew Plum leads to further interrogation.
    • “He did eventually tell us that he conspired with Teresa. ‘I was supposed to be the alibi.’” (Prosecutor or Police Interviewer, [35:05])
• Acquisition & Disposal of the Murder Weapon
  • [31:16] Discovery of a gun box and ammunition matching the crime scene, purchased by Teresa.
  • [32:00] Gun reported stolen coinciding with escalation in the custody dispute.
  • [37:29] The murder weapon is recovered in a nearby creek, confirming ballistic matches.
• Matthew’s Confession
  • [35:55] Plum admits to giving advice on how to dispose of the gun and being the alibi during the murder.

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5. The Aftermath: Arrests & Trials

• Fugitives on the Run
  • [38:42] Teresa and Duncan flee, dyeing their hair and using a new phone to evade capture.
    • “They were trying to blend in with homeless people and disappear.” (First Responder, [40:06])
  • [40:21] Both are found and arrested in San Francisco after a co-worker's tip.
• Prosecution
  • [40:48] Matthew Plum strikes a plea for eight years (5 for conspiracy, 3 for tampering).
  • [42:48] Both Theresa Cox and Duncan Bogle plead guilty to two counts of second-degree murder.
  • [43:06] Both receive two consecutive life sentences (plus an additional year for Bogle for child endangerment).
• The Victim’s Legacy
  • [44:14] Alex’s daughter is adopted by his parents, who reassure her that her parents are “still there… just in heaven.”

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6. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Relationship’s Downfall:
  • “I don't think Teresa understood what being a mother was.” (Family Member of Teresa Cox, [10:52])
• Regarding Motive:
  • “I believe Theresa decided to murder him the day his daughter got forcibly removed.” (Sibling or Close Relative of Alex Shute, [41:34])
• Tying it Together:
  • “Her narrative was, Alex is a bad person, Alex is abusive. Nothing that was ever founded but those negative things probably make Matt or make Duncan Bogle feel like they're actually helping her out…” (Prosecutor or Police Interviewer, [42:00])
• Victims' Memory:
  • “We point out to her that mom and dad are still there. They're just in heaven.” (Family Member of Alex Shute, [44:14])

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7. Timeline of Key Events

| Timestamp | Event | |-----------|-------| | 01:25 | Crime discovered (bodies on porch) | | 05:22 | Child found safe; removed from home | | 13:10 | Murder-suicide theory ruled out | | 16:13 | Doorbell camera helps set timeline | | 19:27 | Theresa becomes prime suspect | | 22:29 | Alibi established via supervisor and cellphone data | | 27:45 | Suspicious texts lead to Duncan Bogle | | 31:16 | Gun purchase and matching ammunition found | | 37:29 | Murder weapon’s recovery | | 40:06 | Fugitives found in San Francisco | | 42:48 | Guilty pleas and sentencing | | 44:14 | Victims’ daughter adopted by grandparents |

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Tone & Style:
The episode’s language is clinical but compassionate, with the narration interwoven with emotional reactions from family and friends, candid law enforcement analysis, and direct quotes from those involved. The story unfolds with methodical investigative detail and personal accounts, highlighting both the horror of the crime and the resilience of those who survived its aftermath.

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Transcript

[Podcast Host / Advertiser]

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[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

on their front porch.

[First Responder / Crime Scene Investigator]

People have heard things they described as in the middle of the night,

[Family Member of Alex Shute]

It

[First Responder / Crime Scene Investigator]

looked like there was some kind of

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

a gunfight at the crime scene. There's another shocking discovery.

[First Responder / Crime Scene Investigator]

I was very tense. We didn't know if there was more victims.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

Evidence suggests they knew an attack might be coming.

[First Responder / Crime Scene Investigator]

There was a loaded shotgun behind the door.

[Lead Detective / Police Officer]

That told me they thought that they needed some kind of protection.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

Uncovering the truth behind the brutal slayings reveals a killer hell bent on revenge.

[Friend or Family Member of Briana Sproul]

I don't think she liked the fact that he was happy without her.

[First Responder / Crime Scene Investigator]

It was the straw that broke the camel's back.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

When police are ready to move on their suspects, they completely vanish.

[First Responder / Crime Scene Investigator]

They then cut and dyed their hair. They were trying to disappear.

[Family Member of Alex Shute]

No one knew where they were at. Nobody knew what they might do next. So we were on high alert.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

Willard, Missouri, is a quiet residential area 12 miles outside Springfield. But at 9am on November 14, 2020, this normally peaceful town is shaken by a horrifying discovery.

[First Responder / Crime Scene Investigator]

911 dispatch received a call from a neighbor. She said that she looked through a window while she was serving breakfast to her family and she seen her neighbors laying down on the ground on the front porch. She went to go check and she found two bodies laying on the front porch. Blood all over the ground and there was a gun link just outside of his hand.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

911 operators immediately send first responders to the address.

[First Responder / Crime Scene Investigator]

I wasn't sure if I was going to a murder suicide or what exactly. It was when I first arrived at the crime scene. The reporting party, she was there. She pointed to the bodies that were on the steps. She said that she was afraid to go to them, but she believed that they had been there for quite a while. The male victim had several gunshot wounds to his head and also to his torso and arm. The female subject also had multiple gunshot wounds to her back and also to her head. He had a holster on his right side and his right hand was down just by his gun. It made me think there was some kind of a gunfight.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

The caller says the gunshot victims are 28 year old Alex Shute and 30 year old Briana Strauss. Growl. She worries there might be another victim as well.

[First Responder / Crime Scene Investigator]

She was very upset. She said they had a four year old daughter but she wasn't sure if the daughter was there or not. I was very tense when we went to search the house because I wasn't sure if we would find the daughter in the house. We didn't know if the shooter was going to be in the house. We didn't know if there was more victims. More officers arrived from the Greene County Sheriff's office. We evacuated the building. Then we did a search of the apartment.

[Lead Detective / Police Officer]

The police go in, they're armed and they have their firearms out.

[First Responder / Crime Scene Investigator]

I noticed the house just looked like a normal person's house. Nothing was missing. We just did an entire sweep through the apartment and that's when we located a four year old child unharmed in the bathroom of the apartment. She acted like she was happy to see us, just like nothing happened.

[Lead Detective / Police Officer]

The officers take her out the back of the house and shield her from the scene in the front. They whisked her away into a patrol car with a blanket, stuffed animal. She went into protective custody with the children's division.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

With the child safe, police turn their attention to the victims.

[Lead Detective / Police Officer]

To find anybody dead in that manner in Willard is something that is almost unheard of. The big question is who did it?

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

Alex Schutte was born in St. Louis, Missouri on November 11, 1992. He was the youngest of four children raised by Officer Darrell Shute and his wife Lisa.

[Family Member of Alex Shute]

I was on duty with the police department, so that was a flurry of activity to get to the hospital and bring Alex into this world.

[Family Member or Close Friend of Alex Shute]

He was just the biggest baby and he was beautiful, perfect in every way.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

Only a year later, their happy home was disrupted by divorce.

[Sibling or Close Relative of Alex Shute]

Alex was about one when they split. My dad got remarried and and my mom got remarried.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

But Alex's childhood remained a happy one.

[Sibling or Close Relative of Alex Shute]

He was real big into anime and cartoons. He loved video games like all kids. He actually won a Super Smash bro tournament when he was like 16.

[Family Member of Alex Shute]

He really did fill the room with light and laughter. I guess you could call him the class clown.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

Alex was entering his sophomore year of high school when his life was upended once again.

[Sibling or Close Relative of Alex Shute]

We were living with my grandmother and my mother and all of us kids. My grandmother had developed pancreatic cancer and she was wanting to move back to New York.

[Family Member or Close Friend of Alex Shute]

In 2008, we sold our house and we moved to upstate New York.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

Alex found it difficult adjusting to a new school until he bonded with a new friend, Teresa Cox.

[Family Member or Close Friend of Alex Shute]

Theresa actually moved from Wilmington, North Carolina. They bonded because they both moved from different states and came to the high school at the same time.

[Family Member of Alex Shute]

Teresa had a troubled upbringing with her family and her grandparents raised her.

[Sibling or Close Relative of Alex Shute]

She was big into video games and anime and stuff like him.

[Family Member or Close Friend of Alex Shute]

They were pretty much together all the time, every day. Alex was very smitten with her.

[Sibling or Close Relative of Alex Shute]

She was fawning over Alex, so they seemed like a young couple in love.

[Family Member of Teresa Cox]

She made a very good first impression with us. If he liked her, we liked her. And I always trusted his judgment.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

Alex and Teresa became inspired, inseparable. So when Alex's family moved back to Missouri after graduation, Teresa went with them as Alex's wife.

[Family Member or Close Friend of Alex Shute]

They got married about six or seven weeks after high school. On August 3rd of 2011, they got

[Family Member of Teresa Cox]

married in the courthouse. She had a beautiful dress. It was a really great day. We had a huge reception afterwards.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

A few years into the marriage, Alex's desire to serve and protect led him to enlist.

[Family Member of Alex Shute]

Alex had made the decision to join the army and the National Guard and become a MP Military police. And so he attended basic training at Fort Leonard Wood.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

Alex had just finished basic training when he achieved another goal by becoming a father.

[Friend or Family Member of Briana Sproul]

They decided they wanted to have a baby right after he got out of boot camp. They welcomed their daughter in May of 2016. The day that his daughter was born was the best day of his life. And for me to be able to witness that was beautiful. He was so proud.

[Family Member of Alex Shute]

Shortly thereafter, Alex was to deploy to Poland for a short mission or training. And Theresa began to need help with our granddaughter. But it seemed that Theresa withdrew and the family ended up taking care of the baby.

[Friend or Family Member of Briana Sproul]

She worked as a gas station attendant for a moment, and then she didn't work at all.

[Family Member of Teresa Cox]

I don't think Theresa understood what being a mother was.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

Unfortunately, after three years of parenting together, the marriage fell apart.

[Family Member of Alex Shute]

In 2019, Alex and Theresa became separated and divorced. Whatever the incident was, he never discussed it with us, but we assume it was some infidelity that happened or something in that manner.

[Sibling or Close Relative of Alex Shute]

When they got divorced, Alex, he let her keep the house.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

Alex remained devoted to his daughter, maintaining joint custody with Teresa. He took a new temporary job at a pizza place to make ends meet and got another chance at love with a co worker named Briana Sproul.

[Family Member of Alex Shute]

He began dating Brianna, which we all called her Bree, and they seemed to click together.

[Friend or Family Member of Briana Sproul]

Well, they were animal lovers, advocate for rescues. I know her parents got divorced when she was young. That was another thing that Alex and Brianna had in common.

[Family Member of Alex Shute]

Alex moved in with her several months later. His daughter, as the custody agreement allowed, they would spend time with her.

[Friend or Family Member of Briana Sproul]

A big part of Alex loving Brianna so much was the way that she treated his daughter.

[Family Member or Close Friend of Alex Shute]

She took care of her like she was her own, and she loved her and made her birthday cakes and costumes for Halloween.

[Sibling or Close Relative of Alex Shute]

I think he was really excited about the future. For the first time in a long

[Family Member of Teresa Cox]

time, he proposed to her and they started looking at homes and they were just building their future and kids were in the works. They were making their lives, ready to start anew and be a fresh family.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

Sadly, before Alex and Briana could realize their dreams, they were both found dead on their front porch.

[First Responder / Crime Scene Investigator]

When we began to search the crime scene, nine shell casings were found on the front porch on the front steps.

[Lead Detective / Police Officer]

One theory was it was a murder suicide because there was one gun on scene and there were two deceased people on the porch. But because his weapon was a.40 caliber weapon and the shell casings were a 9 millimeter shell casing, it dispelled that theory pretty quickly.

[First Responder / Crime Scene Investigator]

When we searched the gun, the magazine was full and the gun was completely loaded. We didn't think he had fired any rounds.

[Lead Detective / Police Officer]

By the position of the gun, he was more than likely holding the gun when he fell, and it just had fallen out of his hand, which indicated to me that he did not try to protect himself when he fell.

[First Responder / Crime Scene Investigator]

We're trying to make sense of what happened. All these things put red flags up.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

Coming up, investigators identify the time of death.

[Lead Detective / Police Officer]

Knowing the time of the crime was important. To find out what their alibi was

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

and the Victim's loved ones point to a surprising suspect.

[Family Member of Teresa Cox]

She didn't have a maternal bone in her.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

Detectives in Willard, Missouri, are investigating the double murder of Alex Shute and Briana Sproul. As they analyze the evidence on hand, detectives prioritize, zeroing in on the time of the murders.

[First Responder / Crime Scene Investigator]

One of the first things we start doing is trying to establish a timeline, since they were obviously already deceased and been there for quite some time. At that point, I didn't have access to any family records or no, any people to call.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

However, Alex is wearing a security guard uniform for a nearby airport, giving investigators a starting point.

[First Responder / Crime Scene Investigator]

When I spoke to Alex's supervisor, he said that he left an hour early, that Alex is supposed to get off at midnight and left at 11pm Alex

[Prosecutor or Police Interviewer]

had received some type of contact or message from his girlfriend Brianna, and he had notified another worker that he needed to go home and check on her.

[First Responder / Crime Scene Investigator]

I asked the supervisor about the gun that Alex had. He said Alex is not commissioned to have a firearm while on duty and that a holster and firearm is not part of their approved uniform. This indicated to me that Alex perceived a threat, remained in uniform, and eventually put on a holster and firearm.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

Investigators surmise the shooting took place between 11:15pm when Alex arrived home and 9:03am when the 911 call came in. They hope neighbors can help narrow down that window.

[First Responder / Crime Scene Investigator]

There was officers that were going door to door and doing a neighborhood canvass to find out what other people might have seen or heard. There was several people that heard things they described as fireworks in the middle of the night, around midnight, one o'. Clock.

[Lead Detective / Police Officer]

This is Willard. There's not gunshots in Willard like that. A lot of people discounted what they heard and never called.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

Fortunately, one of the officers who lives nearby comes up with an idea.

[First Responder / Crime Scene Investigator]

He lived 700ft from the crime scene. He asked me if I wanted him to check his doorbell camera. He said that it captures sound and is activated by sound. And he checked it and he was able to locate a video clip from 1:21.

[Lead Detective / Police Officer]

We got the exact time that the murders happened. Knowing the time of the crime was important because as we start talking to people, we want to find out what their alibi was during the time of the crime.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

Hoping to find further clues, officers conduct a thorough search of the apartment.

[Lead Detective / Police Officer]

There was no sign of forced entry. The door was unlocked. Everything that was in the home appeared to be intact. The first thing that I noticed was one of those fanny bags that had two Glock magazines in it. And it appeared that it was Just sitting out on the table right by the door.

[First Responder / Crime Scene Investigator]

Another thing that I noticed, there was a loaded shotgun behind the door.

[Lead Detective / Police Officer]

As a parent, I wouldn't leave a loaded shotgun behind a door where it was accessible to a child. So that told me that at least Alex and Brianna thought that they needed some kind of protection.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

Whatever danger Alex and Briana were expecting, it seems they may have trusted the person at their door enough to leave the shotgun behind.

[First Responder / Crime Scene Investigator]

There was blood splatter on the front door in front of Brianna Sproul's head, which indicated to me that the door was most likely closed. So the scene looked like they had been lured outside. Like the victims had a personal connection with this person to allow them to be so close to them at the scene.

[Lead Detective / Police Officer]

I also collected some papers from Children's Division and some legal paperwork that was in reference to custody issues.

[Family Member of Alex Shute]

There was an ongoing conflict between the victim, Alex Shute, and his first wife, Theresa Cox.

[First Responder / Crime Scene Investigator]

There was documents from Alex's attorney trying to establish full custody rights of the child.

[Lead Detective / Police Officer]

My suspicion immediately went to Theresa Cox. That was why when Chief McLean went to advise her of Alex's death, that he had a recording device on him if she said anything that could be incriminating.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

That afternoon, detectives arrive on the doorstep of Teresa's home 12 miles away in Springfield, Missouri.

[Family Member of Alex Shute]

We knocked and she came to the door a few seconds later. Theresa was in her bed clothes and it was 3. 3:30 in the afternoon. Sorry, I was.

[Family Member of Teresa Cox]

No, you're okay.

[Friend or Family Member of Briana Sproul]

Perfect.

[Family Member of Teresa Cox]

So the reason we're here is we've received.

[Lead Detective / Police Officer]

Well, police received a report this morning

[Friend or Family Member of Briana Sproul]

with concerns at Phil Sanders house.

[Family Member of Alex Shute]

Okay.

[Lead Detective / Police Officer]

But they did find Alexander and Brianna deceased.

[First Responder / Crime Scene Investigator]

My daughter is okay.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

She didn't see anything happen.

[Lead Detective / Police Officer]

We had to bring her into foster care to make sure she was safe.

[Family Member of Alex Shute]

Do you know anything about any of that?

[First Responder / Crime Scene Investigator]

No, I. No, I was working at night.

[Lead Detective / Police Officer]

She seemed, for the most part somewhat unaffected.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

The when they ask Teresa where she was the night before, she says she was on her way home from her job at a pizza restaurant.

[Family Member of Alex Shute]

What was your shift last night, from wind to wind?

[First Responder / Crime Scene Investigator]

My shift last night was 6pm So 1am I got home around 1:30ish.

[Family Member of Alex Shute]

Since then I've been home.

[First Responder / Crime Scene Investigator]

I got home late, I went to bed, been sleeping. Okay. Am I allowed to ask what happened then?

[Family Member of Alex Shute]

We've got questions and a growing list of questions and so I'm just. All we could say is that we're in the midst of a homicide investigation.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

Due to the circumstances around her and ex husband's murder, their daughter remains in foster care until a judge can review custody. As Teresa's interview is wrapping up, Willard PD investigates her work schedule.

[First Responder / Crime Scene Investigator]

I went and spoke with her supervisor, Matthew Plum, the manager there, to verify that Theresa Cox was working at the time of the murders. And they were able to provide me with time card slips, which it did show that Teresa was clocked in. Speaking to Matthew further, he said that Teresa did have bad blood towards Alex. And Teresa had mentioned it before that she would like for him to be dead right then.

[Lead Detective / Police Officer]

It really focused our attention on her involvement.

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[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

Hours into their investigation, Willard police have a possible murder suspect. Alex shoots ex wife Teresa Cox.

[Lead Detective / Police Officer]

My theory at the time was that this was potentially having something to do with. With custody of their child in common.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

Alex's family might be able to answer questions about the former couple's relationship. But first, detectives must break the terrible news to them about the murders.

[Family Member of Teresa Cox]

You see it in the movies where you fall to your knees and the whole world stops, and that's exactly what happens. And I just remember I was screaming to my sister, and I could hear her tell my mom that Alex was gone. And her scream from a mother is something that you don't ever want to hear ever again.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

Digging deeper into the custody battle, investigators ask about Teresa.

[Sibling or Close Relative of Alex Shute]

The start of really when Teresa gave birth and she had issues just taking care of the child.

[Family Member of Teresa Cox]

I think that Teresa didn't have a maternal bone in her, and she showed no compassion for my niece. When she was first born, she just would leave her there to cry, and she would show no love for her.

[Sibling or Close Relative of Alex Shute]

Alex was working with Brie. She was obviously a nice person. I think they just started developing a relationship, and that's kind of what sealed the deal. When Alex and Teresa got divorced, he let her keep the house. He let her keep their savings. He took on the debt.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

They say Alex was determined to keep things amicable. But according to the family, Teresa's behavior made that impossible.

[Friend or Family Member of Briana Sproul]

She was actually involved in a car accident one night, and the hospital called My brother. And the very first thing my brother said to the police officers is, where's my daughter? Well, come to find out, Alex told me Theresa had been leaving their daughter at home alone overnights while she went to work. Anything could have happened and you have just blatant disruption for a child's life that you've chose to bring into this world. Absolutely crazy to me.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

Following the incident in 2017 and three years before his murder, Alex decided to pursue full custody.

[Sibling or Close Relative of Alex Shute]

My brother called cps. Eventually they intervened and he got full custody of his daughter.

[Friend or Family Member of Briana Sproul]

Daughter Teresa was not allowed any contact with their daughter at all unless approved by Alex.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

To investigators. It seems Teresa had plenty of motive and they request a search warrant for her cell phone data.

[First Responder / Crime Scene Investigator]

Pretty quickly, we obtained the search warrants seized for her cell phone. The first cell tower search warrant we received was for Theresa Cox's phone number. Data showed that she was in Springfield the entire time and not in Willard.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

While the data corroborates Teresa's alibi by placing her 12 miles away from Willard, investigators are still still left with questions. Next, they request a search warrant for Teresa's text messages.

[First Responder / Crime Scene Investigator]

We were able to get text message content for about three or four days prior to the murder. It showed a text message between Teresa and an unknown person. It looked to be someone that was intimate or someone that was in a relationship, since they were saying things like, I love you, we're calling you babe, and stuff like that.

[Prosecutor or Police Interviewer]

One of the messages sent by Teresa Cox said something to the effect of change of plans for Friday. The message sent in response was, I need some time to myself. I need to be able to air out my mind before tomorrow night. The vagueness and some of the information of those text messages could imply that that other number could be involved.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

Police tracked the messages to someone named Dunc Duncan Bogle.

[Prosecutor or Police Interviewer]

Duncan Bogle ended up being someone who was in a relationship with Theresa Cox at the time that the murders took place. Law enforcement spoke with some of the friends of Duncan Bogle to get more information.

[Friend of Duncan Bogle]

I first met Duncan when we were 12 and 13. He moved to our small town. And Duncan first met Theresa back in, like, February of 2020. They were working together at Walmart. I think it was like two or three months later that he was moving in with her. They didn't first start dating. What it was was Theresa needed help with bills, and so Duncan was like, well, I want to get out of my mom's house. So they came up with the agreement that they could be roommates.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

Duncan was only 20, making Theresa, eight years older. But that didn't stop romance from blossoming.

[Friend of Duncan Bogle]

Duncan is a very quiet type kind of person. So it does kind of take him a minute to like, really open up to people. He was very excited. He was just like a teenager who, like, is in the middle of class with like a note from their crush. That's what he was.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

Investigators must ask, did Duncan love Teresa enough to commit murder for her?

[First Responder / Crime Scene Investigator]

When we did a search warrant for Duncan Bogle's cell tower data, it showed that Duncan was actually in the area of the crime scene during the time the shots were heard.

[Prosecutor or Police Interviewer]

Duncan Bogle and Teresa Cox, they lived in Springfield and Willard is several miles north of the Springfield area. And so having Duncan's phone peeing off tower in Willard around the time of the murders is crucial evidence.

[First Responder / Crime Scene Investigator]

Next, we served a search warrant for Teresa Cox's residence.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

Coming up, a murder plot unfolds.

[Family Member or Close Friend of Alex Shute]

All I can think of is she sold her soul to the devil.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

And co conspirators begin to turn on one another.

[Prosecutor or Police Interviewer]

I was supposed to be the alibi.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

Cell phone data suggests Theresa Cox and Duncan Bogle were planning to murder her ex husband. Five days into the investigation, police obtain a warrant to search the couple's home.

[Prosecutor or Police Interviewer]

They were able to locate an empty gun box that was for the 9 millimeter gun and had the serial number on the outside of the box.

[First Responder / Crime Scene Investigator]

There was also a receipt found in the master bedroom, and that receipt said it was purchased on October 11th by Teresa Cox about a month before the murder.

[Prosecutor or Police Interviewer]

They located inside a nearby safe, there was ammunition that was nine millimeter caliber ammunition. And on the head stamp it was S&B, 9 millimeter. It was the exact same type of ammunition that was located at the crime scene with the shell casings.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

However, the gun itself is missing. Police records show Teresa reported it stolen about 10 days before Alex and Brianna were shot.

[First Responder / Crime Scene Investigator]

The gun was reported stolen the same day Theresa was served with paperwork from Alex's attorneys requesting child support in the amount of $400. I believe it was the straw that broke the camel's back.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

Police also find an interesting exchange on Teresa's phone regarding a man named Matthew.

[Lead Detective / Police Officer]

There was kind of an odd message where somebody was saying to Teresa that she thought that Matthew was leaving her because he wasn't being responsive to her messages. That person was later determined to be Ariel, and she was the girlfriend of Matthew. Teresa had in some way told Ariel, no, that's not the case. We had a very busy night.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

Police track the number and speak to a woman named Ariel. The Matthew she mentioned turns out to be Matthew Plum, the night manager who gave Theresa her alibi.

[Lead Detective / Police Officer]

There was a point last weekend when you were concerned that Matt was going to leave you. Tell me about that.

[First Responder / Crime Scene Investigator]

It was he got off super late that Friday, about like 4:10 or 4:20.

[Prosecutor or Police Interviewer]

He didn't text me for like the entire next night.

[First Responder / Crime Scene Investigator]

So I got on Live360 that night

[Prosecutor or Police Interviewer]

and was looking at where he was,

[Podcast Host / Advertiser]

and he was headed up towards Theresa's house.

[First Responder / Crime Scene Investigator]

Matthew Plum's actions were suspicious that night, that he stayed late for work. He was distant towards her, which led us to believe that he may have had a more important role in this.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

Police bring Matthew into the station for a second interview, but he sticks by his story.

[Lead Detective / Police Officer]

You're saying that the Life360 is going to show you going from Pizza Hut to home.

[Family Member of Alex Shute]

Should it?

[Lead Detective / Police Officer]

I didn't believe him. I just kept asking questions. And then I noticed there were some loose ends or some lies.

[Prosecutor or Police Interviewer]

Did you call her from the store phone?

[Lead Detective / Police Officer]

Is that gonna show up on her phone records that you called her from the store phone?

[First Responder / Crime Scene Investigator]

I hope so.

[Lead Detective / Police Officer]

Stuck with the hope. But now is not a time to protect your own. Now's the time to save your own ass. Okay, you can help us with this.

[First Responder / Crime Scene Investigator]

He did eventually tell us that he conspired with Teresa.

[Prosecutor or Police Interviewer]

I was supposed to be the alibi.

[Family Member of Alex Shute]

Okay.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

Matthew says it was to protect Teresa's daughter. According to him, Alex was the one abusing the child, not Teresa.

[Lead Detective / Police Officer]

Theresa was constantly complaining that Alex was abusing their daughter and she wanted to do anything she could to protect her.

[Prosecutor or Police Interviewer]

Theresa's plan was essentially to have Alex, her ex, killed by Duncan at a time where she was at work. So she had an alibi.

[Lead Detective / Police Officer]

Matthew said that he had given Theresa some pointers on how to get rid of a gun.

[First Responder / Crime Scene Investigator]

I told her, well, if you got

[Prosecutor or Police Interviewer]

one and you want to report it stolen, that's up to you.

[First Responder / Crime Scene Investigator]

A lot of people do it.

[Prosecutor or Police Interviewer]

That will report it stolen. And then there you go. Other than that, she was just saying when, what date she was thinking about and on what day she was thinking about to make sure I was at work. And she was.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

On November 13, Teresa put the plan into action.

[Prosecutor or Police Interviewer]

When Teresa had gotten to work that night, she made some comment to the effect of, it's going to happen tonight. Later on, really into the next morning, around 1 or 1:30, Matt is still working there, Teresa's still there. And that's when Duncan Bogle arrives home. And Duncan tells Matt Plum that he shot two people on the front porch.

[Lead Detective / Police Officer]

Duncan was very upset about what had happened. And they spent several hours trying to calm him down.

[Prosecutor or Police Interviewer]

After that takes place, Matt takes the gun.

[Family Member of Alex Shute]

Okay.

[Prosecutor or Police Interviewer]

And you know where it's at now?

[Family Member of Alex Shute]

I know where it's at. I'll show you exactly where it's at.

[Prosecutor or Police Interviewer]

It's in the water.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

The murder weapon is recovered just 10 miles away in a nearby creek.

[Prosecutor or Police Interviewer]

When the handgun was located, it had the exact same serial number on it from the gun box that they had found at Teresa Cox's residence.

[First Responder / Crime Scene Investigator]

During the autopsy, there was three projectiles found in Alex's body. Two in his chest cavity and one in his head. These were consistent with the other bullets that were found on scene. Nine millimeter projectiles, full metal jacket. No projectiles were found in Brianna's body.

[Prosecutor or Police Interviewer]

The highway patrol crime lab here in Missouri were able to determine that that gun that was found at the creek in fact fired the shell casings that were located at the crime scene.

[Lead Detective / Police Officer]

It was the that pivotal piece where we could say that the casings came from the gun and that the gun came from Theresa.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

On December 1st, Matthew Plumb is arrested.

[Prosecutor or Police Interviewer]

Matt Plumb was originally charged with first degree murder as an accessory for aiding and encouraging Theresa Cox and her plot.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

But when investigators try to arrest Teresa and Duncan, they cannot be located.

[Lead Detective / Police Officer]

It looked like Duncan and Teresa had gone into hiding.

[Family Member of Teresa Cox]

It was like living a nightmare because we didn't know what her plan was.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

Teresa Cox and Duncan Bogle appear to be on the run after evidence linked them in a murder plot to kill Teresa's ex husband.

[Family Member of Alex Shute]

Nobody knew what they might do next, so we were on high alert.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

The couple manages to evade police for a week and a half until a co worker comes forward with a table.

[First Responder / Crime Scene Investigator]

She said that she took Bogle and Cox to Walmart where they got hair dye and they got a new phone for Bogle. She said they then cut and dyed their hair and were acting suspiciously.

[Lead Detective / Police Officer]

She took them to a truck stop where they were going to make their way to places unknown. What she did give us was the newest phone number because. Because after we took Teresa's phone, she bought a new phone.

[First Responder / Crime Scene Investigator]

I gave the US Marshals that phone number, which they were able to subsequently ping that phone number and locate Theresa Cox and Duncan Bogle in San Francisco, California. I believe they were trying to blend in with homeless people and disappear.

[Prosecutor or Police Interviewer]

They were arrested on December 8, almost a month after when the murders had taken place. Duncan Bogle was charged with two counts of first degree murder and Theresa Cox was charged with first degree murder and second degree murder.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

In preparation for trial, the prosecution makes a deal with Matthew Plumb. In exchange for his testimony against Teresa,

[Prosecutor or Police Interviewer]

Matt Plum would end up receiving a five year sentence for conspiracy to commit murder. And he received a three year sentence for tampering with evidence. And his sentences were ran consecutively, meaning one after the other for a total of 8 years.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

With his help, prosecutors pieced together a narrative to convince the jury of Teresa's guilt.

[Lead Detective / Police Officer]

I think that she didn't want her daughter. I think that she didn't want Alex to have her daughter. I think that she just wanted to wipe that side of her life away and move on to the next chapter for herself.

[Sibling or Close Relative of Alex Shute]

I believe Theresa decided to murder him the day his daughter got forcibly removed. The checks were gonna stop coming for child support. And that's the day that she called in the gun missing.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

To convince her co conspirators to kill Alex. Teresa turned him into a villain.

[Prosecutor or Police Interviewer]

Her narrative was, Alex is a bad person, Alex is abusive. Nothing that was ever founded but those negative things probably make Matt or make Duncan Bogle feel like they're actually helping her out and that they're just not harming someone that is truly innocent.

[Friend of Duncan Bogle]

Duncan was definitely the perfect mark for her. Generally, he always wants to do what makes other people happy, and so it made him an easy target.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

Teresa and Duncan's murder trial is set for October 2022, nearly two years after Alex and Briana were murdered. But it never gets underway.

[Prosecutor or Police Interviewer]

Theresa Cob Fox would plead guilty to two counts of second degree murder. Duncan Bogle also would enter guilty pleas to two counts of second degree murder, as well as a count of endangering the welfare of a child.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

On November 1, 2022, Teresa is sentenced to two consecutive life terms in prison. Duncan receives the same sentence, plus an additional year for child endangerment.

[Prosecutor or Police Interviewer]

Teresa Cox sent her significant other over to the residents knowing that her child is inside that home. That's one of those things that always sticks with me.

[Narrator / Lead Investigator]

In the aftermath of the trial, Alex's loved ones have dedicated themselves to raising his little girl.

[Family Member of Teresa Cox]

Alex was a very great dad. He did what he had to do to protect his daughter. And him and Brianna died protecting her.

[Family Member or Close Friend of Alex Shute]

Alex would want to be remembered by the way that he loved people and he was a loving, loving, loving son and brother and father.

[Family Member of Alex Shute]

Our granddaughter only spent one night in emergency foster care, and we went down and picked her up the next morning to take care of her. And we've had her ever since. And now that we have adopted her a little while ago, it's a legalization of what was already in our hearts. She's asked us about calling us mom and dad, but it seems uncomfortable for us. We can continue to be Pawpaw and Mimi. We point out to her that mom and dad are still there. They're just in heaven.

[Podcast Host / Advertiser]

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