Killing of Tayla and Murphy Cox

On 8 August 2023, Tayla Cox (née Black), 30, and her 11-week-old daughter Murphy Margaret Cox were allegedly murdered in their home on Park Avenue, a suburb of Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia. The person charged is Matthew James Cox, 31, who was Tayla's husband and Murphy's father. Tayla was reported as the 43rd Australian woman killed in 2023, and Murphy as the 10th Australian child killed that year.

According to the available account, Cox allegedly left work early on the day of the killings before returning to the family home in Park Avenue and committing the murders that afternoon. He then left Rockhampton after the attacks and waited two days before informing Brisbane police about the deaths. Rockhampton Police discovered the bodies of Tayla and Murphy on 10 August 2023, two days after the alleged killings. On the same day, Cox's vehicle was located at Rockhampton Airport and was seized by police for forensic examination.

Detective Superintendent Darrin Shadlow of Rockhampton Police publicly denied reports that a gunshot had been heard from the residence on the day of the killings. He declined to comment on the specific manner in which the mother and infant were killed, leaving that detail unconfirmed in public reporting.

As of February 2024, Cox had been charged with two counts of murder. He remains incarcerated and is awaiting trial. His case was adjourned to 6 March 2024, pending the outcome of DNA evidence testing.

Legal proceedings have continued into the following year. In December 2024, lawyers representing Cox applied for funding to obtain a psychiatric report. By February 2025, lawyers appearing in Rockhampton Magistrates Court reported that this funding request remained in the review process, indicating that pre-trial matters were ongoing and no trial date or verdict had yet been reached.