N.C. man sentenced for killing girlfriend and her parents 1 day after she broke up with him

CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. (TCN) — A 28-year-old man will spend the rest of his life behind bars for fatally shooting his girlfriend and her parents in front of their young grandson before holding a gun up to the child’s head.

The Catawba County District Attorney’s Office announced Feb. 19 that Issac Christenbury pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of his girlfriend, 28-year-old Jenna Cox, and her parents, Charles Cox and Cyndi Cox, both 61. A judge sentenced him to serve three life sentences in the North Carolina Division of Adult Corrections.

According to prosecutors, on Oct. 22, 2024, Maiden Police and emergency personnel responded to a home on McRee Road and found a “trail of blood leading up a set of stairs along with shell casings, a firearm magazine, and numerous bullet holes.” Authorities located Charles Cox deceased at the top of the stairs and his wife’s body in the nearby dining room. They both sustained multiple gunshot wounds, including to the head.

Outside the home, the district attorney’s office said officers found Jenna Cox’s body inside the fencing around a swimming pool. She also suffered multiple gunshot wounds, including one to the head.

Investigators determined Christenbury had fatally shot his girlfriend and her parents in front of Charles Cox and Cyndi Cox’s 10-year-old grandson before holding a gun to the child’s head. The boy reportedly fled to a neighbor’s home and had them call 911. Christenbury allegedly drove away from the scene to Lincoln County.

The district attorney’s office said Christenbury also called 911 and admitted to the shooting. He said he wanted to surrender, and Lincoln County and Catawba County officials took him into custody. Authorities recovered a firearm in the front passenger seat of Christenbury’s vehicle.

According to prosecutors, Christenbury said during an interview that he “left work that day, drove to the residence, and shot and killed all three victims.”

Christenbury’s parents reportedly told investigators Jenna Cox broke up with their son the day before the shooting. A location application on his phone revealed he was near the scene during the incident.

District Attorney Scott Reilly said, “I would like to recognize the extraordinary courage and strength of the 10-year-old child who witnessed this unimaginable act of violence. Despite his profound loss and trauma, he found the bravery to share his accounts with investigators and addressed the court during sentencing. His voice has been a crucial part of securing justice for his mother and grandparents.”

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