Nelson
Topton – A beloved, athletic daughter who got mixed up in drugs – that’s the picture emerging in the case of 19-year-old Kloie MatteAnne Cox, whose body was found bundled up and buried in a shallow grave off Mundy Road in Marble on Sept. 26.
A 50-year-old man with a long criminal history, including illegal drugs – that’s the picture emerging in the case of James Darren Nelson, who died on Oct. 6 at a Chattanooga, Tenn., hospital following an apparent suicide attempt in Topton on Oct. 3, as State Bureau of Investigations officers surrounded his home with an arrest warrant in Cox’s death.
How the two became entwined remains to be revealed as the SBI continues the ongoing investigation into Cox’s death. Officials would not say whether there are more suspects in the case, which is customary in investigations.
Heavily redacted 911 records show law enforcement was called out to 258 Mundy Road on Sept. 26. The owner of a property on Maltby Road had hired someone to clear the property when Cox’s body was found.
Multiple units were dispatched to the scene, with Cox’s identity initially unknown. Somehow – it is unclear from the redacted records – law enforcement was able to identify her and requested that her cell phone be “pinged” by the service provider to identify its location.
The ping led law enforcement to the 900 block of U.S. 19, about a mile east of the intersection of U.S. 19 and U.S. 129. A search of the area resulted in her truck being found at 944 U.S. 19 in Topton.
An unidentified man was detained during the initial investigation, according to 911 records. Other details were redacted. An autopsy was planned for Cox, but the results have not yet been released.
Recent cases
Cox was a native of Clay County and 2024 graduate of Hayesville High School, where she played softball, threw shot put and was a wrestler who also played for the school’s junior varsity football team.
In October 2020, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office reported that Cox, then 14, was missing, although she returned home a short time later. No details about that case were released.
Post-graduation, she faced drug charges in Cherokee and Graham counties in 2024, including a drug conviction in Cherokee County less than a month before her death in which she received a 24-month suspended sentence and probation for trafficking a schedule II substance (methamphetamine) following an April 2024 arrest in Cherokee County.
On Aug. 14, 2024, Graham County Sheriff Brad Hoxit described one case involving Cox. Deputies from the Graham County Sheriff’s Office arrested Cox following a routine traffic stop on Tallulah Road near Robbinsville, when deputies observed a 2013 Kia Forte displaying a revoked license plate.
During the stop, Graham County Sheriff’s Office narcotics canine Sam was deployed and conducted an open air sniff, which resulted in a positive indication to the odor of a controlled substance, Hoxit said.
“A search of the vehicle, resulted in the seizure of 47 grams of crystal methamphetamine. A TruNarc, narcotics analyzer was also used to test the substance, which indicated a positive result for methamphetamine,” he said.
Cox was charged with trafficking in methamphetamine, possession with Intent to manufacture, sell or deliver methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. Bond in her case was set at $102,500.
“This arrest demonstrates the relentless effort and commitment of our officers to keeping the community safe and drug-free,” Hoxit said in a release at the time. “We will continue to enforce the law and ensure those who engage in illegal activities are held accountable.”
The death of James Nelson
About 7:45 p.m. Oct. 3, law enforcement led by SBI agents attempted to serve an arrest warrant on Nelson at 55 Woodhaven Lane off Old U.S. 19 near Topton.
“The suspect barricaded himself in the home for over three hours,” according to SBI Public Information Director Chad Flowers. “When agents entered the home around 11:30 p.m., they found the subject on the floor. It appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The suspect was transported to a local hospital, and then transferred to a hospital in Chattanooga, Tenn.”
Nelson was pronounced dead at a Chattanooga hospital on Oct. 6.
Nelson had a criminal record dating to 1992, when he was convicted of vehicle theft and larceny, both felonies. He was convicted of an escape attempt in 1998 along with various petty crimes and infractions, but in 2010 received his first drug conviction for possession of drug paraphernalia.
Various convictions followed, including habitual felon. He served just over six years in prison and was released in 2022.