Death in the Family

Convicted sex offender arrested for murder of his lesbian daughter and her partner

The nation’s LGBT community was left shocked, saddened, speechless and shaking our heads over a double murder that occurred last week in Texas. It was a monstrous crime. And we kept asking “who did this?” and “why?” We couldn’t help imagining that it might have been a hate crime.

But who could have imagined that it was one of the victims’ own father who was responsible.

James Larry Cosby, 46, the father of Britney Cosby, was arrested by police at his home last night. According to police, blood and other physical evidence links Cosby to the murder of his daughter and her partner Crystal Jackson. Both women were 24 and residents of Houston. They’d been a couple for 2 years. Last Friday, the women’s bodies were discovered next to a garbage dumpster in Port Bolivar, near Galveston.

James Cosby is a registered sex offender and convicted felon who had been recently released from prison. He was arrested and convicted of sexually assaulting a young woman in 1994. While he has not yet been officially charged with this crime, he is now charged with two counts of tampering with evidence.

The Galveston County sheriff announced that James Cosby is expected to be charged with capital murder. Hopefully, that will happen soon as the authorities believe they’ve got the right suspect. In the meantime, Cosby is being held on $250,000 bail.


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