From right to left, Jose Delatorre and Juan Aguirre, then teens, stand as their case is discussed at Henderson Justice Court on Feb. 11, 2009. Charged with the murder of Matthew Cox, a music teacher at Basic High School, Delatorre was set to go to trial in April, but is now considering a plea deal, according to his attorney. Aguirre's trial is set for Sept. 10.
Matthew Thomas Cox
Sun archives
- Murder trial delayed for brothers accused in teacher's death (11-9-2010)
- Teens plead not guilty in Basic High teacher’s death (2-18-2009)
- Teens charged in teacher’s death appear in court (1-8-2009)
- Tears, emotions flow at memorial for Basic High teacher (1-8-2009)
- Students sing in memory of slain choir teacher (1-7-2008)
- Brothers arrested in death of high school teacher (12-24-2008)
One of two Las Vegas brothers accused of robbing and killing Basic High School teacher Matthew Cox in 2008 is in the process of negotiating a plea agreement with prosecutors, according to his attorney.
Jose Delatorre, 21, who faces kidnapping, robbery and murder charges, is “very close” to working out a deal, Deputy Public Defender Andrea Luem told District Judge Valorie Vega on Thursday during a hearing to see if attorneys were ready for his murder trial in mid April.
Because of the negotiations, the judge vacated Delatorre’s scheduled April 16 trial date. Vega set a status check hearing for 9 a.m. April 19, when Delatorre can either change his plea or the judge will set a new trial date.
Delatorre and his brother, Juan Aguirre, 20, who are being tried separately, each face six charges in the Dec. 22, 2008, death of Cox, a 32-year-old high school choir teacher they had befriended.
The charges include murder, robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, burglary, kidnapping and grand larceny-auto. The brothers are being held in the Clark County Detention Center without bail.
Aguirre’s trial is set for 10:30 a.m. Sept. 10.
The slaying took place the night before Cox was to take a flight to Michigan for Christmas in 2008. Prosecutors allege the brothers' motive was to steal items from Cox's home that they could trade for methamphetamine and marijuana. The brothers have said they only intended to rob, not kill, Cox.
According to prosecutors, on Sunday, Dec., 21, 2008, Aguirre, a former student of Cox, and his brother, Delatorre, visited Cox at his apartment. The visit lasted past midnight and into the early morning hours of Monday, Dec. 22, 2008, prosecutors said.
Cox had a flight reservation on Northwest Airlines to leave Las Vegas at 6:50 a.m. that same day but never made the flight, prosecutors said.
As Cox drove the two brothers to their home on East Stewart Avenue in Las Vegas, the brothers beat and strangled the teacher in his car, took Cox to his home, put his body on a couch, then took items from Cox’s home, loaded them into his car and drove to their home, prosecutors said.
The brothers told their mother about the slaying and she offered to drive the stolen car to the Club Fortune Casino in Henderson, where she left it in the parking lot and walked to work to a nearby Dunkin Donuts, prosecutors said.
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