To the Illinois Prisoner Review Board:

On April 27, 1968, Thomas Charles Fuller II shot and killed five of the twelve children of William and Lydia Cox at their rural Mattoon, Illinois home:

Edward Louis Cox, age 16

Theresa Jean Cox, age 10

Mary Catherine Cox, age 9

Gary Lee Cox, age 7

Kenneth Winfred Cox, age 5

Fuller pleaded guilty to all five counts of murder and was sentenced to two consecutive prison terms of 70 to 99 years. A classmate testified at the preliminary hearing that Fuller had told him three weeks before the killings that he planned to kill the entire family. Judge Harry I. Hannah rejected an insanity defense, finding that Fuller knew right from wrong and was capable of conforming his conduct to the law.

Fuller has applied for parole more than sixteen times — every application has been denied. He is currently incarcerated at Graham Correctional Center in Hillsboro, Illinois. His projected discharge date without parole is August 2057.

We, the undersigned, respectfully and firmly request that the Illinois Prisoner Review Board deny any current or future application for parole, release, or sentence reduction by Thomas Charles Fuller II. We ask that he serve the full term imposed by the court.

Our reasons:

• The crime was premeditated and resulted in the deaths of five children, the youngest only five years old.

• William Cox (who passed away June 5, 2010) and Lydia Cox (who passed away August 12, 2006) spent the remainder of their lives advocating to keep Fuller behind bars. William personally led the opposition to every parole hearing from 1979 until his death. The Cox family continues that fight today in their memory.

• The surviving siblings, their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren continue to live with the loss every day. Releasing Fuller would compound that grief and reopen wounds the family has carried for nearly six decades.

• Five separate murders of children warrant the full sentence the court imposed. Releasing Fuller would deprecate the seriousness of the offense and promote disrespect for the law.

• The Cox family has consistently and unanimously opposed every parole request since 1979. Their voice — and the voices of those who stand with them — must continue to be heard.

By signing the following pages, I add my name to those who ask the Board to keep Thomas Charles Fuller II in prison.