Suspected Kidnapper, Molester Shoots Self

This is the man police say kidnapped at least three girls in Louisiana and Texas and who may have molested children here in the Lake area. 48-year-old Gary Dale Cox has killed himself in Texas.

Here in Southwest Louisiana local law enforcement is also working to determine if Cox is responsible for molesting a child here in the Lake area. "Monday when the new composite came out of the guy, we realized that there was too many similarities there to overlook that possibility because everything had changed on the composite in Slidell and he now matched what we had over here," says Calcasieu Sheriff's Department Parish Detective Elizabeth Zaunbrecher.

Friday morning, as Kerr County Sheriff's authorities were closing in, Cox turned a gun on himself but not before the latest kidnapping victim, 11-year-old Leah Henry, broke free.

Leah's mother says she's happy her family's ordeal is over. "My heart is soaring," says Linda Henry. "That's all I can say and I want to thank each and everyone one of you for all that you've done."

With Cox's death, police in Slidell, San Antonio and Houston believe they have solved the rash of recent kidnappings. But here in Southwest Louisiana, they are still trying to make a definite link between Cox and the April 14th molestation of the Lake Charles girl.

"When the case came in on the 14th of April, we didn't have anything but a brief description from the kids, which was a really pretty good description that the kids gave," Zaunbrecher says. Now they hope the children can remember that description and possibly identify cox in a photo lineup.

7News was able speak to the mother of the little girl molested in Calcasieu Parish. She says she always taught her children not to talk to strangers.

Details are still sketchy but we do know Cox has several prior sex offense convictions. The FBI is trying to determine if Cox was involved with up to six other kidnappings.

Reported by: Janelle MacDonald