Richard Cox appears twice in the New York State Death Index, 1957–1972, but conflicting information makes it difficult to determine his correct age and birth year. Both entries record his residence as Plattsburgh, Clinton County, New York, and give the same date of death, August 27, 1959.
The first entry lists Richard’s birth year as approximately 1959 and his age as zero, suggesting that he died during infancy. A second entry gives his birth year as approximately 1949 and his age as ten years old. Significantly, both records contain the same death certificate number, 62066, suggesting that they refer to the same individual despite the conflicting information.
Richard Cox also appears in the Riverside Cemetery reports housed at the Clinton County Historical Association Museum in Plattsburgh. This additional record connects him to the local community but does not, based on the information currently available, resolve the discrepancy surrounding his age.
Until additional documentation—such as the original death certificate, burial record, obituary, or family records—is located, it is not possible to determine with certainty whether Richard Cox was an infant or a ten-year-old child when he died. His story demonstrates the importance of comparing multiple historical sources and acknowledging conflicting evidence rather than selecting one record without further documentation.