Adam Cox wrote about the 2007 incident in his book, "My Crazy Radio Life."
Lori Vallow Daybell's brother was investigated in the 2007 death of a woman who participated in a radio contest he hosted but was never criminally charged, InsideEdition.com has learned.
Adam Cox, who also goes by the names Lukas and Bo Nasty, was one of the hosts at the "Morning Rave" show on KDND-FM in 2007 when the station held its "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" contest, Cox wrote in his book, My Crazy Radio Life.
The Jan. 12, 2007 stunt involved contestants drinking large amounts of water and then attempting to hold it in without vomiting or urinating, CBS News reported, with the person who could hold out the longest winning a Nintendo Wii.
Drinking large amounts of water in a short period of time can lead to a dangerous imbalance in electrolytes and water intoxication, which can be fatal, according to the Toxicology Education Foundation.
In his book, Cox does not name the woman who died in the incident, but she was Jennifer Lea Strange, 28, a California mother of three, CBS News reported. Strange died of acute water intoxication and her body was found hours after the contest.
Cox and nine other radio station employees were fired in the incident, CBS News reported. In his book, Cox wrote that the contest had been approved by the radio station's management, and that he and his colleagues were just following orders.
"During the contest, a few listeners called into the show and said that this kind of activity could be dangerous. One of the callers said she was a nurse. Our show was a fun, playful show, and sometimes even sarcastic humor. At this point during the show, we did not have the authority or any direction to stop the contest," Cox wrote in his book.
Cox and his co-hosts made several jokes on the air about Strange's distended belly, saying that she looked pregnant during the contest, according to a document filed when KDND's parent company sought to renew its license with the Federal Communications Commission in 2016.
"This is what it feels like when you’re drowning. There’s a lot of water inside you," Cox said when Strange told the hosts her head hurt, according to the document.
Cox wrote in his book that he learned of Strange's death in a phone call from his boss on the day of the contest.
"I picked up the phone groggily said: 'Hello.' Then I was about to hear words that had a catastrophic impact on my life, which will forever be engraved in my mind and soul. My boss said, 'One of the contestants from the contest died today,'" Cox wrote in his book.
"I couldn't understand why or how that could've happened. I started crying thinking about her, one of our loyal listeners, a mom just trying to win a Wii for for her kids," Cox wrote. "Thinking about that hit me like a ton of bricks. Looking back on that January 15th day [editor's note: it was Jan. 12], I believe it was the saddest day that I can remember except for the day that I got a call when I was in Little Rock that my older sister, Stacey, had passed away."
After speaking with the station's lawyers after the incident, Cox wrote in his book, he and nine other employees were fired.
"All of us were being investigated for possible criminal charges of aiding and participating in a wrongful death episode," Cox wrote.
The Sacramento District Attorney announced that there would be no criminal charges filed in the case against the station or its employees, including Cox, the CBS News and the Associated Press reported.
But Strange's family did file a wrongful death lawsuit against KDND's parent company, Entercom Sacramento LLC.
In 2009, Strange's family was awarded $16.5 million by a California jury, which found the station liable for the actions of its employees, CBS News reported. Entercom ultimately surrendered KDND-FM's license and the station went off the air in 2017.
In his book, Cox wrote that he struggled to find work after Strange's death.
"But nobody was going to hire a DJ with a reputation as a 'killer.' I was branded with a cruel and false charge," he wrote in his book.
He has since found work at other radio stations. Cox did not respond to InsideEdition.com's requests for comment.
Now, Cox is listed among 48 potential witnesses the prosecution could call in its case against his sister, Lori.
Lori is currently being held on $1 million bond at the Rexburg, Idaho, jail and faces two counts of felony desertion of a child in the disappearance of her children, Joshua "JJ" Vallow, 7, and Tylee Ryan, 17, who were last seen in September.
Lori also faces misdemeanor charges of resisting and obstructing an officer, solicitation of a crime and contempt, according to the Madison County, Idaho prosecutor's office. Lori has pleaded not guilty to all charges and denied all allegations of wrongdoing.
Lori's other brother, Alex Cox, died Dec. 12 and his death is currently under investigation. On July 11, 2019, Alex shot and killed Lori's fourth husband, Charles Vallow.
Alex told police he acted in self-defense when he shot Charles, according to body cam footage released by the Chandler Police Department. Alex was not charged in the incident.
The Rexburg Police Department asks anyone with information regarding JJ and Tylee's whereabouts or welfare to contact the department at 1-208-359-3000 or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 1-800-THE-LOST.
JJ has brown hair and brown eyes, is 4 feet tall and weighs 50 pounds. He has autism and may be in need of medical attention, according to authorities. Tylee has blonde hair and blue eyes, is 5 feet tall and weighs 160 pounds.
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