All four gospel writer emphasized that Jesus died. This was, afterall, an essential element of the "good news" or "gospel."
MK 15:33-37 "At noon the whole country was covered with darkness, which lasted for three hours. At three o'clock Jesus cried out with a loud shoud, `Eloi, Eloi, lema savachthani?' which means, `My God, my God, why did you abandon me?' Some of the people there heard him and said, `Listen, he is calling for Elijah!' One of them ran up with a sponge, soaked it in cheap wine, and put it on the end of a stick. Then he held it up to Jesus' lips and said, `Wait! Let us see if Elijah is coming to bring him down from the cross!' With a loud cry Jesus died."
Comment: A few years ago, Edwin Edwards, then governor of the great state of Louisiana, made a comment, picked up by the media, that he did not think that Jesus really died on the cross: Jesus was unconscious, but once in the cool tomb, he revived. This comment caused quite a stir among some Christians. (One Christian stated: "how can the archbishop give that man communion? -- he doesn't even believe in the resurrection of Jesus!") Central to Christian beliefs about Jesus is the resurrection, as St. Paul indicated in I Co 15. The resurrection makes sense if and only if Jesus truly died, and the gospel writers all make a point of Jesus's death. John's gospel even has one of the soldiers poking Jesus in the side with a spear to see if he was really dead (JH 19:34). By the way, the day after Edwards made his comment, he explained to the media that he was merely expressing what his "reason" was telling him and that his "faith" accepted the death and resurrection of Jesus. Politicians have a way with words.