Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Cody murder arrest update
As the NewsSource reported first on Tuesday, a Cocke County Grand Jury has indicted McKinley Cody, 19, Lane Road, Newport, in the death of Lora Elizabeth Hale Costner, 42, who went missing on January 7. Her body was found on March 10, under a tree on the Jerry Cody property on Bogard Road. The indictment indicates that the grand jury heard testimony from TBI Agent John J. Sipos. The victim allegedly was killed during the robbery of prescription medication. Cody is charged with First Degree Felony Murder, Robbery, Second Degree Murder, and Abuse of a Corpse. At last report the defendant remained in the Cocke County Jail in lieu of a $1 million bond. Judge Ben Hooper agreed to restrictions on the defendant, recommended by prosecutor W. Brownlow Marsh, if Cody does post bond. He is to have no contact with the victim's immediate family, he will be required to wear an ankle GPS monitoring device, may not leave Cocke County, must wear a drug detection patch, undergo random drug screens and is prohibited from using alcohol or drugs. On Tuesday, Cocke County Sheriff Armando Fontes issued a statement shedding additional light on the alleged homicide. The sheriff said since the beginning of the investigation, Cody was a person of interest "and as the investigation continued he quickly became the primary suspect." He said investigators have determined that Costner died as result of blunt force trauma to the back of the head. According to the sheriff, Cody was the last person seen with Lora Costner. "He took measures to conceal the body, took measures to burn and destroy evidence and stole personal property belonging to Lora Costner which included prescription medication. Unfortunately this case revolves around prescription pain medication." Sheriff Fontes told the NewsSource there are no other suspects in the homicide however he said the investigation is on-going and additional leads are being sought. The sheriff complimented the investigators from the various agencies for their cooperation in the investigation. And he went on to say, "I want to thank members of our community for providing information and support while we worked to investigate this case. Our thoughts and prayers are continuing for the family and friends affected by this tragedy."


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