Bio

Cody Posey was born on October 9, 1989, in New Mexico. His early life was affected by the separation of his parents, Delbert Paul Posey and Carla Burst. They filed for divorce when Cody was just three years old. This led to a long and contentious custody battle that lasted for eight years. During this time, Delbert remarried Sandy Paul, and Cody had a good relationship with her. However, she divorced Cody’s father in 1998.

In 2000, the custody dispute between Cody’s parents was resolved when Delbert, often called Paul, gave up his parental rights. Cody’s mother then had full custody for a brief period. Tragically, she was killed in a car accident, and Cody was placed back with his father. By this time, Paul had remarried Tryone Schmid, and Cody gained a younger stepsister named Marilea, who was about one year younger than him.

The family lived on a ranch owned by Sam Donaldson, an ABC reporter, in Chavez Canyon, New Mexico. Paul worked for Donaldson, caring for the ranch. Cody was in a new environment but continued to face challenges at home.

As he grew up, Cody struggled with his relationship with his father. There were reports of abuse, and it was said that Cody was often disciplined harshly. He faced a lot of pressure to do well in school and perform chores quickly. This raised concerns about the kind of environment he was living in, especially after Cody’s mother had previously reported Paul for child abuse.

Murder Story

On July 4, 2004, Cody Posey, a 14-year-old from New Mexico, committed a series of shootings that resulted in the deaths of his father, stepmother, and stepsister. The conflict that led to the murders began when Cody was slapped by his father for not cleaning horse stalls quickly enough. This incident occurred after years of reported abuse. The following day, Cody retrieved a gun from his stepsister's saddlebag and loaded it with live ammunition.

Cody first entered the house and shot his stepmother, Tryone, twice in the head. He then shot his father, Paul, after he came inside upon hearing the gunshots. Next, Cody shot his stepsister, Marilea, who was behind Paul, fearing she would inform on him. After the shootings, Cody moved the bodies outside and attempted to bury them in a shallow grave within a manure pile.

After the murders, Cody changed clothes and drove his father's truck to a store to buy a soft drink. He later went to stay with a friend. The next day, Sam Donaldson, the owner of the ranch where they lived, discovered the crime scene after being unable to contact Paul. Donaldson found blood inside the house and called law enforcement. Cody confessed to the killings, leading to the discovery of the bodies in the manure pile.

Cody was arrested the day after the murders. He was charged and later convicted of first-degree murder for the death of his stepsister, second-degree murder for the death of his stepmother, and voluntary manslaughter for the death of his father. He was also found guilty of four counts of tampering with evidence. In February 2006, he was sentenced to remain in juvenile custody until he was 21, with the possibility of parole after 40 days. Cody Posey was released on October 10, 2010.