Cody Allen Wade (Clay County Jail) and Carl Haviland (French Funeral Home)
A 33-year-old man in Indiana will likely spend the remainder of his life behind bars for fatally stabbing his mother’s boyfriend for having “disrespected” him — and accidentally recording the entire attack on his mother’s voicemail. Clay County Superior Court Judge Robert A. Pell last week ordered Cody Allen Wade to serve a sentence of 85 years in a state correctional facility for the 2020 slaying of Carl Haviland, court documents reviewed by Law&Crime show.
A 12-person jury last month found Wade guilty on one count each of murder, resisting law enforcement, and battery against a public safety official, as well as two counts of battery resulting in bodily injury to a public safety official. The jury also found that Wade was a habitual offender, resulting in a sentencing enhancement.
In a five-page sentencing order obtained by Law&Crime, Pell wrote that Wade had a “history of criminal and delinquent behavior” that was “extensive and serious.” He noted that on the date of the murder, Wade had already accumulated 12 prior criminal convictions and was on probation for an arson conviction.
According to court documents, Wade on June 18, 2020, left a cookout and stopped by a friend’s house, telling the friend that he “was going to kill someone.” The friend attempted to talk Wade out of this notion but was unsuccessful. Wade then walked several blocks to the residence where he and his mother both lived.
On his way to the home, Wade called his mother and left her a voicemail. However, he accidentally failed to properly end the call and instead left his mother a voicemail that included the entire attack on Haviland, Los Angeles CW affiliate KTLA reported.
Judge Pell wrote that the “particular manner” in which Wade planned and killed Haviland clearly illustrated that he deserved an enhanced sentence.
Read Related Also: ‘Shocked’ Family Says Girl Found iPhone Taped To Plane’s Toilet Seat During Use
“Obviously, murder contemplates causing the death of another person,” Pell wrote. “But in this case Defendant repeatedly stabbed Carl Haviland not only in front of Defendant’s own Mother but did so in spite of her efforts to physically prevent him from committing the crime. Thereafter, Defendant kicked and taunted Carl Haviland.”
According to a report from the Tri-City Herald, Wade was angry because he believed his mother had “disrespected” him.
Clay County Prosecutor Emily Clarke told the court that Wade’s recording of the murder was particularly egregious.
“All murders are gruesome. I think what made this case especially so was the fact that the defendant had inadvertently recorded himself throughout the murder, so we were able to hear the entire thing,” Clarke said on Wednesday, per the Herald. “There was taunting going on. The defendant was making racial slurs at the victim and saying horrible things.”
Haviland was reportedly stabbed a total of four times.
Wade’s sentence breaks down as follows: 60 years for murder, with an additional 15 years added to that sentence for the habitual offender enhancement, plus five years each for the battery against a public officer charges, to be served consecutively, or one after the other. The sentences for the remaining charges will be served concurrently.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
