Cody Arnold, who was 21 at the time, received a 34-year prison sentence for his role in the 2022 killing of 16-year-old Katelynn Stone in Jefferson County, Texas. His co-defendant, Chelsea Shipp, had earlier pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 40 years. Prosecutors said the pair feared Arnold would face legal trouble after Stone became pregnant.
Cody Arnold and Chelsea Shipp, both in their 20s during the events, devised a plan to kill 16-year-old Katelynn Stone after she tested positive for pregnancy while living with Arnold, according to prosecutors. Arnold, then 21, was romantically involved with Shipp, who was around 25. Shipp warned Arnold that he could be labeled a sex offender due to the age gap, prompting their scheme, Jefferson County District Attorney's Office investigator Jimmy Hamm told the court during Arnold's trial, as reported by KBMT, the local ABC and NBC affiliate in southeast Texas. Hamm noted that over the weekend of March 26, 2022, at Arnold's home on the 14000 block of Kolbs Corner near Beaumont, the pair smoked methamphetamine 'to build up the courage to kill that girl.' According to Arnold's account in a probable cause affidavit, Shipp shot Stone around 2 p.m. while the teen slept in a room. Arnold then covered Stone's head with a trash bag because 'he did not want to look at her.' Deputies from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office responded to a report of a possible murder at the address around 5 p.m. on March 27, 2022, discovering Stone's body with a gunshot wound. Arnold was arrested that day. Authorities issued a murder warrant for Shipp two days later, and she was taken into custody on March 31. Witnesses told investigators that Shipp confessed, saying 'I got rid of her' and 'I shot her,' mimicking the act with her fingers. Shipp later told investigators she acted at Arnold's request because 'one of them was sleeping around on the other,' according to The Beaumont Enterprise. Arnold was found guilty and sentenced to 34 years, while Shipp received 40 years after her plea deal.