The quiet countryside of Clay County, Indiana, became the backdrop for a horrifying crime that sent shockwaves through the community. It was a murder that left investigators stunned, not just by the brutality of the act but by the chilling voicemail that inadvertently captured the crime as it unfolded. This is the story of Cody Allen Wade, a man who, fueled by rage, took a life and received a sentence that will likely see him spend the rest of his days behind bars.
A Voicemail Paints a Gruesome Picture
Imagine the scene: detectives huddled around a speaker, listening intently to a voicemail message. But this isn’t your typical missed call; it’s a chilling audio recording of a murder. On June 20th, 2020, 33-year-old Cody Allen Wade unintentionally dialed his mother’s voicemail, unknowingly creating a grim record of the events that transpired.
The recording begins with muffled sounds, Wade’s voice laced with profanity. Then, about 25 seconds in, the word “murder” pierces through the confusion, sending chills down the spines of the investigators. “Murder, I swear to God, all right,” Wade hisses, his voice dripping with malice.
The Recording Reveals a Disturbing Narrative
As the voicemail continues, the situation escalates. Wade screams at his victim, Carl Haviland, his mother’s boyfriend, threatening him with a knife. “Yeah, where you at? I’ll stab you, little…” His mother’s desperate pleas for him to stop fall on deaf ears. Her screams mingle with Wade’s enraged shouts and the sounds of a struggle.
“I stabbed him,” Wade confesses, his voice cold and emotionless. Later, investigators would determine that Haviland had been stabbed four times, a testament to the brutal attack.
“Tell me what he…tell me…tell me!” Wade demands of his mother, his voice filled with a chilling curiosity.
“What did he do?” she cries, desperate for answers.
“Die! Get out! I hope he’s dead,” Wade retorts, revealing the chilling intent behind his actions.
The voicemail concludes with Wade’s mother screaming his name in anguish, her cries echoing into an eerie silence. It’s a haunting audio artifact of a life taken in a moment of fury.
Justice Is Served, But Scars Remain
The voicemail became the centerpiece of the prosecution’s case. It provided a raw, unfiltered account of the events leading up to Haviland’s death, leaving little room for doubt about Wade’s guilt. “The level of violence and the casual nature in which he discusses it afterward is truly disturbing,” noted Clay County prosecutor, speaking on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the case.
In August 2020, an Indiana jury found Cody Allen Wade guilty of murder and a string of other charges, including battery on a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest. He was later sentenced to 85 years in prison, a stark reminder of the severe consequences of his actions.
The murder of Carl Haviland sent shockwaves through Clay County, a grim reminder of the darkness that can lurk beneath the surface of any community. The chilling voicemail, forever etched into the annals of the case, serves as a testament to the devastating consequences of unchecked rage and violence. While justice was ultimately served, the scars of that fateful day will forever linger in the hearts of those who loved Carl Haviland.