BRAZIL, Indiana – A man in Indiana has been handed an 85-year sentence after inadvertently recording the murder of his mother’s boyfriend in a voicemail. Cody Allen Wade, 33, was found guilty last month of the 2020 killing of Carl Haviland and received his punishment on Wednesday. The shocking incident occurred when Wade left a voicemail on his mother’s phone just moments before stabbing Haviland four times. Tragically, his mother was present and witnessed the horrifying crime.
According to court documents, the judge stated in a sentencing order that Wade repeatedly attacked Carl Haviland with a knife. Not only did the defendant do this in front of his own mother but did so in spite of her trying to stop him from committing the violent crime. Prosecutors revealed that Wade had premeditated the murder, as he had informed another individual on his way to his mother’s house that he was about to take someone’s life. At the time, Wade was on parole for arson and had been released from jail just two months prior to the murder.
Wade’s sentence includes 60 years for the murder, with an additional 15 years added due to his status as a habitual offender. He was also given 10 years for two counts of felony battery on a public safety official with injury. Concurrent sentences were handed down for two other charges: felony battery against a public safety official and misdemeanor resisting law enforcement. County records indicate that Wade will receive credit for the time he has already served in jail.
The recording of the murder in a voicemail serves as a chilling reminder of the brutality that unfolded that day. The judge’s decision to impose a lengthy sentence reflects the severity of the crime and the impact it had on the victim’s loved ones.