Indiana man accidentally records murder in voicemail, gets sentenced to 85 years

CLAY COUNTY, Ind. (WTWO) – A man who inadvertently recorded himself murdering his mother's boyfriend will spend 85 years behind bars following his sentencing Wednesday.

Cody Allen Wade, of Clay County, Indiana, was found guilty of murder, among other charges, following his trial in early August.

The charges had stemmed from the events of June 18, 2020, on which date Wade stabbed Carl Haviland four times, causing his death, prosecutors said.

Clay County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Zach Clapp said Wade had left a voicemail on his mother's phone right before the murder. Wade, however, failed to hang up, and ended up recording the entire incident in the voicemail.

Prosecutors played the recording for the jury during Wade's trial. He was ultimately found guilty on charges of murder, resisting law enforcement, and battery on law enforcement officers and a public safety official.

During Wednesday's sentencing, Judge Robert A. Pell sentenced Wade to a total of 85 years in prison, with credit for time served. The sentences, some of which were concurrent, included 15 years for habitual offenses.

Wade was previously incarcerated following an arson conviction in 2018. He had been released from jail in March 2020, just months before the murder of his mother's boyfriend.