A 25-year-old woman shot and killed a 16-year-old girl who was pregnant with her boyfriend’s child, aiming to protect his reputation from scandal and legal fallout. Both perpetrators now face decades behind bars following convictions in Beaumont, Texas.
Discovery of the Victim
Katelynn Stone, 16, was found dead in a bedroom at a home on Kolbs Corner Road in Beaumont, Texas, in March 2022. Deputies from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office discovered her body around 10 p.m. on a Sunday, more than a day after the shooting occurred near 2 p.m. the previous Saturday.
The Relationships and Motive
Stone lived with 21-year-old Cody Lee Arnold and had been in a relationship with him. She recently learned she might be pregnant, a situation prosecutors described as a major threat to Arnold’s reputation and potential sex offender status due to her age.
Arnold was also romantically involved with 25-year-old Chelsea Shipp, creating a volatile dynamic. Investigators state the pair plotted the killing to eliminate the pregnancy and avoid consequences. Prosecutor Jimmy Hamm outlined the motive during trial, stating, “They were seen together. They were talking about what they were going to do.” He added, “They were smoking meth that entire weekend to build up the courage to kill that girl.”
Account of the Shooting
Arnold told detectives he and Shipp used methamphetamine before the incident. He claimed he left the room where Stone slept, returned to find Shipp standing over her with a gun, and watched as Shipp fired the fatal shot. Arnold then placed a bag over Stone’s head because he “did not want to look at it” and failed to report the crime.
Arrests and Sentencing
Authorities arrested Arnold first, then sought public help to locate Shipp before taking her into custody. A Jefferson County jury convicted Arnold of murder and related charges, sentencing him to 34 years in prison last week in Criminal District Court.
Shipp accepted a plea deal and received a 40-year prison sentence for the murder.
