Texas couple convicted of murdering pregnant teen to hide statutory rape

A man and woman in Texas have both been convicted of murdering a 16-year-old, whom the man had impregnated, in an attempt to cover up the man's crime.

Key Takeaways:

• In 2022, 16-year-old Katelynn Nicole Stone was found shot to death.

• Stone had been in a relationship with 21-year-old Cody Arnold, and believed she was pregnant.

• Arnold and another woman, Chelsea Shipp, murdered Stone to prevent him from being labeled a sex offender.

• Shipp was sentenced to 40 years in prison last June. In March, Arnold was convicted and sentenced to 34 years in prison.

The Backstory:

On March 27, 2022, sheriff's deputies in Jefferson County, Texas went to the home of 21-year-old Cody Arnold. Inside, they discovered the body of 16-year-old Katelynn Nicole Stone in Arnold's bedroom. Stone, who was pregnant, had been shot to death.

According to Local 12, Arnold told investigators that he had been "hanging out" with Stone and Chelsea Shipp, a 28-year-old woman with whom he was also romantically involved. He explained that he and Shipp had been using methamphetamine, and Shipp was angry because Arnold told her he was dating the teen and she was pregnant.

Arnold claimed he left the room and then returned to see Shipp take a gun and shoot the sleeping teen in the head. Arnold then claimed he covered Stone's head with a trash bag because he didn't want to look at it, and neglected to call authorities. Deputies did not find the body until the next day, when they arrived at the home for an unreported reason.

Shipp reportedly later told people, "I got rid of her" and "I shot her," because "he was going to get in trouble for getting her pregnant."

The Details:

In June 2025, Shipp accepted a plea deal in the murder and was sentenced to 40 years in prison.

On March 23, a jury also found Arnold guilty of Stone's murder. He was sentenced to 34 years in prison.

During the trial, prosecutors maintained that the duo conspired to kill Stone in order to keep Arnold off the sex offender registry.

"[Arnold and Shipp] were seen together, they were talking about what they were going to do," Prosecutor Jimmy Hamm said in his opening statement. "They were smoking meth that entire weekend to build up the courage to kill that girl."

The Bottom Line:

Homicide remains a leading cause of death for pregnant women. Often, the perpetrator is the woman's partner, who is angry that she is pregnant. Cases like this one illustrate that minor girls, women, and their preborn children all need protection from violence.