Photo by Eric Mullens Alamosa Police Capt. John Michalke (left), Chief John Jackson and Detective Jeff Martinez talk about the arrest of suspected child killer Cody Lakey Friday.

Lakey

accused of

killing

daughter



By ERIC MULLENS

ALAMOSA — A 27-year old Alamosa man surrendered to a detective late Thursday on a first degree murder warrant issued in connection with the death of his nearly seven month old daughter.

Cody Joseph Lakey surrendered to Alamosa Police Detective Jeff Martinez Thursday night at the city police department after a warrant charging him with first degree homicide and child abuse resulting in death was signed earlier in the day by visiting district judge William Fox.

Lakey is accused of killing his daughter, Alexis Lakey sometime Monday night at the family home located at 619 11th St. in Alamosa. Alamosa Police Chief John Jackson held a press conference Friday and provided some information regarding the incident.

Jackson said at 7:13 p.m. Monday an ambulance transported the baby to the San Luis Valley Regional Medical Center’s emergency room. Jackson said the child was unconscious, had no pulse and was not breathing when she was brought in. Alexis was flown, still on life support, to Children’s Hospital in Denver, Colo. where she died Wednesday as a result of what Jackson described as serious bodily injuries. Jackson refused to disclose any details of those injuries.

Alamosa County Coroner Mike Rogers said he could not release any information regarding the fatal injuries as that part of the investigation is now under the jurisdiction of the Denver County Coroner’s Office.

Jackson said investigators worked in both Denver and Alamosa over the past three days investigating the murder. He said family members, including Lakey, and Alexis’ mother, Jocelyn Alegria, were informally interviewed at the hospital. Investigators in Alamosa executed a search warrant Wednesday at the family home on 11th St. Jackson said evidence was collected and the scene recorded to compare with information being obtained by Gonzales, and Alamosa County Department of Social Services investigators who were with the family at the hospital in Denver.

Sources say Alegria was at work at the time the killing took place and received a phone call from Lakey telling her to come home ‘because of a family emergency.” Alegria is not a suspect in case.

“As a result of the investigation conducted by Detective Martinez, it is alleged that Alexis Lakey received serious bodily injuries that resulted in her death while in the care of her father, Cody Lakey,” Jackson said.

Jackson did not say whether Lakey confessed to the allegations or has many any statement since his surrender.

He has been booked into the Alamosa County Detention Center and is being held without bond on the first degree murder charge and the child abuse resulting in death charge.

Lakey is expected to be advised on the charges sometime next week.

Lakey faces a class one and class two felony in the case.

12th Judicial District Attorney Peter Comar will face the decision at a later date whether or not to pursue the matter as a death penalty case.

Documents obtained Friday from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation indicate Lakey has an extensive criminal record in the state, although not for crimes of violence. Lakey has been arrested for felony counts of aggravated motor vehicle theft, criminal mischief, first degree criminal trespass in Meeker, Colo., in January 2002; felony count of second degree burglary, felony and misdemeanor criminal mischief, misdemeanor larceny filed by the Silt, Colo. Police Department in Jan. 2002; felony aggravated motor vehicle theft, second degree felony burglary, second degree criminal trespass in Aug. 2002; and larceny and probation violation by the Rio Blanco County Sheriff’s Office in October 2004.

Lakey was sentenced to three and one-half years in the Colorado Department of Corrections upon conviction of a felony burglary charge on Jan. 11, 2005. Lakey pleaded guilty to second degree burglary of a building on April 5, 2002, and received a sentence to a community corrections program.