True Crime Chronicles: Sixteen-year-old died at the hands of a trio of friends on a Fall night in October of 2015
- Dennis McCaslin
- Aug 7, 2025
- 2 min read
On October 14, 2012, sixteen-year-old JaRay Mickell Wilson vanished from Hydro, Oklahoma.
A vibrant teen with a passion for music, horses, and art, JaRay was last seen on surveillance footage at a convenience store, texting on her phone. Her disappearance sparked a statewide search and ignited fears that she had been trafficked--rumors fueled by JaRay herself, who had confided in friends that she feared being sold into prostitution to pay off a drug debt to a known dealer, Gilberto Paz.
Paz was investigated but ultimately cleared.
For 14 agonizing months, JaRay’s family and community held vigils, distributed flyers, and pleaded for answers. The Oklahoma Human Trafficking Unit took over the case, but the truth was far more brutal—and tragically close to home.
On December 17, 2013, 19-year-old Cody Godfrey came forward with a chilling revelation: he had witnessed JaRay’s murder. That night, Cody and his friend Tucker McGee had picked JaRay up at her request.
On the drive, Tucker complained that JaRay was “annoying” and “wouldn’t stop talking about her problems.” He showed Cody a gun and said, “We could go kill JaRay.” Cody thought it was a joke.
The trio drove to a desolate field north of Weatherford--locally known as the “Marijuana Field”and smoked synthetic marijuana (K2). As the evening wore on, JaRay texted a friend: “I feel sketched out. I can’t go home?”
Moments later, while she was still looking at her phone, Tucker pulled out his gun and shot her in the head. When she moaned, he shot her again.
Cody and Tucker threw her body over a fence and hid it under a tree. The next day, they returned with another friend, Caleb McLemore, to bury her in a shallow grave. They smashed her phone and scattered the pieces in a nearby creek.
Cody’s testimony was pivotal. He led investigators to JaRay’s remains and described the events in detail. Prosecutors initially sought the death penalty for Tucker McGee, but because he was just 10 days shy of his 18th birthday, he was ineligible.
In 2015, Tucker was sentenced to life without parole. However, due to changes in Oklahoma law regarding juvenile sentencing, his sentence was later modified to life with the possibility of parole after 38 years.
Caleb McLemore pled guilty to accessory after the fact and was sentenced to 25 years, with 10 years to serve and 15 suspended. Cody Godfrey also pled guilty but received a suspended sentence in exchange for his .
JaRay’s parents, Rodney and Jara Wilson, fought tirelessly for justice. Her mother described the sentencing as “two years, six months, and six days” of waiting.
The family also advocated for legislation allowing judges to impose life without parole for juvenile offenders, but the bill was ultimately vetoed.
