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Photo of Arnold -
Photo of Shipp
Marking two corners of an alleged tri-county love triangle, two Southeast Texans in their 20s were charged late March after the woman reportedly shot and killed the 16-year-old girlfriend of the man she was “seeing” March 26.
A Jefferson County grand jury has charged Winnie resident Chelsea Ann-Marie Shipp, who turns 25 April 11, and Fannett man Cody Arnold, 21, for murder after detectives found the body of Arnold’s 16-year-old girlfriend in his home.
Detectives found the victim, identified as Vidor native Katelynn Nicole Stone, with evidence of a gunshot wound in the 14000 block of Kolb’s Corner between Hamshire and Fannett March 27. That day, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) detectives arrested Arnold, who they listed as an accomplice in his girlfriend’s murder. Three days later, after finding her 260 miles away from the murder scene, police in Liberty Hill arrested Shipp for shooting the 16-year-old girl.
According to a probable cause affidavit recounting Arnold’s side of the homicide, a woman called the department March 27 to report that her friend and former coworker, Shipp, told her she shot and killed a girl the day before.
The caller didn’t know Stone’s name, but did know she was the girlfriend of a man Shipp was “seeing.” The affidavit penned by JCSO Detective Chad Williamson goes on to say detectives arrived at Arnold’s address to find him on the front porch.
After Arnold gave consent to search his home, detectives discovered Stone deceased on a bed. Detectives noticed a bullet shell casing on the pillow next to the covered body. Of the time preceding Stone’s death, Arnold told officers he had been hanging out with Shipp and “using methamphetamines” with her.
“Throughout the day, Arnold and Shipp were arguing about (Stone) being underage and their dating relationship; (Arnold) being 21 years of age and (Stone) being only 16 years old,” reads the probable cause affidavit for Arnold’s indictment. “During the interview, Cody Arnold advised that (Stone) was possibly pregnant, she had taken an at-home test that was positive.”
Arnold told detectives he left Stone sleeping in the bed the day of her murder. When he returned from the restroom, he found Shipp pointing a gun at Stone as she was lying in bed. He then witnessed Shipp pull the trigger, the document details.
Arnold told detectives he covered Stone’s body in a trash bag because he “did not want to look at it.”
According to a probable cause affidavit for Shipp’s indictment, written by JCSO Detective Brian Sain, Shipp used to work for a small cleaning company called Latitude Adjustments in Crystal Beach. A former coworker there called JCSO detectives after Shipp asked her for help hiding the body.
March 25, a day before the murder, Shipp called her ex-coworker saying she hadn’t seen her in a while and wanted to stop by her Winnie address. Shipp said she was coming with Arnold and his girlfriend from Fannett.
“Before they got there, (a man) mentioned (Shipp) had been seeing Cody Arnold,” the affidavit reads. “(The man) also stated Cody Arnold was seeing both of the women.
“The following day, she was cleaning a house in Crystal Beach with a coworker. (The caller) stated (Shipp) called and asked if she could borrow her car because (Shipp) ‘Had some things she needed to do.’”
After returning the woman’s car the morning after the murder, Shipp repeatedly told her, “Hey, don’t forget. If anybody asks you, I was with you in Baytown and Cody had your car.”
Finding this suspicious, the woman prodded for more, asking if something was wrong. Shipp, after checking to see if the woman had a phone on her, revealed she “got rid” of Stone.
“What did you do, beat her up or something?” the woman asked, to which Shipp allegedly replied, “No, I shot her.”
“He asked me to take care of the problem,” Shipp said, according to the affidavit, “and now he has to do what he has to do.”