(KMJ) – The Madera County Sheriff’s Office makes an arrest in the October murder of a 16-year old girl.
On October 22, 2019 shortly before 10:30 a.m., the Madera County Sheriff’s Office received a call about a possible dead body at a rural agricultural property in the southern part of Madera County. That body was later identified a 16-year old Josephine Jimenez. Sheriff’s Detectives then launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death.
In December, Detectives were contacted by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. It says during an investigation into an unrelated incident, it identified a subject who they believed may be connected with this homicide.
Madera County Detectives then interviewed the subject, 19 year old Codi Slayton, in Oceanside. They say, based on information derived from that interview, as well as evidence found during follow up investigations, Slayton was taken into custody by Madera County Sheriff’s Detectives.
He was booked into the Madera County Department of Corrections Thursday for felony first degree murder and remains in custody on a $1 million dollar bond.
During the course of their investigation, Sheriff’s investigators say Slayton used various social media apps to generate and maintain communication not only with Jimenez’s, but with young girls throughout California, and possibly other parts of the United States.
Now, the Madera County Sheriff’s Office asks anyone who may have had online communication with Codi Slayton to contact its office to speak directly with a Detective. the MCSO Communications Center can be reached 24-hours a day at (559) 675-7770. Or Tips can be emailed to mcsotip@maderacounty.com.
