By LYNETTE SOWELL
Cove Leader-Press
After a delay of four days, on July 18, 52nd District Court Judge Trent Farrell sentenced Cody Ray Vaughan to two 35-year sentences for intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle and collision involving death - fail to stop and render aid.
In May of this year Vaughan had agreed to plead guilty for the charges with a 39-year cap, in connection with his role in the death of 42-year-old Manuel “Manny” Moreno of Copperas Cove.
The vehicle collision occurred in the early morning hours of Sept. 19, 2024, and Moreno was pronounced dead at the scene of the wreck.
Last Monday, Vaughan submitted a petition which amounted to him attempting to fire his court-appointed attorney and another petition to withdraw his guilty plea to two charges.
However, Judge Farrell and the court did not grant those requests. Instead, both the lead prosecuting attorney, Assistant District Attorney Kylen Kafer and defense attorney Gregory Simmons agreed to come back on Friday morning for another sentencing hearing.
This gave Simmons and Vaughan a few more days to conduct the pre-sentencing investigation, also known as a PSI, which Simmons told the court Monday morning that Vaughan had refused to participate in the week prior.
On Friday morning, Vaughan appeared in court once again. This time, he took the stand to give a statement to the court and the family and apologized. He then refused to answer further questions as part of the sentencing. He was followed by his fiancée, Cassie Forbes, who expressed to the court Vaughan’s ongoing troubles with alcoholism and his attempts at receiving treatment.
Upon questioning by the state, Forbes acknowledged that she left her vehicle at Vaughan’s home along with her keys, the night prior to Vaughan getting behind the wheel. She also acknowledged that she had taken him out for beer the evening prior. However, she had been moved out of Vaughan’s home at the time due to his alcoholism.
The state likened Forbes action of leaving the vehicle to her leaving a weapon for Vaughan to access. The state also pointed to Vaughan’s DWI charge in Bell County, for which he was out on bond at the time of the deadly crash on F.M. 116.
As part of the presentencing testimony, Trooper Eric Woodruff with the Texas Department of Public Safety shared about the circumstances immediately after the crash, in which he led the investigation. He stated that part of the investigation included evidence that Vaughan had purchased alcohol at a local Seven-11, the container of which was found in his vehicle the morning of the collision.
Moreno’s younger brother, Joe, and his mother, Lisa, also took the stand and shared about the impact of losing Manuel has had on them and the family.
“I called him my ‘golden child’,” Lisa Moreno said, and she recounted his childhood, his service in the United States Navy followed by the Army Reserves, then his career which continued as a gate guard at Fort Hood and culminated with more than 11 years with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Joe Moreno talked about the example his older brother had been in his life. Also, he pointed out that he knew Vaughan what faced in that chair being sentenced.
“I’ve sat where you sit,” Moreno said.
In a show of support, more than one dozen TDCJ employees were in court for their fallen colleague. After the sentencing hearing concluded, they lined the sidewalk outside the courthouse and applauded the Morenos as they exited the building. Lisa Moreno received a gift of windchimes, and they all shook hands with the District Attorney Dusty Boyd and Assistant DA Kafer.
“I thought it was a fair sentence,” Kafer said. “Based on the age of the defendant, based on his prior criminal history, and based on what happened and how it impacted the family of the victim.” The two sentences will run concurrently.
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