News Summary
Christopher James Havrilla has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection with the cold case of Cody Scott Matney, who disappeared in April 2002. Holding multiple indictments, including aggravated kidnapping and tampering with evidence, Havrilla faces serious legal repercussions. He has been extradited to Tennessee and is currently held on a $1 million bond. The investigation into Matney’s disappearance, which drew renewed public interest, continues as law enforcement seeks further information from the community.
Bristol, Tennessee – An Alabama man faces multiple charges, including first-degree murder, in connection with the cold case murder of Cody Scott Matney, who has been missing since April 2002. Christopher James Havrilla, 52, was arrested on March 14, 2025, by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency in Orange Beach, Alabama, and has since been extradited to Tennessee.
Havrilla now faces a series of serious charges that include especially aggravated kidnapping, tampering with evidence, abuse of a corpse, and two counts of false reporting. These indictments were handed down after a Sullivan County Grand Jury reviewed new information that prompted the re-examination of the long-standing case.
Cody Scott Matney was reported missing after last being seen at a bar located in the 3200 block of West State Street in Bristol. On the night of his disappearance, records show that Matney made a total of eight phone calls from a calling card before being seen talking to another individual in the bar’s parking lot.
Matney’s automobile was discovered abandoned in the bar’s parking lot five days following his last sighting, with his checkbook left sitting openly on the dashboard, raising further alarms about his disappearance. Investigators from the Virginia State Police have suggested that Matney may have departed the bar in the company of an acquaintance, heading toward Buchanan County, Virginia.
The collaboration involved in the investigation includes the Bristol Tennessee Police Department, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), the Virginia State Police, and the 2nd Judicial District Attorney General’s Office. Together, these agencies have been working diligently to uncover the details surrounding Matney’s case, which had grown cold over the years.
Havrilla is currently being held at the Sullivan County Jail with a bond set at $1 million. If released, he will be required to wear an ankle monitor, reflecting the seriousness of the charges against him. The ongoing investigation continues to explore the possibility that other individuals in the Bristol, Tennessee, and Bristol, Virginia areas may hold critical information pertinent to Matney’s disappearance and murder.
Authorities have called upon the community for assistance, urging anyone who has information regarding the case to reach out to the Bristol Tennessee Police Department or the TBI. As the investigation progresses, officials emphasize that Havrilla is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The long-standing mystery surrounding Cody Scott Matney’s disappearance has stirred renewed interest as more information comes to light, leading to hope that justice may finally be served in this tragic case. Authorities continue their plea for public assistance in gathering further information that would contribute to the resolution of this disturbing and unresolved incident.
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Additional Resources
- TBI Newsroom
- Wikipedia: Bristol, Tennessee
- Herald Courier
- Google Search: Cody Scott Matney case
- Supertalk 929
- Google News: 2002 Bristol Cold Case
- WJHL News
- Google Scholar: 2002 Bristol Homicide
- WCYB News
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Cody Scott Matney
