RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — It has been nine months since 20-year-old Cody Woodson was shot and killed while taking out the trash. Woodson was a student at Virginia Commonwealth University when he was murdered near his residence in the Carver neighborhood, adjacent to the school.
The Richmond Police Department confirms that no one has been held accountable for his death.
“We need answers, we need to figure out what happened,” said Woodson’s mother, Angie Wright.
Woodson was shot and killed on April 5, 2021, while he was taking out the trash and heading to a corner store.
“Cody was a good child — he was a good person,” Wright said. “He wanted to make a good life for himself, and that was robbed from him just because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
On Tuesday, The Aware Foundation unveiled a billboard in Richmond on West Marshall Street, near where Woodson was murdered and lived.
The billboard reads, “Who murdered Cody Woodson? April 5, 2021 on Gilmer Street.”
The Aware Foundation is a Virginia based non-profit that works for the silent voices of those murdered or missing. They collaborated alongside Lamar Advertising to make the billboard a reality.
Amanda Doran with Lamar is optimistic that the board will raise awareness, and get people talking. According to RPD, there have been no leads or tips since the April murder.
“I hope the billboard helps get some leads for police,” Doran said.
Less than 24 hours before Woodson’s death, a teen was shot and killed on the same block. Richmond Police Detective James Higgins still can’t say for sure what led up to Woodson’s murder or if the two homicides are connected.
“We’ve had no witnesses come forward,” Higgins said. “With his picture being on there, they might see the face and say ‘oh I know him’ or ‘oh I saw him that day’.”
Woodson’s mother hopes the billboard will generate new leads in the investigation.
“I wish somebody would just come forward and say what they saw that night,” Wright said. “Somebody saw something.”
The billboard will stay up for at least a month.
If you know anything about this case, you are urged to contact Metro Richmond Crime Stoppers at 804-780-1000 or Detective Higgins at 804-646-7570.
