Cody Ryan Carlin, 27, of Hagerstown, Maryland, was shot and killed in Augusta, West Virginia, during a repossession attempt that turned deadly. Reports place the incident on July 13, 2023, in the Golden Drive area of Augusta, although some listings give July 20 as the date of death. Carlin and a coworker had gone to the Hampshire County residence of Michael Andrew McCaughey to recover a vehicle when McCaughey allegedly became angry, retrieved a firearm from his home, and shot Carlin. Carlin was found critically wounded and was pronounced dead at the scene after responders arrived.

Law enforcement agencies including the West Virginia State Police and the Hampshire County Sheriff’s Office responded. McCaughey, identified in booking records as 39 and of Augusta, reportedly fled but was apprehended almost immediately on Route 50 and charged with second-degree murder; early reports listed cash-only bond amounts that varied between accounts. Carlin’s obituary notes he was born December 28, 1995, and remembered by family and acquaintances as adventurous and good-humored. What details about motive or the exact sequence inside the residence remain unclear to readers?