Cody Wayne Kinslow, a 42-year-old White/Caucasian man, was killed on the morning of September 21, 2023, in a shooting at a residence in the 9000 block of Little Flock Road, east of Temple, Texas. Bell County sheriff’s deputies were dispatched at approximately 9:54 a.m. after receiving a report of gunfire. When deputies reached the property, they found Kinslow inside the home suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Bell County Justice of the Peace Larry Wilkey pronounced him dead at the scene.
A woman, later identified in court records and news reports as Sandy Gayle Carrese, had also been shot. She suffered a wound to her arm and was taken to Baylor Scott & White Medical Center, where she was treated for injuries that were not considered life-threatening.
The investigation quickly focused on Howard Lee Bailey. According to an arrest affidavit, Carrese told investigators that a masked gunman entered the residence carrying a firearm and that she recognized the man's voice as Bailey's. She alleged that Bailey shot both her and Kinslow. After the shooting, Carrese said she reached a vehicle and Bailey got into the driver's seat and drove away before eventually stopping and leaving the vehicle on foot. Authorities later located Bailey walking along a roadway and took him into custody. Investigators eventually alleged that Carrese herself was accidentally struck by gunfire from Bailey during the attack. Bailey was formally charged with murder, and his bond was initially reported as $1.5 million.
As investigators examined cell phones and other evidence, the case expanded beyond the alleged gunman. Court documents described messages between Kinslow and Carrese concerning the purchase of narcotics and included a voice message in which Carrese allegedly threatened Kinslow over money she claimed he had taken. Investigators also developed information suggesting Kinslow had recently won money gambling. Bell County investigators said the evidence pointed toward an apparent robbery, although the precise circumstances surrounding the disputed money became part of the allegations against the defendants rather than an established fact about Kinslow's actions.
Ryan Adam Madden also became a suspect. According to the affidavit, Madden told a Texas Ranger that he agreed to give Bailey a ride to Kinslow's residence because Bailey believed Kinslow had taken money from him. Madden allegedly followed Carrese toward the residence while Carrese described the layout of Kinslow's home to Bailey. Investigators wrote that Madden said he believed Bailey and Carrese intended to rob Kinslow of money or drugs. Authorities consequently accused Madden of participating in the events leading to the fatal shooting rather than merely providing an uninvolved ride.
Madden initially avoided arrest when law enforcement attempted to take him into custody on September 28, prompting a regional search in Bell, Williamson, Travis and Burnet counties. His distinctive white GMC pickup was later found abandoned in Leander. On October 4, 2023, Williamson County deputies encountered Madden as a passenger during a traffic stop near County Road 282 outside Liberty Hill. Madden fled into a wooded pasture, leading deputies and assisting police agencies to establish a perimeter and search with drones and police dogs. He was eventually located, arrested on the outstanding murder warrant and transferred to the Bell County Jail.
Carrese was also arrested and charged with murder. By October 2023, Bailey, Carrese and Madden were all facing murder charges in connection with Kinslow's death. A Bell County grand jury subsequently returned murder indictments against the three. Their alleged roles differed: Bailey was accused of being the shooter, while the evidence described Carrese and Madden as participants in the events surrounding the trip to Kinslow's home and the alleged robbery plan. The charges against all of them remained accusations unless and until established in court.
The case expanded again in 2024 with the arrest of a fourth defendant, Angel Luis Garza. Garza had been held in Burnet County on separate local charges before being transferred to the Bell County Jail in late September 2024 in connection with Kinslow's killing. His bond was reported at $1 million, and authorities said he would face proceedings alongside the other defendants. Public reporting surrounding his arrest did not provide the same level of detail about his alleged actions at or before the shooting as was released regarding Bailey, Carrese and Madden.
The prosecution has remained active for years. Bell County's online inmate records in September 2026 continue to list Howard Lee Bailey, Sandy Gayle Carrese, Ryan Adam Madden and Angel Luis Garza as being in custody. Individual jail records list first-degree felony murder charges for Bailey, Carrese, Madden and Garza under separate district-court docket numbers. The publicly accessible entries do not display a sentence date or sentence length for those murder charges, and no reliable online reporting located through September 2026 established that a final murder trial verdict or conviction had been entered for any of the four defendants.
Away from the criminal investigation, Kinslow's obituary described a man devoted to his family and work. He had started his own trucking company in 2018 and was remembered for his outgoing personality, his affection for family and friends, and especially his devotion to his two sons. He was survived by his wife, two sons, his mother, siblings and other relatives. His sudden death left his family grieving while the criminal case moved forward against the people authorities believe were involved in the events that brought the group to his home that September morning.
