‘It should have never happened’

BILOXI, Miss. (TCN) — A 21-year-old woman will spend the rest of her life in prison for killing her best friend in 2022 and hiding his remains in the woods.

WLOX-TV reports Angel Pierce entered a guilty plea for first-degree murder and armed robbery in connection with the death of Cody Smith. Following the plea, a judge sentenced her to life in prison plus 30 years.

Smith was reported missing to the Hinds County Sheriff’s Office on Dec. 16, 2022, but they reached out to the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office in March 2023 after learning Smith was last seen in Harrison County. In April 2023, Harrison County investigators discovered human remains in a wooded area in Pass Christian, which were later positively identified as Smith’s.

WJTV-TV reports investigators arrested Pierce and her alleged co-conspirator, Jerry Parkman, not long after the remains were identified. Parkman was reportedly already in custody on unrelated charges. He’s scheduled to head to trial in April.

According to WLOX, Pierce apologized to Smith’s family at her hearing, saying, “Nobody should lose and bury their son. Cody was always there for me, and I betrayed his trust. I am haunted by Cody’s murder.”

The judge asked Pierce why she killed her best friend, and she responded, “I was angry about a lot of things and I was on drugs. It should have never happened.”

MORE: