Offender Record · OFF-2026-130
William Lee Cody Neal (photo from the Radford University biography)
William Lee Neal
Also known as Cody Neal, Wild Bill Cody, William Cody Neal
Sex
Male
Race
White
Height
5'8"
Weight
175 lbs
Hair
Salt & Pepper
Eyes
Blue
Born
1955
Custody
Incarcerated
States
CO, TX, AK, US, NY, TN
Distinguishing featuresKnown to wear black cowboy hat, jeans and boots
Custody
Incarcerated at Colorado State Penitentiary · #103804
Custody record at the facility
Incarcerated since July 1998; sentenced to death September 29, 1999; death sentence commuted to life without parole February 24, 2003 by Colorado Supreme Court ruling that three-judge death penalty panels are unconstitutional.
This record documents arrests, charges and convictions reported by courts, law enforcement agencies and news organizations. Every statement is tied to a cited source with an archived copy. A charge is an accusation, not proof of guilt; a person charged is presumed innocent unless convicted. Where a record says named by police, no charge was ever filed: the record rests on a law enforcement agency's public identification of the deceased person, cited below. Not guilty by reason of insanity means the court found the act proven but the person not criminally responsible. Solve the Case does not allege that this person committed any offense beyond what the cited records state, and this record is not a suggestion that the person is connected to any unsolved case. How records are built, corrected and removed.
Summary of the record
William Lee Cody Neal was convicted of three counts of first-degree murder, two counts of first-degree sexual assault, two counts of second-degree kidnapping, and one count of menacing in Colorado. Between June 30 and July 5, 1998, Neal murdered three women—Rebecca Holberton, Candace Walters, and Angela Fite—in Lakewood, Colorado using a splitting maul, and raped a fourth woman after holding her and two others hostage. Neal pleaded guilty in February 1999 and was sentenced to death on September 29, 1999; his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment without parole in 2003. He remains incarcerated at Colorado State Penitentiary in Canon City.
Documented Arrests, Charges and Convictions
Dispositions are shown exactly as the cited records report them. Pending charges are updated when a court acts; a record with no remaining conviction or pending charge is removed from the site.
Offense date Jun 1998, Lakewood, Colorado
First-degree murder
Jefferson County District Attorney, Colorado · Jefferson County District Court · Arrested Jul 09, 1998 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Originally death sentence, commuted to life imprisonment without parole on February 24, 2003
Rebecca Holberton (44) was killed on June 30, 1998; Candace Walters (48) was killed on July 2-3, 1998; Angela Fite (28) was killed on July 5, 1998. All three victims were bludgeoned to death with a 7.5-pound splitting maul. Their bodies were found on July 8, 1998 in Holberton's townhouse in Lakewood, Colorado.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Neal, William Lee Cody; William Lee Neal; William Lee Neal; Charmin' Billy; William Cody Neal jailhouse interview
Offense date Jul 05, 1998, Lakewood, Colorado
Menacing
Jefferson County District Attorney, Colorado · Jefferson County District Court · Arrested Jul 09, 1998 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Included in life imprisonment without parole sentence
Neal threatened the women he held hostage with a handgun and instructed them on how to contact police regarding the murders.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Neal, William Lee Cody; William Lee Neal
Offense date Jul 05, 1998, Lakewood, Colorado
First-degree sexual assault
Jefferson County District Attorney, Colorado · Jefferson County District Court · Arrested Jul 09, 1998 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Included in life imprisonment without parole sentence
A 22-year-old woman was abducted on July 5, 1998, after meeting Neal at a bar. She was blindfolded, gagged, tied to a mattress in Holberton's townhouse, and forced to witness the murder of Angela Fite. Neal then raped her at gunpoint. She was held hostage for approximately three days before calling police.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Neal, William Lee Cody; William Lee Neal; William Lee Neal; Charmin' Billy
Offense date Jul 05, 1998, Lakewood, Colorado
Second-degree kidnapping
Jefferson County District Attorney, Colorado · Jefferson County District Court · Arrested Jul 09, 1998 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Included in life imprisonment without parole sentence
Neal held three women hostage in a Denver apartment for three days. This includes the rape victim plus two additional women (whose names were never publicly released) who were held against their will.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Neal, William Lee Cody; William Lee Neal; William Lee Neal
Pattern and Background
Victim counts and the pattern of the offenses as stated by courts, agencies and the cited reporting. Suspected counts are what officials have said publicly, not a finding of this site.
3
Victims convicted
3
Victims confessed
3
Victims suspected
Active years
1998–1998
Stated motive
Power or control, Financial gain, Sexual
Range from home
regional
Confessed
Yes
Cooperated with investigators
Yes
Education
high school
Marital history
Divorced
Children
1
Agencies
Law enforcement, prosecutors and corrections agencies the records show dealing with this person. An investigator working a case with a possible connection can start here.
Colorado State Penitentiary · CO
Agency case 103804
Incarcerated Neal in Canon City following conviction and sentencing
Source: The Kite Connect
Jefferson County Sheriff's Office · CO
Found bodies July 8, 1998; arrested Neal July 9, 1998
Source: Radford University, Department of Psychology, Killer.Cloud
Colorado Department of Corrections · CO
State prison system managing Neal's incarceration
Source: The Kite Connect
Jefferson County Detention Center · CO
Held Neal pending trial and sentencing, July 1998-1999
Source: Westword, Killer.Cloud
Jefferson County District Attorney's Office · CO
Filed 13 felony charges July 15, 1998; prosecuted through trial
Source: Radford University, Department of Psychology, Westword, Wikipedia
Places Lived, Worked and Frequented
Each place and date range comes from a cited record. Dates marked approximate are as reported. Know a place that is missing? Use Edit record under the photo; a moderator reviews it before it appears.
AK
Portage Creek, Alaska
approx. 1989 – Oct 1989 · Married Karen Boxer on September 10, 1989
CO
Denver, Colorado
approx. 1988 – 1989 · Moved to Denver; worked with Denver Burglar Alarm
Denver, Colorado
approx. Sep 1992 – Jun 1998 · Moved back to Denver; met Jennifer and later married her in Las Vegas in February 1993
Lakewood, Colorado
Jul 1996 – Jul 1998 · Moved in with Rebecca Holberton in Lakewood (Jefferson County) in July 1996; lived with her for 2 years and stole approximately $60,000
Golden, Colorado
Jul 1998 – present · Jefferson County Detention Center (initial holding)
Lakewood, Colorado
Jul 08, 1998 – Jul 09, 1998 · Arrested on July 9, 1998 by Jefferson County Sheriffs after bodies were discovered at Holberton's townhouse
Cañon City, Colorado
approx. 2003 – present · Colorado State Penitentiary, Inmate #103804; serving life without parole
NY
Town of Clifton Park, New York
approx. Mar 1990 – Nov 1990 · Moved to Clifton Park with Karen Boxer in March 1990
TN
Antioch, Tennessee
approx. 1985 – Oct 1985 · Living out of a van with Karen from October-December 1985
TX
San Antonio, Texas
approx. 1965 – 1981 · Family moved to San Antonio in 1965 when Neal was 10 years old
Houston, Texas
approx. 1984 – 1985 · Moved to Houston with Karen and married her after 10 days; worked as a waiter
US
United States
approx. 1972 · Joined the Army at age 17 · army
Washington, Columbia
approx. 1981 – 1984 · Met his first wife Karen at a store in the Washington, D.C. area
Timeline
Jun 30, 1998
William Lee Cody Neal murdered Rebecca Holberton, age 44, by striking her in the head with a splitting maul in her townhouse in Lakewood, Colorado.
Jul 02, 1998
Neal murdered Candace Walters, age 48, by striking her in the head multiple times with the splitting maul and then urinating on her body.
Jul 05, 1998
Neal murdered Angela Fite, age 28, by striking her in the head with the splitting maul while a female hostage was forced to watch, and then raped the hostage at gunpoint.
Jul 08, 1998
The bodies of Rebecca Holberton, Candace Walters, and Angela Fite were discovered in Holberton's townhouse in Lakewood, Colorado.
Jul 09, 1998
William Lee Cody Neal was arrested by Jefferson County Sheriffs; he surrendered after a ruse by Deputy District Attorney Mark Pautler.
Jul 15, 1998
Jefferson County District Attorney filed 13 felony charges against Neal, including murder, sexual assault, kidnapping, extortion, and menacing.
Sep 14, 1998
Neal confessed to detectives Jose Aceves and Cheryl Zimmerman about the three murders.
Feb 25, 1999
Acting as his own attorney, Neal pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree murder, three counts of sexual assault, and seven other counts including felony menacing and kidnapping.
Sep 20, 1999
Neal's death penalty trial began in Jefferson County District Court.
Sep 29, 1999
A three-judge panel sentenced Neal to death for each of the three murders.
Feb 24, 2003
Colorado Supreme Court ruled that Colorado's use of a three-judge panel for death sentences is unconstitutional; Neal's death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment without parole.
Sources
Solve the Case is never the original source. Each item below is the public record a statement on this page rests on, with an archived copy where one exists.
Offender registry · The Kite Connect ·
William Cody Neal prisoner profile“William C. Neal #103804 Colorado State Penitentiary P.O. 777 Canon City, CO 81215. Incarceration Date 7/1998 Convicted Of Murder”
News report · Wikipedia ·
William Lee Neal“Neal pled guilty to two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of first-degree sexual assault, and seven other charges, ranging from kidnapping to menacing.”
News report · Killer.Cloud ·
Killer: William Neal - Wild Bill Cody“He was arrested on July 9th 1998 (Age 42), convicted on September 29th 1999 (Age 43), sentenced to death sentence changed to life in prison.”
Other · Radford University, Department of Psychology ·
Radford University serial killer biography: Neal, William Lee Cody“Neal confesses to detectives Jose Aceves and Cheryl Zimmerman about the three murders. Acted as own attorney and informed the judge that he was, 'guilty without a doubt.'”
News report · Murderpedia ·
William Lee Neal“Neal, 43, pleaded guilty in February to bludgeoning to death Angela Fite, Candace Walters and Rebecca Holberton with a logging ax during a weeklong killing rampage in July 1998.”
News report · Westword ·
Charmin' Billy“In February, acting as his own attorney, Neal informed Judge Woodford that he was guilty 'without a doubt, your honor.'”
News report · Denver Post (via archive) ·
William Cody Neal jailhouse interview“Neal, 42, has been charged in the brutal slayings of Rebecca Lynn Holberton, 44, Angela Fite, 28, and Candace Anita Walters, 48. The women, who all had relationships with Neal, were found dead at a gruesome crime scene in Holberton's townhome July 8.”
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