Cody M. Stanphill-Kizer, shown in a family photo, died Friday, April 1, 2022, in a shooting that authorities say stemmed from a road rage incident. (Submitted photo)
A 32-year-old Vale man and father of four was shot to death last week in Caldwell, Idaho, in what police say appears to be a road rage incident.
Court records show that Cody M. Stanphill-Kiser was a passenger in a pickup truck when he was shot in the parking lot of a Caldwell café on Friday, April 1.
Canyon County Coroner Jennifer Crawford said Stanphill-Kiser died of a single gunshot to the head.
Billy Lee Moore, 57, of Caldwell, is being held on $1 million bail, charged in Canyon County District Court with second-degree murder.
Friends of Stanphill-Kiser have established a GoFundMe drive to raise $10,000 to cover funeral expenses.
“His family and friends are left dumbfounded in the wake of this terrible tragedy,” according to a statement on the fund drive page, arranged by Serra Frank, who couldn’t be reached for an interview.
The entry said Stanphill-Kiser is survived by two sons and two daughters.
Jenna Green, a former Vale resident who said she was friends with Stanphill-Kiser, said that he worked for a tree trimming service and was taking a break with a colleague on Friday when the shooting occurred.
A police affidavit filed in court said that Stanphill-Kiser was riding in a truck that was traveling on U.S. 26 east of Interstate 84 in Caldwell and they were “being followed” by a passenger car.
“According to witness accounts, the occupants of both vehicles exchanged hand gestures.”
The driver of the pickup truck pulled into a café parking lot, followed by the passenger vehicle, the affidavit said. It said Stanphill-Kiser got out of the truck and argued with the driver of the car, identified as Robert A. Wade.
“Stanphill-Kiser struck Wade on the right side of his face. More words were exchanged and Stanphill-Kiser got back into the passenger side of the F-250 and closed the door,” the affidavit said.
The affidavit said Moore, a passenger in the car, approached the pickup truck with a .357-caliber pistol and fired once. Stanphill-Kiser died at the scene, the affidavit said.
A statement from the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office said the two men didn’t know each other.
Green said Stanphill-Kiser was “a true friend who would be there for you.”
Green, now living in Medford, said he had been married but was now divorced and had family in Idaho. She said he had a lot of friends in Vale.
“Cody just got ahold of me a couple of weeks ago, asking me how I was doing,” Green said. “That’s the kind of guy he was.”
EXCELLENCE IN JOURNALISM – Available for $5 a month. Subscribe to the digital service of the Enterprise and get the very best in local journalism. We report with care, attention to accuracy, and an unwavering devotion to fairness. Get the kind of news you’ve been looking for – day in and day out from the Enterprise.