Cody Lee Williams, left, and Cody Raymond Williams, right.
Being named “Cody Williams” is a serious crime in Clay County.
Police in Clay County, Florida wrecked an innocent man’s life by arresting him on suspicion of raping a child and locking him in jail for more than a month. In reality, Cody Williams’ only crime was having the wrong name.
At least four Clay County officers were involved in the criminally incompetent arrest and imprisonment of Cody Lee Williams, 18. Police apparently did not notice that Williams had a different middle name than the actual suspect, Cody Raymond Williams. They also seem to have though that Williams had changed both his hair and eye color.
“Other than the name, there’s no other similarities,” said Williams’ attorney. “Cody Williams had never met this girl.”
“Arresting an innocent person is something we fear far more than letting a guilty person get away,” said the county’s Sheriff Beseler. “I extend to Cody Lee Williams my apology for this error and we will seek to make things right for him.”
Three of the deputies involved have been ordered to receive counseling. A fourth has been given 10 days without pay and transferred out of the investigative division.
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