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Oklahoma Man Charged With Manslaughter After Stray Bullet Kills Neighbor on Christmas

Investigators cite ricochet-based trajectory evidence tying the shot to backyard target practice.

Overview

  • Authorities say Sandra Phelps, seated on a porch holding a child on Christmas Day, was struck by a single round that passed through her arm into her chest and she died at the scene.
  • Cody Wayne Adams, 33, is charged with first-degree manslaughter and was released on a $100,000 bond, according to court records.
  • Investigators report spent casings, shooting-angle alignment and a broken ceramic tile indicating a ricochet from Adams’ yard caused the fatal trajectory.
  • Adams told deputies he had been firing about 20 rounds at a can with a newly purchased .45 in his yard roughly a half-mile from the porch, and he became visibly upset when informed of the death.
  • Court records set a Feb. 25, 2026 preliminary hearing and impose a no-contact order with the victim’s family, as prosecutors cite Oklahoma’s manslaughter statute alleging a conscious disregard for others’ safety.