Cody DeLisa’s 2020 murder involves a troubled relationship, a chance meeting on a bus, an assumed identity, and a murder plot. We haven’t touched on what happened to DeLisa’s cat.
Back in 2020, DeLisa, who was 28 when he died, was dating Ashley White, who is now 29, and according to the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, things weren’t going well: White was often unemployed, which DeLisa criticized her for, and amid the strained relationship, she even once wrote in her diary she regretted meeting him. In Aug. 2020, White had a job interview in Denver, and after the interview, she traveled back to Adams County. During the trip, she texted DeLisa, who reportedly told her he didn’t think she’d get the job. While on the bus, White met a man named “Scott,” a man police later learned was named Michael Stratton.
‘Scott’ asked if White was in a relationship

During the bus ride, Scott asked White if she was in a relationship and, if she was, whether or not he raped her. She told him about DeLisa and said he did, although it’s unclear if that’s true. Scott, who had a gun, reportedly then responded that DeLisa needed to die. When the bus arrived in Adams County, White introduced DeLisa to Scott and told him he was her brother from Texas.
A short time later, Scott shot DeLisa twice in the head and stole his wallet. White and Scott spent a few days together before Scott left the area, and White never saw him again. DeLisa’s body was found when his coworkers called in a welfare check. Relationship problems leading to a murder plot might seem like a stretch for some people, but White is accused of doing something to her boyfriend’s cat before meeting Scott, possibly indicating her mental state.
According to the 17th Judicial DA, White was so frustrated in her relationship with DeLisa that “she attempted to drown and burn DeLisa’s cat, a behavior that raised alarms about her mental well-being.” Perhaps the sexual assault she told Scott about precipitated the cat attack, but even still, White and DeLisa were clearly troubled long before she met Scott on that bus.
The story doesn’t end there
Multiple outlets report that White was declared a person of interest in DeLisa’s murder and arrested right away, although her case went to trial, and she was finally convicted four years later. White confessed and told the police everything but said she didn’t know where Scott was or his real name. Last year, a woman who said she was dating a man named Michael Stratton contacted the 17th Judicial DA and said Stratton might be “Scott.” Stratton is already convicted of killing a man in Pueblo, CO, and has not yet faced charges in DeLisa’s case.
As for White, after a three-week trial, she was convicted in January this year of second-degree murder, conspiracy to commit second-degree murder, and robbery. Her sentencing is expected on April 4. “This was a tragic and senseless murder and Ashley White bears significant culpability for it,” Adams County District Attorney Brian Maso said in a news release. “Her callous actions led to the victim’s death and now she will pay a significant price.”
Published: Feb 3, 2025 06:48 am