BILOXI, Miss. It was Lee Cody’s dream to become a police officer and a detective. After his stint with the Coast Guard, he did just that, joining the Duval County Sheriff’s Office.
On March 23, 1964, he was assigned to investigate the murder of 34-year-old Johnnie Mae Chappell of Jacksonville. But what he really learned was, they didn’t want the case solved at all.
“It’s been a terrible, terrible, terrible pain in my heart for many years that the truth was never told and they got away with it,” Cody said.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs “My Life, My Story” project seeks to document the accomplishments of those they serve. On a Zoom event on Wednesday, the VA honored Cody, who now lives in Long Beach, Miss., for his tireless work to find justice for a woman he didn’t know.