Attorney General's News Release

June 17, 2008

Nixon files charges against Savannah man in alcohol-related car wreck in St. Joseph that killed two

St. Joseph, Mo. - The office of Attorney General Jay Nixon today filed two felony counts of involuntary manslaughter and two felony counts of assault 2nd degree against a Savannah man in connection with an April 5th vehicle accident in St. Joseph that killed two persons and injured two others. Nixon filed the charges against Cody N. Wolfram (DOB - 5/26/83) today in Buchanan County Circuit Court, after his office was appointed special prosecutor in the case due to a conflict on the part of the Buchanan County Prosecutor.

According to the probable cause statement filed with the charges, Wolfram was driving a vehicle in St. Joseph on the night of April 5th in an intoxicated condition when he ran a stop sign and collided with another vehicle. The fatal vehicle crash killed two occupants of the other car, caused a third passenger to suffer a broken neck and the driver to sustain injuries. Wolfram's blood alcohol content, as tested by the Missouri State Highway Patrol Crime Lab, was .222%.

Involuntary manslaughter is a class B felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Assault 2nd degree is a class C felony and is punishable by up to seven years in prison. The charges against Wolfram are merely accusations; as in all criminal cases, the defendant is presumed innocent until or unless proven guilty in a court of law.