Court docs: Indy man killed his drug dealer over $800 debt

Cory Lee Woody owed his drug dealer, a former co-worker he referred to as the "dope man," $800 before setting up a meeting with him on the night of Sept. 25, 2015, court documents allege.

But when the "dope man" suggested that Woody "get his money together" before buying anything else from him, police said, Woody responded by shooting him in the head.

Woody, 42, was charged Wednesday in Marion County with two counts of murder and one count of robbery resulting in serious bodily injury, according to court documents. He is being held by the Indiana Department of Correction on unrelated charges.

Arrest made in September killing of 27-year-old

The investigation began about 11:45 p.m. Sept. 25, when Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers were called to the 4700 block of North Crestview Avenue on a report of a suspicious vehicle, court documents said.

The complainant told police that a "popping" noise could be heard coming from a parked Chevy SUV.

Police found a red Chevy Tahoe and an unresponsive man in the backseat with a gunshot wound to the head. The man, identified as 27-year-old Joshua Thomas, was pronounced dead at the scene.

A witness told police that the Tahoe was driven to the area and was followed by a beige Ford Taurus with two occupants. The witness said she then heard what she thought was a gunshot and saw the Ford back up with its lights off, turn around and drive away, according to court documents.

The victim's wife came to the scene and told investigators that she had been trying to call her husband multiple times but was unable to get through, court documents said.

A little more than a week later, Thomas' wife spoke with police and told investigators that her husband was going to meet a person she knew as Cory Woody on the night of the shooting. She said her husband used to work with Woody but turned to drug dealing after being laid off from his job.

The woman also told police that Woody drove a gold Ford Taurus.

Near the end of October 2015, a person who said he was a lifelong friend of Woody's contacted police, court documents said. The man said he was with Woody on the night of the shooting, and that they were going to meet Thomas to complete a drug deal.

When they first met Thomas, the friend said that Woody thought the meeting spot wasn't dark enough. The men drove to another area, where Woody got out of the Ford and into the rear passenger seat of the Tahoe.

The man told police that he later heard a loud pop and saw the flash of a gunshot, court documents said. Woody returned to the Ford with drugs and Thomas' gun, the documents said.

Court documents said Woody also told the man that he owed Thomas $800 and not to worry about the shooting.

Additional investigation revealed that at one point Woody was in possession of a handgun that matched the fired bullet recovered during Thomas' autopsy, court documents said.

Call IndyStar reporter Justin L. Mack at (317) 444-6138. Follow him on Twitter: @justinlmack.

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