CLEARFIELD – Day one of a week long homicide trial for a Morrisdale man allegedly involved in a murder plot, held few surprises.
Bryan S. Michaelis, 49, is facing charges of criminal homicide, criminal conspiracy, aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person and tampering with evidence in connection with the shooting death of Kodey Lee Parks, 33, Drifting, in February 2024.
His co-defendant, Danielle Elizabeth Parks, 38, Morrisdale was convicted of first degree murder, criminal conspiracy, recklessly endangering another person and tampering with evidence after a trial in February.
The victim was Parks’s estranged husband.
District Attorney Ryan Sayers laid out the basics of the case in his opening statements, asking the jury to pay attention to the details which may seem to lead one way but when examined more closely show a different conclusion.
The couple was no stranger to police. Kodey had been charged with the strangulation of Danielle and she had a protection from abuse order restricting his contact with her which he had violated twice.
On Feb. 24, 2024, Danielle called 911 to report a shooting and after police responded to the Morris Township home, she kept stating that she didn’t know where Kodey was hit or if he was alive.
Her original story was that Kodey was at the residence for an exchange of custody of their children. She said he entered the home, chased her up the stairs and assaulted her, leading her to shoot him. Later she changed her story saying Michaelis was actually the one who shot Kodey.
Sayers explained that Michaelis had said he was going to get Kodey. Shortly after Michaelis was released from the county jail, he and Danielle went to Rural King where they bought the murder weapon which was used the next day.
After the shooting, Danielle and Michaelis traveled to another residence where she shot the gun to produce gunshot residue on her hands, he said.
Surveillance cameras at that location were disabled to cover their activity. But, cell phone location information shows both of them at the site of the murder and then at the secondary location.
Sayers finished by asking again for the jury to carefully look and listen to the evidence which would show Michaelis had conspired with Danielle to kill Kodey.
In his opening, Joseph Ryan, attorney for Michaelis, stated that there was no dispute that Michaelis shot Kodey, but he painted a different picture.
Danielle had problems with Kodey being violent including that night. Ryan said. When Michaelis saw Kodey chase Danielle into the home, Michaelis followed.
“Bryan was protecting Danielle,” he said.
Once inside, Bryan shifted from protecting Danielle to protecting himself from Kodey, who was a “much larger individual”, Ryan said. During their encounter, Michaelis shot Kodey.
Afterwards, Danielle and Michaelis, made a lot of “stupid choices”, Ryan said.
Michaelis is only “guilty of tampering with evidence,” Ryan finished.
Testimony on this first day came from the various state police personnel who first arrived on the scene and gathered physical evidence.
Danielle Parks, who testified at her own trial, is expected to testify for the prosecution Tuesday morning.
