TBI announces arrest in 2002 Bristol murder

A TBI report says an arrest has been made in a 2002 cold case based in Bristol surrounding the disappearance of Cody Matney.

Christopher James Havrilla, 52, was indicted last Wednesday by a Sullivan County grand jury for Matney’s murder after a break in the case last year.

Investigators said Havrilla talked with Matney in the parking lot of a West State Street nightspot called Confetti’s on April 28th. A Virginia State Police cold case file said Matney made a call at the club’s pay phone then sat inside his 1991 Ford Ranger pickup.

Police said Matney was talking to someone sitting in another truck then seemingly vanished from the site. Matney’s abandoned truck was found 5 days later with his checkbook sitting on the dash. A State Police scenario had Matney leaving the bar with an acquaintance and possibly traveled to Buchanan County, Virginia. Havrilla was arrested in Orange Beach, Alabama last Friday and was booked into the Sullivan County Jail just before 2 a.m. Friday.

(IMAGE: TBI / SCSO TN)