Cody Lee Parker (Colorado Springs Police Department) and the home where he killed his mom and stepdad (KRDO screenshot)
A 32-year-old man in Colorado will spend more than half a century behind bars after admitting to killing his mother and stepfather, fatally stabbing both inside of their home two years ago. Fourth Judicial District Court Judge Michael McHenry ordered Cody Lee Parker to serve a sentence of 55 years in a state correctional facility for the slayings of Deborah Parker-Lykins and Duane Lykins, authorities confirmed to Law&Crime.
Parker had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder in connection with the couple’s deaths. In exchange for pleading to the deaths, prosecutors downgraded the charges against Parker from first- to second-degree murder.
During Tuesday’s sentencing hearing, Parker requested he be permitted to withdraw his guilty plea, claiming he wanted to go to trial so that “the truth can come out,” The Gazette reported . The request, which Parker based on a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel, was rejected by McHenry. The judge reasoned that at the time Parker entered into the plea agreement, it had been made unequivocally clear to him that he would not be able to go back on the deal.