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When Cody Virgins of Casa Grande, Arizona went missing in January 2017, the entire community immediately sprang into action to find him. The 25-year-old prison guard was a proud member of society, a good family man, and a responsible young man, so going off the grid was different for him. Thankfully, it didn’t take long for authorities to identify and apprehend the killer, as explored in Oxygen’s ‘Catfish Murders: Profile of the Murderer.’
Cody Virgin was a hard-working young man with a supportive family.
Born on August 30, 1991 in Tucson, Arizona to Lisa Castro and Craig Virgin, Cody Virgin grew up in a comfortable, fun, and stable home with his three siblings. He had two brothers named Tony Voigts and Chase Virgin and a sister named Conner Day, but things changed around 2000 when Lisa passed away. The family did their best to move on and adapt to their new routine, but the sadness remained in the back of their minds.
Despite this, Cody developed a passion for the outdoors, enjoyed playing golf with the rest of his family, and found solace in music, movies, video games, and social situations. He even studied further after high school, worked part time to make ends meet, and then progressed to becoming a night guard at a local state prison. It was at La Palma Correctional Facility that he first met fellow police officer Nataly Randolph, who became his lover and live-in girlfriend. According to records, despite their recent divorce, the two are said to be maintaining a happy and healthy relationship.
Cody Virgin found murdered in Arizona desert bonfire
But when Cody received a Facebook friend request from a woman named Paige Woods, he didn’t think twice about accepting it. Then came a bit of flirting between the two that lasted for about four months until she finally asked him if he wanted to meet her at a bonfire in Arizona City. She dropped a pin giving him the location. It was in a remote place. It was nothing but dark, desolate desert for miles. But he was curious and knew how to handle himself, so he agreed. He reportedly left for the rendezvous after 9pm on January 30, 2017, and was never heard from or seen alive again.
Cody’s family was worried about his complete radio silence as they were waiting to hear all about his meeting with Paige the next morning, as Paige had been hiding anything from them. So, when I couldn’t contact them directly until late in the afternoon, I immediately contacted the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, gave them all the information I needed, and reported them missing. Unfortunately, despite quick action, only his abandoned 2013 Dodge Dart was initially found in the Tater Hills area with blood along with rake/shovel marks around it. Then, on Feb. 4, a sheriff’s helicopter spotted signs of a recent campfire in the desert and found the charred remains of a 25-year-old inside. His autopsy later revealed that his cause of death was a single gunshot wound to the head, meaning he was shot and burned to destroy all possible evidence.
Cody Virgin’s assailant was arrested before her body was even recovered
After Cody’s loved ones realized he was missing, they not only contacted the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office and reported everything they knew, but also searched for Paige Woods on Facebook. Records show their intention was to find her, message her, and get answers about the young man’s whereabouts, but her entire account was altered/deleted. The name on her profile was no longer Paige Woods, but Brittney James, and all of her photos, posts, friends, etc. were removed, as if to indicate that it was a new page. So several investigators began looking into the situation and the search continued for the 25-year-old, only to discover it was a catfish profile. The man behind the page is 26-year-old William Daniel Randolph, who has known Cody since he was the ex-husband of Cody’s girlfriend, Natalie.
Since Paige Woods never existed and catfishing itself is not a crime, detectives decided to question William to see if he could provide specific information. At one point, they asked about his vehicle and wanted to search it, but he responded that it was broken down and refused to provide its location. He was arrested on charges of obstructing the investigation, and photos of his black 2001 Dodge Ram pickup truck were released to the public. Within the next 24 hours, a tip led to his car being recovered and impounded, and the Sheriff’s Office announced that Cody’s case was now considered a homicide.
On February 3, they noted that Cody was still missing and that William’s truck was still undergoing forensic analysis after a search warrant was issued. However, they believed his truck was “used during the commission of the murder.” Especially since I recently replaced my tires and there was blood left in them. So the next day, after the 25-year-old’s body was discovered in a desert area, William was additionally charged with first-degree murder and aggravated harassment. He was initially held on $500,000 bail, but later doubled that amount to $1 million, with records showing the original amount was determined before the victim’s remains were discovered.
William Daniel Randolph is currently incarcerated in an Arizona prison.
William Daniel Randolph initially claimed that he was responsible for luring Cody to Catfish due to his involvement with his ex-wife, but had no involvement in the murder. There was no evidence to support his claims, and some of the victim’s loved ones later expressed outrage over the state of his and Natalie’s relationship. This indicates that the two are still communicating despite their divorce. Cody’s brother Tony told True Crime News: “(She) gave him some sort of false hope that if he got rid of Cody, he could get back with her, so William did the unthinkable.” However, Nataly was quickly cleared of any potential misconduct by authorities and confirmed to have been at work the night her boyfriend disappeared and was murdered.
So William’s trial date was scheduled for 2019, but was postponed after his team filed a motion claiming it wouldn’t be ready until 2021. At this point, prosecutors have already made it clear that they will seek the death penalty in this matter because the crime is so “heinous, cruel, cold-hearted and calculated.” Ultimately, he pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree murder on June 14, 2024, was spared the death penalty and was sentenced to life in prison without parole. He was sentenced to the same sentence in October of the same year. So William, now 36 years old, is serving his sentence at the minimum security Arizona State Prison Complex-Winslow (Kaibab Unit) in Navajo County, Arizona, where he is expected to spend the rest of his life.
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