A Colorado woman was found guilty of her role in her boyfriend’s murder, which she allegedly plotted with a stranger she met on the bus.
On Tuesday, 29-year-old Ashley White was convicted of Second-Degree Murder, Conspiracy to Commit Second-Degree Murder, and Robbery in connection with the 2020 death of her boyfriend, Cody DeLisa, 28.
According to the Adams County DA, White and DeLisa “had a volatile and strained relationship” in the months leading up to his death — with DeLisa “often” criticizing White for “her struggles in securing full-time employment.” As tensions between them continued, White allegedly “attempted to drown and burn DeLisa’s cat,” which prosecutors says was “behavior that raised alarms about her mental well-being.”
She also allegedly wrote in her diary that she “regretted ever meeting DeLisa.”
White took those frustrations to the next level on August 13, 2020 — after DeLisa “expressed skepticism about her chances” of getting a job over text as White took the bus home from an interview. As she rode the bus, she met a stranger who introduced himself as “Scott,” says prosecutors, who asked whether she was “in a relationship with a man and whether he raped her.”
She allegedly said he had, before Scott said “they must kill him.” The pair then got off the bus near White’s home, fired Scott’s gun and then went to her place — where they introduced the man to DeLisa as her brother from Texas. He was then shot twice in the head; his body was discovered the next day in a welfare check.
According to prosecutors, three years later, a woman came forward and told the DA she believed her boyfriend was the one who killed DeLisa. His alleged confession to her matched White’s account. The man, however, was already in police custody for allegedly killing someone else in Colorado; he was deemed incompetent to stand trial in that case and has not been charged in connection with DeLisa’s murder.
“This was a tragic and senseless murder and Ashley White bears significant culpability for it,” District Attorney Brian Mason said after her conviction. “Her callous actions led to the victim’s death and now she will pay a significant price. I thank the jury, who endured three weeks of difficult testimony before reaching their verdict, as well as our law enforcement partners and my team at the DA’s Office for their diligent, hard work seeking justice in this case.”
She’ll be sentenced on April 4, 2025. She reportedly faces 48 years in prison on the murder charges.
