Oregon man’s family ‘dumbfounded’ after Idaho road rage incident turned deadly
After a road rage altercation in Caldwell left an Oregon man dead, his family and friends say they are “dumbfounded.”
Cody Stanphill-Kiser was shot and killed April 1, a spokesperson for the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office told the Idaho Statesman by email. He was 32.
After Stanphill-Kiser engaged in a verbal and physical altercation with the driver of a 2019 Mazda CX-5 in the parking lot of Covey Cafe — located at 5017 US-20 — passenger Billy Lee Moore allegedly shot and killed Stanphill-Kiser, according to court documents.
“We’re kind of dumbfounded that this could have happened to him,” his cousin Serra Frank told the Statesman by phone. “He’s just the sweetest guy — he’d go out of his way for anyone.”
Moore, 57, was charged with second-degree murder for shooting Stanphill-Kiser in the face with a pistol April 1, according to an affidavit of probable cause from the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators do not believe the two knew each other, police said.
Moore, of Caldwell, was in custody at the Canyon County jail as of Wednesday on a $1 million bond, according to the sheriff’s office online records. He is expected to appear in court Monday for a hearing to petition to lower his bond.
Stanphill-Kiser had ties to Boise
Despite being a resident of Vale, Oregon, Stanphill-Kiser grew up in Kuna and had deep ties to the Boise area, where a lot of his family lived, Frank said.
Frank said Stanphill-Kiser was in Caldwell on that April day for work he was doing with a tree trimming service. The Malheur Enterprise reported that Stanphill-Kiser was taking a break with a co-worker when the shooting occurred.
“How does road rage turn into murderous rage in the middle of an altercation like that when it’s the passenger?” Frank said, commenting on how both Stanphill-Kiser and Moore were passengers in their vehicles.
Stanphill-Kiser leaves behind two daughters and two sons, according to a GoFundMe page, along with “many other broken hearts, including his parents.”
“No parent should ever have to lose their child in such a horrific way. No child should have to lose their daddy like this. No family should have to face such pain,” the GoFundMe page stated.
Frank didn’t meet Stanphill-Kiser until 2017, when she was helping him with a child custody case. During that time period, the pair realized that their cousins were married, making them family.
“We got really close after that,” said Frank, who is working with the parents in a high-profile Idaho child custody battle involving a 10-month-old baby as a family advocate.
Stanphill-Kiser’s family will be holding a “memorial balloon release” at 8:15 p.m. Thursday at Lakey’s Cafe in Caldwell. Additionally, a celebration of life will be held the following day from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m at Bella Vida Funeral Home in Garden City.
‘Heated’ exchange leads to shooting
At 4:07 p.m. April 1, Stanphill-Kiser was the passenger in a vehicle that turned west onto U.S. 20-26 from Ward Lane in Caldwell, according to court documents. The 1996 Ford F-250 was followed by a 2019 Mazda CX-5 as they turned on the highway.
Moore was a passenger in the Mazda, according to court documents.
“According to witness accounts, the occupants of both vehicles exchanged hand gestures as the Mazda followed close behind the F-250,” according to the affidavit of probable cause written by Detective Sgt. M. Taylor with the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office.
The F-250 pulled off the roadway into the parking lot of an undisclosed business located near the 5000 block of U.S. 20-26. The Mazda also stopped.
Stanphill-Kiser and the driver of the Mazda left their vehicles and engaged in a “heated argument,” according to the affidavit. Stanphill-Kiser then struck the driver on the right side of his face and they exchanged a few more words before returning to their separate vehicles.
Moore retrieved a .357 Magnum pistol from the back seat of the Mazda, approached the F-250 from behind, and “fired one round striking Stanphill-Kiser in the face,” according to the affidavit. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Moore’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
“This was a tragic incident,” Canyon County Sheriff Kieran Donahue said in a news release.
This story was originally published April 14, 2022 at 4:00 AM.
