CASPER — A week after a local woman was shot and killed by Casper police during a response to a report of a burglary, the department has confirmed that three officers remain on administrative leave.
Other than that, authorities continue to be tight-lipped on releasing more information about the incident, including how many times the woman was shot.
As is standard policy with officer-involved incidents, the Casper Police Department isn’t investigating the shooting. That’s being done by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
DCI says it’s investigating the April 28 shooting at 1623 S. McKinley St. that resulted in the death of 37-year-old Jody Renee Cobia.
A Casper-based DCI team leader Monday who declined to be identified said the case is an “ongoing investigation” and no other information isbeing released. He said he did not have an estimate on when the investigation would be complete.
Casper police reported the day of the shooting that officers were responding to a burglary call in the 1600 block of South McKinley Street at about 12:30 a.m., “And it was reported an armed individual was inside the residence.”
The report says that officers made contact “with a subject armed with a firearm.”
“During the encounter shots were fired,” police reported.
Whether that armed subject was Cobia or somebody else hasn’t been reported.
Casper Police Captain Jeremy Tremel said Monday that three officers remain on administrative leave per police department policy.
An obituary posted on the Casper Newcomer Funeral Homes website describes Cobia as a person with a “vibrant spirit and unwavering dedication to her family.”
‘Playful Personality’
“Jody’s playful personality shone brightly through her mildly laidback demeanor and ever-present wit,” the obituary says. “Always ready for a good-natured spar with her children, she had an unparalleled talent for bringing laughter into ordinary moments, leaving an imprint of joy wherever she went.”
The obituary lists four children and her husband, Aren, as survivors, and well as a father and brother.
Court records show that Jody Cobia and her husband had been estranged, and that Aren Cobia had filed for divorce April 14, asking for custody of three minor children.
Jody Cobia also had a protection order in place against her husband that was filed Aug. 5, 2024, and effective through Aug. 5, 2025.
Jody Cobia was a native of Phoenix, Arizona, and graduated from high school there, her obituary says, adding that she was a creative and “caring” person.
“She found joy in making candles, soap, and bath bombs, weaving warmth and light into the lives of those around her,” it says. “Her hobbies blossomed into not just crafts, but heartfelt gifts for family and friends that spoke to her caring nature.”
A comment in the funeral home’s online guestbook from a woman named “Cindy” who wrote she had “worked with Jody and her family for many years” characterized her as focused on her children.
“Jody tried to be the very best mom she could be to her children, despite the difficulties and challenges of life she faced,” she wrote. “Although Jody put up many walls to protect herself, she was a kind and caring soul if you could get past them.”
Dale Killingbeck can be reached at dale@cowboystatedaily.com.
