MASON CITY – A Mason City man will never leave prison after he murdered his grandparents last year.
At approximately 7:43 AM on November 7, 2017, the Mason City Police Department conducted a welfare check at 327 27th Street SW. Upon making entry into the residence, officers found two deceased persons, Kenneth and Kathleen Hackbart, who lived at the house. Police sought and arrested their grandson, 25-year-old Codie Michael Matz. He was later charged with two counts of first-degree murder and pled not guilty.
After court proceedings, a plea change hearing was scheduled for June of this year and he entered guilty pleas to those charges.
Judge Dedra Schroeder imposed the maximum sentence of 2 life sentences with no possibility of parole after scathing victim impact statements were read in court. The judge also ordered Matz to pay $319,373.24 in court fees and restitution to the family.