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ELKO, Nev. -- Kody Cree Patten took Micaela "Mickey" Costanzo into the desert west of Wendover after school on Thursday and assaulted her with a shovel, killing her, according to court documents.
New details about the death of the 16-year-old West Wendover High School student were revealed Wednesday in court documents.
Patten, 18, was charged in Elko Justice/Municipal Court with one count of open murder, a first-degree felony, with the use of a deadly weapon in the death of Micaela, whom he reportedly dated at one time.
Micaela was last seen on the afternoon of March 3. When she didn't come home from school that day, her mother notified police and a search effort was organized.
The next day, Patten was interviewed by police and he told them he didn't know where she was, according to court documents. He said he had last seen Micaela about 5 p.m. the previous day.
Surveillance video from the high school showed Patten talking to Micaela as soon as school let out for the day.
"The video also disclosed that in the hours after school, Kody Patten appeared to be wandering the halls of the school and had repeatedly passed the girls' locker rooms while Micaela Costanzo was at track practice," the charges state.
Patten also told investigators he had borrowed a friend's SUV on March 3.
Detectives had wanted to interview Patten because the last person to either call or text Micaela was Patten on the afternoon of March 3 when she disappeared, the charges state.
The search for Micaela was called off Saturday morning after a shallow grave was discovered 5 miles west of Wendover near some railroad tracks. Her body was found under about 2 inches of dirt, court records state.
Investigators say the victim had multiple injuries, including a cut across her neck.
A detective at the scene took pictures of tire tracks found near the grave. On March 5, those pictures were compared with the SUV that Patten had borrowed and the detective "concluded that they were very similar," according to the charges.
When Patten was picked up by police for a second interview, he initially told them he had taken Micaela out to the area where her body was found but that he "had gotten into an argument with her and had left her out there by herself."
Patten then requested to speak to his father. After that conversation, Patten reportedly confessed, according to court documents.
He admitted taking Micaela to the area in the desert and getting into an argument with her, "during which he pushed her down, where she struck her head on the bumper" of the SUV, the charges state.
Patten told investigators he then pushed her down a second time, causing her to strike her head on a rock. Patten claimed Micaela then went into "some sort of seizure; he became panicked, and swung a shovel, which he was apparently already in possession of, at her head," the charges state.
The blow from the shovel allegedly caused the mark on her neck.
Patten then put Micaela in the shallow grave to "conceal the body."
He was officially placed under arrest early Monday and booked into the Elko County Jail on no bail. He was scheduled to make his first court appearance Wednesday afternoon.
An account* for Micaela's family has been established at Zion's Bank locations under her mother's name, Celia Constanzo. For more information call 801-266-3513 or 801-910-8812.
E-mail:preavy@ksl.com
*ksl.com has not verified the accuracy of the information provided with respect to the account nor does ksl.com assure that the monies deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account you should consult your own advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
