Joseph Underwood

After years of legal battles and delays, a former Cody man who allegedly murdered a Cheyenne woman in 2019 has been found guilty of several lesser crimes connected to her killing.

Authorities believe former Cody resident Joseph C. Underwood murdered 40-year-old Angela Elizondo in November 2019 and then dumped her remains in southern Park County. 

Elizondo had previously dated Underwood and reportedly predicted that he would eventually kill her; Elizondo’s mother has described Underwood — who has prior conviction for domestic violence — as a “monster.” She’s also been critical of law enforcement for not doing more to protect Elizondo, describing the case as an example of a broken system.

Underwood, 51, confessed to killing Elizondo shortly after her death, charging documents allege, but murder and other charges in Laramie County were dismissed in 2022, after two medical professionals found Underwood was mentally unfit to stand trial.

However, the Park County Attorney’s Office immediately filed its own charges and professionals and a judge found Underwood was actually competent. Rather than continuing to dispute his competency, Underwood and his court-appointed attorney decided on Friday to enter so-called Alford pleas to all four charges: felony counts of disposing of a human body and possession of a firearm by a person previously convicted of a violent felony and misdemeanor counts of interfering with a peace officer and fleeing police. The latter counts relate to his flight from officers who caught him returning to the place where he’d hidden Elizondo’s body; Underwood reportedly threatened to shoot himself when he eventually pulled over.

In entering an Alford plea, Underwood continued to assert his innocence to the crimes, but agreed to let the court find him guilty of the offenses. District Court Judge Bill Simpson formally found Underwood guilty at the end of Friday’s hearing. Simpson explained that the defendant had effectively admitted to the charges through his plea.

“You did it freely, voluntarily, without threat of coercion. You did it after advice and consent of counsel, and you did it here in open court with a full and complete opportunity to understand it. Would you agree?” Simpson asked.

“Yes, sir,” Underwood replied.

As he has at earlier proceedings, Underwood expressed some confusion at various points and took a roughly 15-minute break to visit with his attorney, Tim Blatt.

In earlier letters to the court, Underwood had expressed complaints about Blatt and his other counsel. However, he testified Friday that he was satisfied with Blatt’s representation “so far.”

Blatt had expressed optimism in May that he’d be able to strike a deal with Park County Prosecuting Attorney Bryan Skoric, but that never happened. Underwood entered a so-called “cold plea,” which means Skoric is free to ask for whatever sentence he deems appropriate.

The maximum possible penalty for the offenses is 14-and-a-half years of prison time. Underwood has already served over three years behind bars, which will count toward whatever sentence he receives.

Simpson tentatively set a sentencing hearing for Oct. 1, though that will hinge on whether the Department of Corrections is able to prepare a presentence investigation by that point.