Call Kurtis Investigates: Detectives say minor murdered Corey Shearer at Rancho Cordova house party
RANCHO CORDOVA — Ninety minutes after getting news of an arrest in their son's killing, I spoke with Corey Shearer's parents Rick and Crystal.
"I'm so beyond relieved," Crystal said.
"Joy. Real kind of joy that you kind of feel," Rick said.
Up until now, they've watched a clip of surveillance video over and over of a person of interest in the murder of their 20-year-old son.
"That image is burned into my brain forever," Crystal said.
Detectives now say the suspect is Amyis Ausar Coogler, who was one month shy of his 18th birthday when Corey was killed.
Corey Shearer, a one-time high school athlete from Ione, dreamed of moving to Tahoe and opening his own landscape business. It would never happen after what played out on August 5, 2022. It's the night he and his friends attended a house party on Ramsgate Way in Rancho Cordova.
I spoke with Corey's girlfriend Lexi Buetow last year who insisted Corey had no enemies.
"Not at all. He loved everybody," she said.
Buetow says Corey went inside the party first that night as she waited outside for friends. Minutes later, she says, Corey walked out. A man in a hoodie was in front of him. She couldn't make out his face.
"Without any hesitation, you know, the guy in front of Corey turns around and shoots him multiple times," she said.
More than 75 people were there that night. Most were kids who were afraid to talk. Investigators released high-quality video and images of a person of interest from that night seen in a neighbor's yard. CBS13 shared that video a year ago and again on the anniversary of Corey's death. We repeatedly posted images to social media that could be shared. Many viewers did.
Detectives say tips came in, but they just announced an arrest Monday.
Detectives say they first arrested Coogler in June on a long list of unrelated felonies including robbery, false imprisonment, and assault with a deadly weapon.
"DNA collected from his arrest in June was able to link this to this homicide," said Sacramento Sheriff's Sgt. Amar Gandhi.
Detectives so far have not shared a motive. Corey's parents have a Tuesday meeting set up with detectives to answer their questions. The couple do see a resemblance between the surveillance video and the mugshot, which I shared with them.
"It's really hard to see his face," Crystal said. "I just don't understand why, you know."
Because the suspect was just 17 when Corey died, he'll initially get charged with homicide in juvenile court. Crystal and Rick hope prosecutors decide to try him as an adult.
"(He) wasn't a child when he pulled the trigger that night. He was a man," Rick said. "That's when he decided to become a man, and he should face punishment just like a man."
That's their next fight. For now, they feel relief that somebody is finally in custody.
"We are beyond grateful for all of the help from the community, from people we don't know, from you. Thank you so much for all you've done," Crystal said. "It really means so much to us and just we appreciate it."
She also says a big thank you to the detectives. The family hasn't always felt that way, feeling shut out during the investigation. But they said today they now know the detectives were actively working the case.
