After Being Shot and Killed in New Mexico, Utah Man Remembered as a Caring Man

SOUTH JORDAN, Utah – There are pictures on Cody Wrathall’s Facebook page of when life was good for him.

Like, when he was doing things he enjoyed, such as hunting or spending time with his three kids.

However, the scene outside a New Mexico bar is one those who knew him never expected.

“I don’t know all the ins and outs of it. I know that a father, you know, kids are without a father. Cody had a lot of family. A tragic loss for his family,” said Bob Gowans, who used to be Wrathall’s teacher and worked with him in the Utah Future Farmers of America Program.

Wrathall, who lived in Saratoga Springs, was shot by a federal law enforcement officer.

He later died at a hospital.

The circumstances of what happened in the Nexus Bar in Albuquerque are still being investigated, but police say Wrathall followed a woman into the bar.

At the time, police didn’t know if the woman was his ex-wife or ex-girlfriend.

However, police say he had a gun, and when he showed it, was shot and killed by an off-duty federal officer who was also inside the bar at the time.

“The agent saw that and stopped his actions basically,” said Albuquerque police officer Simon Drobik.

Those who worked with Wrathall still can’t believe it.

“All we saw was the good and he will be greatly missed in the whole community,” said Beau Beck, who worked with Wrathall at South Valley Equine in South Jordan.

Wrathall was a respected horse veterinarian at the clinic, though Beck says what made him special, was how he would do almost anything for any animal.

“That’s very rare to find in a veterinarian,” said Beck. “Usually we’re picky to what we do and the things we like to work on, but he would jump in an do whatever needed to be done. Just a great guy.”

Wrathall’s sister, Mattie Remick, who lives in Grantsville, posted on her Facebook page that her brother had his demons, but now he has his wings.

Others wrote comments to her post such as “He was really an amazing man” and “my deepest condolences, Cody was an amazing man.”

Wrathall leaves behind three children.

“He was a great guy. A great family man with his kids. He was with them all the time,” said Beck.

Wrathall doesn’t have a criminal history, thought he got into a little bit of trouble with Utah’s Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing last year.

Court records show he blacked out after taking ketamine and valium to treat himself for depression, drugs from a former clinic where he worked.