Bristol, TN — An Alabama man has been indicted and extradited to Tennessee in connection with the 2002 disappearance and murder of a Bristol man, closing in on a cold case that spanned more than two decades.
According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Sullivan County Grand Jury indicted Christopher James Harvilla on March 12, 2025, on charges including First Degree Murder and especially aggravated kidnapping. Harvilla, 52, was arrested by Alabama authorities in Orange Beach on March 14 and extradited to Tennessee this week.
Detectives first began investigating the case in April 2002, after 24-year-old Cody Scott Matney vanished from a business on the 3200 block of West State Street in Bristol. His vehicle was found in the parking lot, but his whereabouts remained unknown for years despite continued efforts.
In 2024, new information emerged as part of the TBI Cold Case Initiative. Authorities now allege Harvilla kidnapped and killed Matney, disposing of his body. Investigators are continuing to examine leads, including possible connections to others in Bristol, TN, and Bristol, VA.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Bristol Police Department at 423-968-1426 or the TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND.
