User:Sarah Goldberg/Catherine Woods

Catherine Woods (1984-2005) was an aspiring Broadway dancer found brutally murdered in her Upper East Side apartment in New York City on November 27, 2005.

Early life
Woods was born in June of 1984. She was the eldest of three children born to Jon Woods, who is the Ohio State University Marching Band director. She was very good at dancing, and moved to New York City after graduating high school to pursue a professional career on Broadway..

Murder
Woods was stabbed to death on November 27, 2005 around 6:45 PM. On January 22nd, 2007 Paul Cortez, one of Catherine's ex-boyfriends went on trial as a suspect for her murder. Among the evidence against him was a bloody fingerprint found at the scene as well as cell phone records indicating as many as 7 phone calls before the murder. Despite the defense's notion that Woods' live-in ex-boyfriend had no airtight alibi and could also be suspect for the murder, Cortez was found guilty. Sentencing is set for March of 2007.

Cortez was sentenced to 25 years to Life in prison on March 23, 2007. Woods' father was quoted as saying: “He is a murderer, deserving nothing less than life in prison,” the victim’s father, Jon Woods, director of the Ohio State University marching band, said before the maximum sentence was imposed.

Erin Moriarty's CBS 48 Hours made a show on this case: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/05/04/48hours/main1585205_page5.shtml

Categories: 1984 births, 2005 deaths, Murder victims, Murdered entertainers,