Protesters in Austin want Woodruff conviction overturned

Apr. 14—Another effort has been presented in Austin seeking to overturn the conviction and life prison sentence of Brandon Dale Woodruff.

Woodruff was found guilty of capital murder 13 years ago in the deaths of his parents, Dennis and Norma Woodruff, who were killed near Royse City in October 2005.

A group from "Free Brandon Woodruff" presented a petition Monday morning before the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in Austin. About a dozen individuals later protested outside the Texas Capitol.

An upcoming documentary detailing the murders and trial has been presented in Greenville on multiple occasions, and ABC's 20/20 is reportedly preparing a segment on the case.

Producers of "Texas Justice: Brandon Woodruff" have said they also hope to develop a television series based on Brandon Woodruff, who was found guilty of capital murder in March 2009. The prosecution did not seek the death penalty, and Woodruff received an automatic sentence of life in prison without parole.

Documentary producer Scott Poggensee of The American Justice Podcast presented a Change.org petition, reportedly with more than 2,300 signatures, to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, asking it to reconsider Woodruff's appeal.

Woodruff's trial was one of the most controversial in recent memory in Hunt County.

A jury in the 354th District Court returned a guilty verdict following two weeks of testimony.

Prior to the trial, the case was the source of months of debate between the prosecution and defense. Then 354th District Court Judge Richard A. Beacom ruled that Woodruff's Sixth Amendment constitutional right to confidentiality was violated when prosecutors listened to recordings of telephone calls from the jail between Woodruff and his defense team.

After the Hunt County District Attorney's Office recused itself from the case, Beacom appointed special prosecutors from the Texas Attorney General's Office. However, he refused motions from defense attorneys to throw out the case against Woodruff and dismiss the capital murder indictment outright.

Dennis Woodruff was shot once, and then stabbed nine times. Norma Woodruff was shot as many as five times. Trial testimony indicated Dennis Woodruff didn't put up a fight before he was killed.

Prosecutors argued that the residence was found locked when a friend of the family was asked to check on the Woodruffs. Also, nothing of value appeared to have been taken from the home, aside from the couple's wallets.

A gun connected to the killings has never been found.

At the time they were killed, the Woodruffs were in the process of moving from a residence in Heath in Rockwall County to a home just outside Royse City in Hunt County. The couple was downsizing to save enough money to send Brandon Woodruff to Abilene Christian University and their daughter Charla Woodruff to Southern Arkansas University.

In July 2008, Linda Matthews, Norma Woodruff's sister, found a dagger among the family's possessions at the Heath residence. Prosecutors have alleged the dagger may have been the weapon used in the stabbings, as a compartment at the dagger's base contained blood matching Dennis Woodruff's.

The case has previously been presented back to the 354th District Court for the consideration of a retrial and to the Sixth District Court of Appeals in Texarkana and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, all of which have upheld the conviction.