UPDATE: Execution stayed: David Leonard Wood’s mental ability at issue
EL PASO — The execution of convicted serial killer David Leonard Wood was halted by a Texas court on Wednesday, 24 hours before the state was scheduled to give him a lethal injection.
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals issued a stay of execution order and requested that hearings be set to determine whether Wood, 52, is mentally retarded, said Sian Schilhab, the general counsel for the court.
WTF? The man has been incarcerated for the last 17 years. Seems like more than enough time to have proven whether or not the man is “retarded” or not (he’s not).
David Leonard Wood, circa 1990
David Leonard Wood, 52, was convicted nearly 17 years ago for murdering six girls and young women and then burying their bodies in the desert near El Paso.
On August 20th, he will finally be put to death for those crimes.
The senior George Bush was president when Wood was sentenced to die for the murders of Rosa Maria Casio, 24; Ivy Susanna Williams, 23; Karen Baker, 20; Angelica Frausto, 17; Desiree Wheatley, 15; and Dawn Marie Smith, 14. All were killed in 1987.
El Paso police detectives also suspected him in the 1987 disappearances of Marjorie Knox, 14; Cheryl Vasquez-Dismukes, 19; and Melissa Alaniz, 14. They are still missing.
Prison administrators said a lethal dose of sodium thiopental, a sedative, is administered to condemned inmates. They also are given pancuronium chromide, a muscle relaxant that collapses the diaphragm and lungs, and potassium chloride, which stops the heart.
The drugs cost $86.08, and the process lasts about seven minutes.
Wood was convicted almost entirely on circumstantial evidence and the witness testimony. But the circumstantial evidence has been more than enough to convince a jury of his peers along with numerous appeals courts that David Leonard Wood is one sick and evil bastard:
Between September 4, 1987, and March 14, 1988, the bodies of these women were found buried in shallow graves in a desert area northeast of El Paso. Five of the bodies were located in the same one by one-half mile area; the sixth was three-quarters of a mile away. All of the bodies were approximately thirty to forty yards from one of the dirt roadways in the desert. Four of the bodies were in various states of undress, indicating that the killer had sexually abused them.
Five of the victims were seen by witnesses on the day of their disappearance accepting a ride from a man with either a red Harley-Davidson motorcycle or a beige pickup truck, matching the two vehicles owned by Wood. Wood’s girlfriend testified that he owned a burnt orange blanket and some shovels, all of which he kept in the back of his pickup truck. A forensic chemist later testified at trial that orange fibers found on the clothing of one of the victims matched orange fibers taken from a vacuum cleaner bag that Wood and his girlfriend had left in their old apartment.
I spent a lot of time as a kid exloring the deserts arounds El Paso. My grandfather would take us out for drives on those back dirt roads, where we’d pull over in the middle of the desert to hunt for arrowheads and indian pottery, or to hunt jack rabbits with a .22 rifle.
I can see how David Wood thought nobody would find those bodies out in the desert. Thankfully he was wrong.
Someone asked me if I would still support the death penalty if it is found out later that Woods didn’t kill any of those girls.
I responded that Woods had been previously convicted of indecency with a child, rape of a child, and sexual assault. He deserves the needle for those crimes alone.
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What ever happened to the execution you were following and had something to do with the sister of a victim? The last thing I remember reading about that is that the execution was postponed. I watched for updates but don’t recall seeing any.
Thanks.
James, I believe Big Sis is still waiting for the bastard to die.
Hopefully, the asshole will confess to any other murders he’s responsible for and reveal the graves.
Nineteen years.
I don’t even want to know all of the weasel moves he and his attorneys used to extend his expiration date.
I can only think of the terror all those young girls must have experienced, and the tragic loss their families had to suffer.
Like you often say, some people are just no damn good.
Hi Everyone….. Charles D Hood case is still on hold waiting for the courts to resume from summer break…. which according to the D.A. will resume Sept. 16. and he cannot speculate what will happen next. Thats all I can tell you for now….. Yes i am patiently waiting for Justice to be served.
Take care, This asshole surely needs to be executed my heart goes out to the families of the victims, hopefully they can start to heal when this animal dies, as for me I am still waiting….
Hopefully, shortly after the summer break is over they will get Hood a new date to become worm food and you will finally have justice.
I can’t get over the method of using a nice peaceful sleep educed manner in which this is carried out. This “Humane” shit just really pisses me off. This guy deserves a good feet first feed into a wood chipper…AWAKE! (and on the slowest speed possible)
As the sister of one of his victims, I have to say, I really like ths wood chipper idea. I”ll even pay for it! also I wanted to say thank you for the support for my family and the others families too. It helps.
It’s evident to everyone but his crazy fan club that he is going to lose the Atkins hearing. Hopefully, he’ll finally get his sentence imposed no later than sometime in 2013.
Stayed!
Nineteen years and they have to now see if he is retarded.
This is an outrage.
“The court ordered the district court in El Paso to hold the hearing on Wood’s claim that he is mentally retarded.”
Well yeah, didn’t you know? Most retarded people systematically kill girls but don’t realize they are retarded til around 18 or 19 years later and THEN gain the uncanny ability to diagnose themselves while having courts believe them. It’s a scientific fact. because you know, “HE” just claimed this so it must have merit.
Oh yeah I forgot to mention that in Texas the law allows retarded people to obtain drivers licenses to drive Trucks and Motor Cycles. Yeah, happens all the time. I get it.
I am SO sick of the claims of “mental retardation” as a cop-out at the last minute.
You can add the following to the (sarcastic) list of things the mentally challenged *supposedly* do:
1. Having enough COGNIZANCE and PRESCIENCE to understand the consequences — as evidenced by the hiding of the victims’ bodies in the desert.
2. Possessing enough SOCIAL SKILLS to carry on a deceptive relationship with a girlfriend, not to mention being able to repeatedly lure potential victims and coax them into accepting a ride.
I cannot believe any judge would ever even consider entertaining the notion that Wood is mentally retarded.
Yeah, this is bullshit. Texas has to start doing something about these last minute Atkins claims.
I suggest people contact the AG and ask them what if anything can be done to stop this. The guy had years and years to make this claim – which he will lose.
The Execution has been stayed.
* An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind.
And in one to two years the execution will be reset and carried out.
*An eye for an eye makes the world even.
**Gandhi was a pedophile. I wouldn’t go around quoting him if I were you.
Gandhi was a pedophile? I never heard anything like that. How’d you get this information? Just curious cuz I never heard that one. They never mentioned that in the movie LOL
I took several courses in college on Indian history and culture. Part of the assigned reading was a collection of his letters where he was quite pleased about sleeping nude with twin 12 year old girls, also nude. And yes, people intentionally try to squash this aspect of his personality.
I am a native El Pasoan. I lived in Northeast El Paso as a young girl at the times that these murders took place. One of the girls in fact, Dawn, was my mother’s bosses daughter. This story has haunted me because I lived in the area and was the same ages as these girls. This man deserves death.
I grew up in El Paso too. First down in Ysleta, and then later we moved across the street from J.M. Hanks High School. Most of my mom’s people are still in El Paso.
Here, too! My mom went to Ysleta…
We lived near Cielo Vista when I was a kid, and on the West side when I grew up.
No wonder I love this blog!
When I was growing up, I remember hearing about these mysterious murders.
All these years, I’ve still wondered. I’ve done some extensive research and found this.
This is so extremely sad.
Does anyone know what is going to happen to David now? I mean, here it is seven months later since his “execution”.
The execution was stayed so a hearing to determine whether he is mentally retarded or not can be held. You won’t hear about the results for a couple of years.
Some courts keep detailed records online and the public can access them. Unfortunately, Texas is not one of them. There’s suppose to be away to be able to do searches in the trial courts but I haven’t figured it out. Plus, each county is different. I did find the trial court for this case where the hearings will be held and they do have an online docket but with little info. So far, they haven’t taken evidence but have appointed counsel and filed motions.
STATE OF TEXAS VS. DAVID LEONARD WOOD
171ST DISTRICT COURT
El Paso County, Texas
Cause No. 900D06285
http://goo.gl/sSOV
hello all my mom was karen baker i never got to meet her but i know alot of her friends and they say alot about her…. i dont think david killed my mom aaand those other girls and if he did he dident do it by himself i have asked god to forgive him and i have forgiven him if he did do it i would hate to see him go to hell even if he is the one who killed my mom
Newsflash: He did murder your mother and 5 other women. Whether he had help or not (he didn’t) is irrelevant to his guilt. Your mother is the victim and only she can forgive him. Unfortunately, she’s not around. If you would hate to see him go to hell, there is something wrong with you.
There is a special place in HELL reserved for the truly evil, David Wood.
OMG Your mother died a horrific death. What is wrong with you! Nobody deserves to die that way. She deserved better! Stop dishonoring her, have some respect for her. She is not here to defend herself, don’t do this to her. She loves you, always did. Please let her at least be at peace in her death.
“9:27 am PDT, Sep 22, Jessica Baker, New Mexico
my mom was karen baker i was only one when she died i think david is innocent and they have the wrong guy if his case stays in el paso i will be there to fight for a fair trial for this man and give him the chance and the respect he deserves as a human they have just treated this man like a evil dog and have kept him caged up for all these years so please tell all ur friends and familys to sing this petition …..and for davids nephew that commented on here i would really like to get to know ur family and talk to u guys my # is 575 894-1458 so call me”
Seek help.
I think your Gramama must have dropped you on your head when you were a baby. You feel sorry for David Wood? I feel sorry for the young girls who got tortured, raped, and murdered by David Wood. Don’t you remember when he raped a 12yr old and they locked him up back in 1977,once let out 1979 he raped a 13yr old, a 19yr old, then tried to kill a 14yr old. Locked up again, let out again in 1987, killed 9 young girls.
I highly doubt your Mom was Karen Baker. The ONLY thing I would sign is a petition that makes it OK to execute tards. If that’s the card Woods wants to play, then I’d say NO exceptions, kill the tard. You have to be mentally ill to even think of taking a human life, let alone young girls so…fuck him up I say!
As for you feeling ANYTHING for this sick fuck yeah, Anon is right, you were dropped…HARD! This guy deserves NOTHING BUT a horrible torturous slow death!
Unfortunately, she probably is. The antidp whacko’s appear to have gotten their claws into her. Or, she desperately needs attention. She gave interviews to the media and has posted on a number of forums.
What she is doing is very wrong.
hey that is my little sister u r talkin to despite her beliefs i suggest u quit talking crap abt her… im sik of everyone on here going off abt the way my sister feels… yes karen was are mother and yes she died in a very unfair way… however every human is entitled to there belief n my sister is one of them so go live ur life n let her handle r mothers death however she feels fit
Oh, piss off! Neither she nor anyone else is going to get away with lying about this murdering son of a bitch.
Where do I sign? Put him down already!
my mom is karen baker ass hole and no my grandma dident drop me on my head u sick fuck anyways if he did do it why is it taking them so long to kill him already they must have some doubts or they would do it already so u guys that dont know shit or ur familys werent part of these girls that died shut the fuck up all u know is what u read so stay the fuck out of it you guys say i go on the news and stuff for attention wtf ever what r u doing on here making a comment that you know nothing about you dumb fucks get a life
Wood did murder all these women, including your mother. And you were dropped on your head multiple times. How else could anyone be as dumb as you? All those long comments are quotes from the trial findings of facts, oh clueless one.
My sister was Desiree Wheatley and nothing will ever make me forgive him. that being said, I might not understand how you could feel that way, but no one has the right to tell me how to deal with it, and you deserve the same right. If you have truly forgiven him, then I hope that means you have found some bit of peace in all of this. Dont get me wrong, I will fight to my dying breath to make sure he pays for it, I believe he did it without a doubt, but he is my enemy, not you. I wish you well, and hope you are at peace. I dont know how your mom would feel about you defending David, but I think she would be proud that you dont let people tell you how or what to think.
I read about your sister and my heart goes out to you.
I’m so sorry for your loss.
As, for myself I can never forgive him for what he did to me. I had reoccurring nightmares and also suffered with deep depression because of what he did to me. I can’t even begin to imagine the pain David has inflicted on the victims’ families. 30 years later and it feels like it was just yesterday. This never goes away.
Why is this piece of shit still around. Give the girls the justice they deserve. Stop fn around, he doesn’t deserve to still be here. I hope he fn rotts in HELL.
22 years and now he is claiming that he is mentally retarded. So, he’ll be examined by a bunch of psychs and they will testify at a hearing.
These murderers give the developmentally disabled a bad rap.
For someone hiding behind a claim of mental retardation, David was well aware that he’d better haul ass out of the desert when he attacked the 14yr old back in 1980. He was almost caught. Guess he was too smart for that!
sad to know that if you are in the lower socio-economic status of society and the DA wants to convict you, even without hard physical evidence, too bad for you. think about it boys and girls. I know this case made my blood boil when I read the facts… I just thought cops were the good guys. Hmmm… not always.
You know what makes me sad? That twits who get a few facts off the internet falsely believe they know all the facts while the jury and the numerous courts that review the evidence do not.
You didn’t know him. Is he mentally retarded? I don’t think so. Is he messed up in his head? Yes, a little bit, but everybody has their issues. If you were given “facts” based on lies, you might believe them too. How would you know the difference? Prosecutors are educated and trained to win. Defense attorneys are not very reliable unless you can pay them well enough.
Let me list some of the ways you are an idiot:
What is with you tools and your “you didn’t know him” crap? No one needs to know a serial rapist and killer, jackass. It’s not a badge of honor. It’s a badge of shame. I don’t need to personally know someone to determine if they are guilty of a crime.
“Everybody has their issues”??? Are you fucking nuts?? You equate being a serial rapist/killer to having issues? Unlike you, I have critical thinking skills. You may not know the difference between facts and lies, what is/is not relevant, etc., but most people do. And looking at the crap you’ve wrote, I have no doubt that you wouldn’t know your ass from your head.
You do realize that defense attys have the same education as prosecutors, don’t you? Contrary to you murder groupies who don’t have a collective IQ that would add up to 100, the defense bar is well educated and extremely dedicated. How else could they put up with assholes like this guy and scumpals like you?
You are a real sicko…
You always hear about scumpals committing crimes up to but not excluding murder. I can understand why: You people are amoral. You are one step away from being killers yourselves. All it takes is meeting the right person.
It is mind-boggling how misinformed and willfully ignorant some people choose to be . . .
Misinformed and utterly ridiculous assertion:
Informed and sane response:
Do you honestly believe that there are two separate types of law schools — one that offers top-notch instruction and curricula to would-be prosecutors and another that offers only a dumbed-down version to would-be defense attorneys? If so, then you must believe that there are two separate Bar exams — a tougher version for would-be prosecutors and a dumbed-down version for would-be defense attorneys.
Law school is very rigorous, no matter what specialty one chooses to pursue. So rigorous, in fact, that one must have a passion for whichever specialty they choose.
It is ironic how antis eat their own — defense attorneys do more to promote the anti cause than anyone else, yet they are continually thrown under the bus and completely disparaged by the groupies of their clients.
I bet you believe all the crazy conspiracy theories that have ever been spun.
It is ironic how antis eat their own — defense attorneys do more to promote the anti cause than anyone else, yet they are continually thrown under the bus and completely disparaged by the groupies of their clients.
Amazing Tracy isn’t it?
I have thought this so often.
His history alone deserves a painful death…and looking how little time he served being let out early OR AT ALL is ridiculous…serial murdering rapists start out young and graduate to this type of horror…the first sign of this horrid behavior, they should be put down like a rabid dog. They are not fit to live in society.
The tard card is fucking ridiculous.
He is a monster.
Ivy Williams
The first woman abducted and killed was twenty-three-year-old Ivy Williams. Jennifer Lynn Prefountain knew Ivy because they worked together at a topless bar. According to Prefountain, Ivy engaged in prostitution and used drugs. The last time she saw Ivy was at the King’s X bar in May 1987. The two talked for a couple of hours. At some point, Ivy used the telephone and then two of her friends, including Wood, showed up. Ivy left the bar at 4:00 p.m. with Wood and his friend. Prefountain, who first met Wood when she was working at another club called the New Yorker, stated that she never saw Ivy again after that day. Darla Jean Castle testified that she last saw Ivy on May 13, 1987, when Ivy came into her store to buy back some jewelry that she had previously sold Castle. Castle was contacted by the police because the police found the original sales
receipt from the sale of the jewelry in Ivy’s pocket when they found her body.
Desiree Wheatley
The second person to disappear was fifteen-year-old Desiree Wheatley. In June 1987, Desiree lived with her mother Marcia, her sister Sundee, and her grandparents. June 2, 1987, was the last day of middle school for Desiree. The last time Marcia saw Desiree was when she dropped Desiree off at school that morning. Desiree was wearing a white T-shirt, blue jeans, and tennis shoes. After school was out, Desiree and Sundee both came home, ate dinner, did some chores, and then left to go out. Yvette Garcia, a school friend of Desiree’s, stated that she saw Desiree that night at the house of a girl named Wendy. Later that evening, Yvette and Desiree started walking home; but then they split up, and Desiree walked back toward Wendy’s. Yvette got home and then decided to go back to Wendy’s; however Desiree was not there. Yvette then walked to a nearby 7-11 convenience store thinking that Desiree might be there, but she did not see Desiree. Yvette continued to walk to the Circle K store about eight blocks away and saw Desiree on the outside payphone. Desiree said that she was arguing with her mother on the phone. However, Desiree was actually talking to a boy named Ronald Graves, who testified that he received a phone call from Desiree that evening and argued with her over the phone. Graves stated that, during the conversation, Desiree indicated that she was being watched by an older man. Ernestine Galloway, testified that she was at the Circle K store that evening, and noticed a girl on the telephone arguing with someone on the other end. Galloway also noticed a small beige pickup truck on the side of the store and saw Wood, who had a tattoo on his left arm, inside the store. Yvette testified that she saw the back of a man who was tall and slender inside the store. Desiree came inside the store, went up to the cash register, and left. Wood then went up to the cash register and left right behind Desiree. Galloway saw Wood get in his truck and drive off, but she did not see anybody else in the truck. After Yvette and Desiree walked out of the store, they talked for a few minutes and then walked away from each other in opposite directions. While they walked away from each other, they continued to talk by shouting. Desiree stopped yelling, so Yvette turned around and saw Desiree getting into a truck across from the Circle K. The truck belonged to Wood, who was nicknamed “Skeeter.” That was the last time Yvette saw Desiree.
Desiree’s grandmother Helen Blaine testified that Desiree, who was wearing a white T-shirt, blue jeans, white tennis shoes, and white socks, had a curfew at 9:00 p.m. but called home about a quarter to nine and asked if she could stay out until 10:00 p.m. Sundee came home at 10:00 p.m., and she thought Desiree was spending the night with friends. Helen asked Sundee to call Wendy, but Wendy said that Desiree had left a long time ago in order to be home at 10:00 p.m. Sundee called some of other Desiree’s friends but could not locate Desiree. When Marcia Wheatley came home from work at 1:00 a.m., Helen told her that there was a problem and that Desiree had not come home. Marcia called the police and told them her daughter was missing. On October 22,1987, Marcia learned that the police found Desiree in the desert. Finally, both Yvette and a close friend of hers, Robert Franqui, testified that they were acquainted with Wood, and that, on a previous occasion, Wood had asked Yvette and Desiree to go into the desert and smoke marijuana. Yvette stated that she was afraid of Wood, and Franqui testified that Wood had several tattoos, including a dagger on one arm, a skull on his upper left chest, and a motorcycle on his back.
Karen Baker, who was 21 years old, was the third person abducted and killed. Charles Lloyd, who used to work at the Hawaiian Royale Motel, stated that Karen living with her foster grandparents in the apartment complex of the motel in the summer of 1897. On Friday, June 5, 1087, Lloyd saw Karen at the motel between 5:30 and 6:00 p.m. when she was coming home from beauty school. Karen walked back and forth between the pool area and her apartment most of the night. Later that evening a person on a motorcycle rode by and Karen yelled at the person. the person on the motorcycle turned around and came back to where Karen was standing. Karen got on the back of the motorcycle for abut 30 seconds to a minute, and then the person dropped her off at the motel and left. Roger Dickson testified that he also witnessed Karen get on the motorcycle, which was red and had a windshield on it. Dickson stated that Karen was wearing his blue jean jacket. Dickson also testified that the man on the bike had some tattoos. Lloyd further confirmed that the motorcycle was a shiny red Harley that was extremely loud. Lloyd did not get a good look at the man, but he saw the man’s clothing and noticed that he was wearing dark clothing, black chaps, a black jacket, and a bandanna. Karen then informed Lloyd that she had a date with the gentleman on the motorcycle at midnight. Karen returned to the office later that evening after changing clothes, and was wearing white boots with fringes, red stirrup pants, and a blue jean jacket. When Lloyd got off work around 12 midnight, he saw Karen outside talking to a lady and noticed a truck pull up. the truck was small and white or beige. Lloyd got a good look at the man in the truck and described him as a white anglo male about five foot seven inches tall, thinly built, with curly brown hair and a bandana on his head, a light beard, and wearing dark clothing. Lloyd stated that this is the same person that was on the motorcycle earlier. Lloyd never saw Karen again after that.
A missing persons report was filed on Karen about a week later. The Monday following Karen’s disappearance, the same man on the motorcycle came looking for Karen. Eventually, Lloyd was shown a photo line-up and identified Wood as the man in the truck and on the motorcycle. ** Patricia Von Maluski also testified that she had seen Karen with Wood at a Chinese restaurant located in the motel on a prior occasion.
** Lloyd testified that when he was sown a physical lineup, he made a mistake and did not identify Wood. He told a police officer he believed he made a mistake and asked the officer if he could change his choice. The police officers showed him a photo lineup and he chose Wood. Lloyd explained that the reason that he did not chose Wood in the physical lineup is that Wood had apparently shaven and cut his hair, and although Lloyd recognized Wood in the physical lineup, he was looking for a person who fit his original description of long curly hair and a mustache or goatee. Detective Alfred Giron also testified as to these facts.
[After typing this out twice to make sure I was not picking up any hidden code it still would not post. Finally, I just removed the name of the victim that was in bold and it worked. Again a major mystery since every other comment is headed with the name of the victim in bold.]
How very, very odd.
Angelica Frausto
The fourth woman who disappeared was seventeen-year-old Angelica Frausto (“Angie”). Denise Frausto Kramer and Amy Thompson, Angie’s sisters, testified that they last saw Angie at Rudy’s Bar on August 8,1987. Amy and Angie did not get along, but Amy had helped Angie get a job at a topless bar in order to get her off the streets. 61 RR 6365. However, on August 8, 1987, Angie and Amy got into an argument about the clothes Angie was wearing. Amy did not like the way Angie was dressed. Angie was wearing white shorts with purple hearts and an imitation brown leather jacket. That was the last time Angie’s sisters saw her, and they thought it was unusual that Angie did not show up for Amy’s birthday party on August 15, 1987. However Veronica Minjarez testified that she had seen Angie with a person that may have been Wood on August 4, 1987. Specifically, Angie and Veronica were at Rudy’s Bar and, at some point, stepped outside. Veronica was waiting for her husband to show up when a man on a loud red motorcycle passed by. The man on the bike stopped, and Angie went up to the man. The man had wavy brown hair, was tall and was a Caucasian. Veronica did not get a good look at the man’s face. Angie talked to the man for about ten minutes, and then got on the bike and went for a ride around the block. After they came back, Veronica’s husband arrived, and Veronica and her husband got into an argument that resulted in the police coming out to the bar. Veronica, however, did not see what happened to Angie; she simply noticed that Angie and the man were not there. Veronica did not see Angie anymore after that time. Jerry Ybarra, an officer with the El Paso Police Department, testified that he was the case agent responsible for the investigation of the death of Angie Frausto. He stated that when Angie’s body was found, the body had a blue-colored jacket with fur on it, a T-shirt, some light-colored shorts with purple heart’s, some bobbysocks, and tennis shoes.
Rosa Maria Casio
The fifth female murdered was twenty-three-year-old Rosa Maria Casio. Rosa’s sister, Esperanza, testified that she last saw Rosa on August 12,1987. In 1987, Rosa lived in Addison, Texas. Esperanza lived in Juarez, Mexico. Rosa arrived in El Paso on August 4th and was going back to Addison on August 17th. During that time, Rosa apparently visited her sister in Juarez. On August 12, 1987, Rosa left Juarez around 6:00 p.m. She was wearing long shorts, a blue blouse, some moccasin type shoes, and was driving a green Ford Grand Torino. Esperanza testified that Rosa was supposed to come back to Juarez, but she never did. Fritz Simon Zimmerle testified that he met Rosa when she was working as a dancer at a club called the Playhouse. Zimmerle, who also worked there, knew Rosa as “Janet.” He last saw Rosa on August 12, 1987. At about 8:00 p.m. Rosa walked in the club with a friend that Zimmerle knew as Junior. Zimmerle then went to go smoke marijuana with Rosa and Junior. They took Zimmerle back to the bar and then they went to the bar next door called the Flower Garden. However, about fifteen or twenty minutes later, Rosa and a white male walked past the club where Zimmerle was working. Zimmerle described the man as a tall white male with a mole on the left side of his face and with short blonde or brown hair. According to Zimmerle, the man was dressed like a businessman, and Rosa was wearing blue shorts and a blouse. Zimmerle saw them walk down the sidewalk and, about 20 minutes later, she came back to the club by herself. Zimmerle saw Rosa again at about 1:30 a.m. when Rosa came up to him and told him goodbye because she was going back to Addison. Rosa got into her car, and then Zimmerle saw a person sitting in a four-wheel-drive Ford Bronco that was muddy. The man in the Bronco looked like the white male Zimmerle saw with Rosa earlier. As Rosa left, the person in the Bronco followed her. However, she stopped to talk to Junior, and the Bronco went around her to the stop sign and took a right. Rosa went to the traffic light, took a right going up Montana Street, and took a left at Chico’s Tacos. That is the last time Zimmerle saw Rosa. On August 13, 1987, El Paso Police Officer James Abrogast located an abandoned vehicle at 1300 Selden. The car was a green 1974 Ford Grand Torino. Abrogast discovered that the car was registered to Rosa. An inventory of the contents in the vehicle confirmed that Rosa was the vehicle’s occupant.
Dawn Smith
The last woman murdered was fourteen-year-old Dawn Smith. Mary Fernandez, who was in the U.S. Army, testified that, in 1987, she met Dawn Smith at the movies when she walked up to Dawn to ask her what had happened in the first part of the movie. Dawn asked Mary if she could sit with her and her son, and Dawn proceeded to tell Mary her life story, including that she had no place to live. This occurred in January 1987. Mary offered to let Dawn stay at her house, and Dawn stayed with her for about a month. At the time, Mary believed Dawn was seventeen-years-old, but she later found out that she was fourteen. After a month, Dawn moved in with her sister, but she moved back in with Mary in the middle of August. The last evening Mary saw Dawn was August 27, 1987, during a small party at Mary’s house. Dawn was wearing a yellow terry-clothed romper and a pair of white thongs/flip-flops. Mary last saw Dawn at about 11:00 p.m. at night, and she had denied Dawn permission to have a friend over or to leave the house because Dawn had not completed her chores. The next morning, Dawn was not in the house and she never heard from Dawn again. Angela Chumley, Dawn’s best friend, testified that she last talked to Dawn around midnight that night. Dawn was going to leave Mary’s house, and Angela was going to meet Dawn in between McCombs and Salem near a 7-11 convenience store. The plan that night was to go back over to Mary’s and drink a bottle of alcohol and watch TV until Angela’s boyfriend got off work. She knew Dawn was supposed to be wearing a yellow romper, a jacket, and a pair of flip-flops. However, Angela never found Dawn, and she went back home. After the police found Dawn’s body, Mary identified the clothing found by the police because Dawn was wearing her son’s jacket, her son’s purple thongs/flip-flops, the yellow romper, and a blue pair of panties that were Mary’s. The police told Mary that Dawn was known as a runaway.
Although no one testified that Dawn and Wood were together the night she disappeared, several witnesses testified that Dawn had been with Wood in the past. Desiree Bowden testified that, at one point, Dawn lived across the street from her in an apartment with a person named Ruby, and they would babysit Ruby’s kids. One night during the summer, Desiree and Dawn were watching Ruby’s children, and a man named Sal and his friend came by the apartment. Desiree could not identify the second man, but on a few occasions the man came over to Ruby’s on a red motorcycle. Ernesto De Los Santos testified that he also lived across from Ruby and was Dawn’s boyfriend. He had seen David Wood around the area and saw Wood at Ruby’s apartment on one occasion. On that occasion, Wood embraced Dawn, which upset Ernesto. That was the only time he saw Wood and Dawn together, but he knew that Wood rode a red Harley. Ernesto also saw Sal Martinez at Ruby’s
apartment. Additionally, Michael Jimenez testified that he first met Wood in February or March 1987 when Wood approached him in his car asking to speak to Jimenez’s neighbor. Jimenez was in his yard with his motorcycle, and they got to talking about motorcycles. After that time, Wood would drop in from time to time especially if Jimenez had a group of people in his yard. Wood usually drove by on his Harley, which was reddish in color, and he often had women with him who were fifteen years old or younger. Jimenez stated that he saw Dawn with the Wood on one of these occasions at his house. He also saw Wood at his house when Wood was accompanied by his girlfriend Joanne Blaich.
Okay, for some reason, the software won’t allow me to post on the third woman abducted and murdered. What’s up with that?
Another one of those interweb mysteries. Nothing in the spam filter.
Thanks. Better than having it show up 5 times.It’s the mother of the young woman who posted here. Luckily it is not too graphic. Maybe there’s some hidden code in it I don’t see. I’ll try again later. It’s a huge document and I can’t post it all. I wanted to show that the thuglover from canada was wrong. Then again, thug lovers aren’t know for their critical thinking skills.
The discovery of the bodies
As stated above, the bodies were discovered between September 1987 and March 1988 in the Northeast desert. All of the bodies were found within a one and a half mile square radius, except for the sixth body. The desert area was described as hilly with shrubs and desert plants, and there was a lot of trash dumping and shooting in the area. Each body was found between thirty and forty yards from one of the dirt roadways. However, back in 1987, none of the grave sites were within yelling or screaming distance of any home or business.
On September 4, 1987, Ralph Castro, who was employed by El Paso water utilities, was directed to the northeast desert area of El Paso by one of his subordinates Frank Brooks. He went to an area where there was a trash pile and saw hands and feet sticking out from the dirt. After notifying the police, he met with Officer Steven Bilbo and directed him to the site of the body. When the body was removed from the dirt, the police found that the body was not clothed. The body, which was face down and five feet two inches in length, was in a grave that was only about six to twelve inches deep. The police did locate some clothing buried five feet seven inches from the grave. Some items were removed from the clothes, but the police were unable to get any fingerprints from those items.
Once the area where the body was located was sectioned off, Officer Jorge Ortiz began to walk outside the perimeter and noticed an indentation in the ground between two bushes. That area was found to contain the remains of the second body. The first body was approximately seventy-one feet from a dirt road, and the second body was approximately fifty-five feet from the first body. Detective Alfred Giron arrived, saw the first body which was covered with trash, and then was notified about the second grave. The second body, which was eventually removed from a fourteen-inch deep grave, was laying face down in a southerly direction. There was some clothing on the body, and the body had brown hair. The body, however, was decomposed, and there was nothing but skeletal remains.
The discovery of the bodies cont’d
On October 20,1987, Officer Julio Perez, who was assigned to the police canine unit, went out to the scene where the first two bodies were located. Twenty minutes into his search for other possible cadavers, his dog indicated that something was in the ground. Another officer probed the ground, and the police uncovered a third body. This third grave was 119 feet south from the roadway, and some clothing was located approximately 47 feet from the dirt road and in between the grave site and the road. The police seized a jacket from the third body, and a yellow sun suit, a green pair of panties, and a thong were found near the grave. The third body was not clothed except for the jean jacket. About twenty to twenty-five minutes later, the fourth body was uncovered by another canine handler. Ramiro Gonzalez, Jr., took his dog to the two previous graves to pre-scent the animal, and his dog found the fourth body. This grave site was about half a mile from where the first two bodies were found. The victim was wearing a T-shirt and bobbysocks. A bra and brown hair barrette were also seized. This body was laying face down in a one foot deep grave, and the body was buried thirty feet two inches from the nearest road
On November 3,1997, Officer Ernie Melendez was dispatched out to the desert area because he was told that another body had been found out in the desert. The fifth body was also found by a cadaver dog, and was laying in a grave six inches deep. Melendez attended the autopsy and took possession of the clothing from the body. Unlike the other bodies, this body was fully clothed with a jacket, a pair of shorts, socks and tennis shoes, some blue panties, and a T-shirt with a heart on it. Some fingernails were also taken from the body.
On March 14,1988, John Fielder was out in the desert area collecting aluminum cans at about 8:00 a.m. when he discovered human remains. He saw a bone sticking up out of the sand and noticed a sparkle which turned out to be braces on the teeth of a skull. He walked back to his home and then called the police. Detective Alfred Giron went out to the crime scene and when he got to the grave site he noticed metal braces on the teeth. The head was separated from the body, the body was clothed and laying on its back, and the skull was hairless. On the left hand of skeleton was a silver ring and moccasin shoes were also found in the area. One of the moccasin shoes was found north of the grave site and had some foot bones in it; the other shoe was found south of the grave site. In one of the pockets of the clothing the police found a cigarette lighter, a hypodermic syringe, a razor blade, and a motel key; in the other pocket was a wallet, some keys and another ring. The wallet contained some identification and an appointment card for an orthodontist.
The discovery of the bodies — cont’d
Juan Contin, the medical examiner for El Paso County, examined the remains of all six bodies. Dr. Contin, however, could not establish the cause of death because the bodies were decomposed with little or no flesh on them, although the manner of death was determined to be homicide. He noticed that the T-shirt on the fifth body had some longitudinal defects indicating possible stab wounds, but he could not find any corresponding injuries to the chest area based on the defects in T-shirt. With regard to the sixth body, Dr. Contin also noticed linear defects in the clothing, braces on the teeth of the skull, and a defect in the right shoulder blade consistent with being caused by a sharp instrument. One of the ribs on the skeleton was cut in two, and although the cause of death was undetermined, the evidence indicated that this person was stabbed to death. Harold Gill-King, Ph.D, a physical anthropologist, was contacted to determine the cause of death of the sixth body, Ivy Williams, and he determined that the wounds to the scapula and rib indicated that Ivy was stabbed to death while she was lying prone and either restrained or unconscious.
George M. Isaac, D.D.S., a forensic dentist, was contacted by the El Paso police department to identify the bodies. He had sufficient dental records on the last four women found in the desert. He examined the skull of one of the persons found on October 20, 1987, and identified the person as Dawn Smith. He identified the other body found on October 20, 1987, as that of Desiree Wheatley. He identified the fifth body that was found on November 3, 1987, as that of Angelica Gans (Frausto). He identified the sixth body as that of Ivy Williams. Ivy Williams was easily identified due to the braces on her teeth. Karen Baker, who was one of the victims discovered on September 4, 1987, was identified by a white boot with tassels that was found near the first two grave sites, and via a pre-mortem pelvic x-ray that Dr. Gill-King determined was consistent with the pelvis on one of bodies found on September 4,1987. The other victim found on September 4,1987, Rosa Casio, was identified only by her clothing.
The evidence linking Wood to the murders
As discussed above, the evidence presented by the State showed that Wood, or at least a person fitting his description, knew or was seen with each of the victims at the times they disappeared. Moreover, Joanne Blaich, who was a topless dancer and Wood’s girlfriend at one point, provided various circumstantial information linking Wood to the murders. She stated that Wood had numerous tattoos, including a motorcycle on his back and a snake on his chest. Wood had a beige truck and a red Harley Davidson motorcycle with saddlebags and a trunk. Wood also had some blankets, one burnt orange and one yellow, that he kept in his truck or his motorcycle. Further, he had some shovels that he kept in the truck, he carried a knife in his belt, and he sometimes wore a bandanna and a leather vest with lots of pins on it when he was on his bike. Blaich recalled that Wood had two friends named Sal Martinez and Jerry Hagger. She also stated that, at one point, Wood grew his hair longer and he had thick curly hair with a thin mustache. She further recalled once when Wood had some scratches on his face and back, and he told her that he got those in a fight at a bar. Blaich acknowledged that both she and Wood knew Ivy Williams and that the night Wood was introduced to Ivy was the last night Blaich saw Ivy Williams. Blaich also testified that eventually she moved in with Wood in October 1987 and, during that time, Wood seemed real nervous and worried about everything. On some occasions Wood would come home late, for instance after 3:00 a.m., sometimes he would be dressed up, and sometimes he would be muddy because, according to Wood, he went snake hunting in the desert with his brother-in-law.
On October 5, 1987, Joyce Armstrong rented an apartment to Blaich. Blaich and Wood lived there for approximately one month. When Blaich left the apartment, a vacuum cleaner that was not in the apartment before Blaich rented it was left behind. On January 14, 1988, Officer John Guerrero came into contact with Joyce Armstrong. Joyce directed him to a vacuum cleaner, and Guerrero took the vacuum bag into custody. Ultimately, orange fibers were found in the vacuum bag. Prior to that time, Officer Ernesto Melendez went to the Desiree Wheatley grave site on October 29, 1987, to sift through the dirt. His search uncovered some orange fibers. Steve Robertson, a chemist with the Texas Department of Public Safety crime lab in Austin, examined all these fibers. Specifically, he compared orange fibers that were on Desiree Wheatley’s T-shirt, fibers that were removed from the vacuum cleaner bag, and the fibers recovered from the grave sifting. Robertson found that the fibers from the vacuum bag, the T-shirt, and the grave sittings were the same size, shape, color, polymer composition and dye composition. Robertson testified that these fibers are acrylic and could have been used to make an orange colored blanket, and Blaich confirmed that Wood had a burnt-orange blanket that he carried in his truck or motorcycle. Robertson also testified that the majority of the orange fibers were located on the T-shirt, that he generally does not see as much fiber as was recovered in the grave sittings and the T-shirt, and that finding a lot of fibers on a murder victim tends to indicate that those fibers are from some item that the victim came into contact with in the few hours before death.
The State also linked Wood to the crimes via the testimony of a prostitute, Judith Kelly, who was abducted and sexually assaulted by Wood under circumstances and conditions extremely similar to that of the murdered women. Kelly testified that one evening in July 1987, she accepted a ride from Wood who took her into the desert area of Northeast El Paso. The first came into contact with Wood in front of the Circle K store. She went there to get cigarettes and then walked out because she needed a ride. Wood stopped in his tan truck and asked her if she needed a ride. Kelly said yes and jumped in the truck. Wood was wearing jeans, a Harley-Davidson black T-shirt, and a baseball cap. Kelly also noted that Wood had a lot of tattoos on his arms. Kelly needed to go to a friend’s house who lived on Titanic Street, but when Wood approached Titanic street he kept going. Wood told her that he had to go to a friend’s house and that he would take her back. He also said he was going out into the desert to get some cocaine that he buried, but he never did come back with any type of drugs. Wood then drove straight down McCombs into the northeast desert area, went to some apartments on the right side and made a right turn into an apartment building. Wood went into an apartment while Kelly waited in the truck, and then he came back out. When he came out, he had a thin rope hanging out of his pocket. Wood got back on McCombs and then made a right going out of town. He drove into the desert area, took a dirt road, and
continued to where there was a fence. Wood made Kelly get out, but he could not get the gate open, so he pulled her back in the truck and they went back across the road to the other side of the desert. Wood kept driving around and then eventually stopped. He got out and told Kelly to also get out. Wood took a blanket out of the back of his truck, he took the blanket behind some bushes along with a shovel, and he began to dig. Kelly stated that something was in the blanket, and Wood picked it up and took it behind the bush apparently to bury it. Wood had tied Kelly to the front of his truck and although she turned to see what he was doing, he yelled at her saying “turn around, bitch.” Wood
continued to dig for about ten or fifteen minutes. When he finished digging, he went back to where Kelly was, laid the blanket down, and started ripping off her clothes. Wood told her to lay down, and he forcibly put her down. Wood then said that he heard voices out in the desert, and he told Kelly to shut up. Kelly told him that she also heard the noises, so he grabbed her and put her back in the truck. Wood put the blanket back in the truck, and they drove around to another spot. He then stopped in the desert area on the west side of McCombs. Wood made Kelly get out again, put the blanket down, ripped off her clothes, tied her up, put a handkerchief in her mouth, and raped her from behind. Wood told Kelly to say that she was 13 years old. After he raped her, Wood took her clothes and threw them in the back of his truck, including his blanket. Wood told Kelly “always remember, I’m free,” and then he got in the truck and left her out in the desert. Wood said that he heard voices a second time right after he raped her and that is when he left. Kelly eventually got a ride with a truck driver who took her to her apartment. Kelly did not report this incident to the police because Wood threatened her life, and she did not think that the police would believe her because she was a prostitute. When she got home, she did tell her sister what happened to her.
The evidence linking Wood to the murders — cont’d
About a month and a half after this happened, Kelly called the police. On September 22,1987, Detectives Giron and Tabullo retraced the route with Kelly. They went from Kelly’s apartment first to the apartments on McCombs, and Kelly then directed them to the scene of the rape in the desert. She also directed them to the area where Wood had done some digging.This area was where the other bodies had been found, although at this point in time only two of the bodies had been found. They went back to the office and Giron took a statement from Kelly. Wood was ultimately convicted for sexually assaulting Kelly.
Finally, the State presented two prison inmates who testified that Wood made incriminating statements to them while he was in prison for his sexual assault conviction. Randy Wells testified that he met Wood in prison at the Eastham Unit in February or March of 1989. They were cellmates for two and one-half months. At some point, Wood began talking to Wells about the murders,*** telling him bits and pieces of the murders, not one long story. The two names of victims he remembered Wood giving him were Desiree Wheatley and Karen Baker. Wood never told him how many girls he killed but based on the discussion, Wells testified it was about four or five. Wood described the girls as whores, prostitutes, or girls that worked in topless bars. Wood also said there was a grave with feet sticking out, that this was his grave, and that he buried two bodies close together. Wood told Wells that the police gave him information about a grave that could not be right, which was an indication that he knew the grave. Wood also told Wells that he had a brown pickup and a motorcycle. According to Wells, Wood said that he convinced his victims to go with him by telling them he was going to give them drugs. Wood stated that once he got the girls out into the desert area, he tied them up to his pickup and then he would dig a grave. Afterwards, he would tie them to his pickup and to a tree, and rape them. Wood indicated that he would rape the girls by penetrating them anally. Wood also said that one girl scratched him and worried that this mark could be used to identify him. Wood further stated that he wanted to cover up the tattoos because one of the girls who got away from him noticed the tattoos. Wells himself covered up Wood’s tattoos, specifically the knife tattoo, by giving him new tattoos that blended in with the old ones. Eventually, Wells asked to be moved to another cell away from Wood because all Wood talked about was killing these girls. James Carl Sweeney, Jr., also testified against Wood. He met Wood in the summer of 1988 at the Eastham Unit. Initially, Wood inquired about Sweeney doing some legal work for him because Sweeney was known as a jailhouse writ writer. Later Wood moved into his cell, and began to talk to him about his case. The first time they talked, Wood admitted to Sweeney that he was responsible for the murders of the young girls. Wood also provided Sweeney with over 100 newspaper clippings about this case that Wood knew by memory. Wood referred to this case as the northeast desert slayings or his case. Wood specifically mentioned that he was responsible for the deaths of Karen Baker, Desiree Wheatley, Rosa Casio, and Dawn Smith, and he referred to one of the girls as “biker girl.” Wood showed Sweeney photos of the girls from the newspapers, and told him these girls were between fifteen and twenty years old. Wood also mentioned that he was worried about Desiree Wheatley. Additionally, Wood stated on one occasion that he was concerned about whether or not the death penalty would be issued automatically if the victim was found tied, and he was concerned that he may have left a rope at one of the graves. Wood, however, did not say how he killed the women or what he did to the girls. At trial, Sweeney described Wood’s tattoos and mentioned that Wood covered the tattoos on his arms specifically to hide the tattoo of the dagger so that it could not be used to identify him.
___________________________
*** Wells gave this information to a TDCJ-ID officer. He also gave this information to his attorney, Gary Luellen. Luellen then relayed this information to a Texas Ranger in Eastland County, who then contacted former El Paso District Attorney Steve Simmons. This is how the investigation focused on Wood as the primary suspect.
omg where do you get this shit from he dident admit to feet sticking out of the ground city workers were putting water lines in and saw the feet sticking out u guys need to get ur facts straight or just shut the fuck up before u start typing stuff just to be known u want to be known why dont u guys do something dumb to be put on the news to be know instead of just writing dumb false facts
Try reading slower this time, Jessica. [More proof that you were dropped on your head.]
Fact pertaining to punishment.
The State first presented evidence of Wood’s prior criminal history. Specifically, the State showed that Wood had a five-year conviction and sentence for indecency with a child, a twenty-year conviction and sentence for rape, a twenty-year conviction for rape of a child, and a fifty-year conviction and sentence for sexually assaulting Judith Kelly.
Several witnesses testified about Wood’s criminal history. Virginia Staples testified that she worked as a prostitute. On September 19, 1987, Wood offered her money for sex while she was standing on a street corner. Staples got into
Wood’s truck and told him to go to the Mesa Inn Motel. However, Wood did not drive to the Motel; instead, he pulled a knife on Staples and, while laughing, said, “I’m going to fuck you, stab you, and throw you in the river.” At one point, Wood hit Staples in the eye with the back of his hand. Staples said that Wood wanted to drive to the northeast part of town, but Staples said it was too far away. Wood continued to drive toward the river and Staples eventually jumped out of the truck while it was moving, resulting in some injuries. She then ran to the freeway, and a man picked her up and took her back to her motel room.
Christi LeClaire testified that Wood sexually assaulted her when she was thirteen years old. On March 10, 1980, she and her friend Andrea walked to Andrea’s house after a gymnastics class. She then planned to run home, and her boyfriend Henry was supposed to catch up to her. At one point while she was running, she turned around and thought she saw Henry behind her about 100 yards. She stopped running and heard footsteps, believing that it was Henry. The person grabbed her and, although she tried to get away, the man said to stop fighting or he would beat her up. The man told LeClaire that someone had broken the windshield of his car, that it cost $110 to fix, and that he was going to walk with her to her house so that her family could give him the money. Eventually they walked underneath a bridge area, and then the man raped her. LeClaire described the rape in detail at trial. The assault was extremely violent and included
choking, oral sex, and vaginal penetration. Later, she was examined by a doctor, and the doctor could tell the she had been raped because her vagina was torn an inch and a half from the opening. LeClaire identified Wood as her attacker.
Joan Szymblowski Capps also testified that Wood raped her when she was twelve years old. On August 30, 1976, she was playing with a friend of hers when Wood approached her and asked her to help him find his dog. Capps walked around the corner, and Wood put his hand over her mouth. Wood then took off her clothes and raped her. She bled badly from the vaginal penetration. At trial, she identified Wood as the culprit.
Finally, Dora Morales Padilla testified that Wood raped her. On August 8,1988, she reported an aggravated sexual assault to the El Paso Police Department that happened in March or April of 1987 when she was twenty-three years old. Padilla was working in the New Yorker bar, where she worked with Joanne Blaich. On the night in question, she got a ride home with Blaich and Wood at 2:30 a.m. They drove to some apartments on Montana Street, and Blaich and Wood, who were arguing, went inside. Wood came back to the truck alone and started driving. Wood offered Padilla drugs and called her a whore from Juarez. At one point, Wood pulled off to the side of the road and began attacking Padilla. She tried to get away, but Wood caught her and tied her up in the truck. He also had a pocketknife and put it to Padilla’s neck. Then, he pulled her clothes off and raped her. Wood continuously hit Padilla while he raped her. Eventually, she made it home by stopping a taxicab. At trial, she identified Wood as the person who raped her.
Me and my girl friend both were in the 7th grade at Parkland Jr.Hgh and David Wood was in the 10th grade at Parkland High. David use to come up to the Jr.high school and beat me up because he liked my 7th grade girl friend and she didn’t want anything to do with him we both were affarid of him. He ended up rapping her to but nothing was done about it we didn’t know how to tell our parents. I knew way back then in the 70′s that fool was crazy.
This animal needs to be put down.
It is sickning what this animal has done. Does anybody know when this evil bastard is going to be put down? I will be there to watch him die! I sure hope there is a hell waiting to receive him.
for all u nosey people who want to follow this case my mom was karen baker david woods gave all kinds of dna samples and none of them matched any of the girls his retard case will be held in feb 2011 and he he was as quilty as they say he was they wouldent wait seventeen years to do something to him and even if he did why do you think jesus died on the cross to forgive us of all our sins and we need to do so also most of u people on here probley have rapist murders or dumb people in ur family and you would be in court to be there for them so get a life and worry about your own problems instead of trying to make urself know by commenting on here grow the fuck up
Nosey? So people concerned about this case are nosey? Grow the fuck up! Yes he murdered all these women, including your poor mother. And you want us to forgive him? Get real! And get an education. Second graders have higher reading, writing, and comprehension skills than you.
omg my brother just got on this site and told me someone was writing all kinds of stuff using my name i am sorry to all who r getting these negitive comments back on there statements i really am i know who is using my name and he will be punished for it so once again i apoligize to all of you
i am so sorry for this comment i did not write it i hope he dose burn in hell for what hes done becuz now my kids and my brothers kids and my sisters kids never get to meet their grandma
my mom karen baker got kidnapped 20 days before my first birthday i never got to meet her and it is very hard becuz i have two girls of my own and i would hate for them to not know who i ever was i think woods needs to die for what he did not only for my mother but the other girls he is a pig the only witness he has for being retarted is his family and the courts wont allow that i miss my mom so much even though i never got to meet her but i know soon all these woman will be able to rest in peace…and once again i am sorry for all the rude comments u guys were getting left on ur comments i am truely sorry
I often think of your Mom and the other girls whose lives were so brutally taken from them. They would be around my age now. Life isn’t always easy, but it is a precious gift! I have gotten to enjoy my kids, will soon be a grandma, and so many other mile stones in my life. They never got that chance!
You think he needs to die? He absolutely needs to die, the sooner the better!
Someone claiming to be the daughter of Karen Baker has been posting on the internet and giving interviews for quite awhile falsely implying and/or claiming Wood is innocent. No one has stepped forward before and said someone was stealing their identity. So, frankly, I don’t know what to believe. What I do know is that David Wood rapes and murders young girls and women and must be executed asap.
you dont have to belive me but i dident know people were using my name and i am karens daughter why would i lie about that but anyways i agree with all of you that he needs to die soon they sent me a paper in the mail saying his trial wont be till 2011 how long dose it take to tell if someone is retarded he is sick in the head and crazy
I’m glad you feel that I don’t have to believe you because so far I still don’t.
I saw the Fox interview where the daughter of Baker implies that Wood is guilty and she wants him executed. However, as previously stated for over a year, there has been someone running around the internet, claiming to be Jessica Baker:
“09:27, Sep 22, jessica baker, NM
my mom was karen baker i was only one when she died i think david is innocent and they have the wrong guy if his case stays in el paso i will be there to fight for a fair trial for this man and give him the chance and the respect he deserves as a human they have just treated this man like a evil dog and have kept him caged up for all these years so please tell all ur friends and familys to sing this petition …..and for davids nephew that commented on here i would really like to get to know ur family and talk to u guys my # is 575 894-1458 so call me” http://goo.gl/Qp12
The phone number is registered to a Joshua Chavez. So it’s impossible for me to believe that you and your family just learned today that someone was impersonating you.
hello joshua chavez is my husband i am the one that was on the news with my grandma i walked the desert where they found the bodies why would i lie about being her daughter
i did just find out i dont get on the sites about david becuz it hurts to much and it will never bring my mom back all i can do is pray for this sick bastard to die soon and hopefully one day i will get to meet my mom in a much better place
If you are her daughter, why would you or your husband or your brothers not be contacting these websites and telling them to remove those posts and your telephone number if you did not post that crap?
whats the point of contacting them its just post my crazy bipolar sister is the one being the crazy bitch and its not brothers it brother if u guys follow the case u would know my mother karen had me my brother jon and my sister patty i dont care that the number is on there i just wanted to say i was sorry foe the negative shit that was being written to you guys on here and as far as the petition that was singed with my number on it i would never sign a petition to keep this sick bastard alive and thats not even my number no more my mother in law has it so i dont really care about it being posted
why r u on here being so vain to everyone who makes a comment about this case and talking about how much education u have why is this case so important to you if you arent a victim of this hateful crime or your family members werent part of this crime why dose it bug u so much and why not put ur name on here why stay anonymous why try to prove a point when you dont even know this person who committed this crime not unless ur some sick person who gets off on this
your no better than david wood if u can get on here and be cruel to everyone u are very narrow minded and i bet u dont even know what it is to grow up without a mom ur sick u need to seek help asap just like david needs to die asap
The point is that Wood’s fan club is using it to garner sympathy for him and falsely claim he did not receive a fair trial and is innocent. As to whether you have a brother or brothers – how did that become part of the case and why would I followi it? The case is David Leonard Wood raping and murdering girls and women and now trying to avoid his just sentence. You appear to be more outraged by my saying brothers instead of brother than people impersonating you and telling lies. And you don’t care about the telephone number being used because now it’s your mother in law’s??? Aren’t you a trip!
why r u on here being so vain to everyone who makes a comment about this case and talking about how much education u have ….
Psycho: You are the one who got on here and called everyone else stupid, claimed we didn’t have our facts straight in response to the court’s findings of facts which you couldn’t even read correctly.
why is this case so important to you if you arent a victim of this hateful crime or your family members werent part of this crime
Because the rape and murder of girls and women is wrong. Why would one have to be a victim or have a family member a victim to know something that self-evident? People who can’t recognize that are usually sociopaths.
why dose it bug u so much and why not put ur name on here why stay anonymous why try to prove a point when you dont even know this person who committed this crime not unless ur some sick person who gets off on this
As to why it “bug” me, see above. As to why I post under anonymous, it is so mentally ill people like you don’t impersonate me on the internet.
It takes a real creep to support Wood which is what you are doing.
but anyways i dont have to prove to any one she was my mom only a sick person would try to pretend that one of those girls was there mom so whatever i have had to live with the pain of not knowing my mom or having her by my side when i needed her the most and to meet all 10 of her grandchildren i do not like what david did to my mom and all those other girls they dident deserve to die the way they did i have my moms ashes and thats the only way i can keep her close to me i know it might sound crazy but i talk to her and tell her all about my day and how her two beautiful granddaughters are growing up so much i just dont want people to think im trying to pretend she is my mother
and when he ends up in hell send him my wishes when u get there to
u are something else urself i have contacted this page to let them know about my number all u know about this case it what u have read about it and i am pissed about my name being used i tried to say i was sorry for the rude comments twords u on ur comments and u just want to be vain and say karen wasent my mother so if u want to be vain thats all on you thats just the person u are i guess i just wanted to say i was sorry that was it but if my sorry isent accepted by u thats fine to i dident get on here to fight or prove a point my mother is dead and all this back and forth bullshit isent ganna bring her back
Whether Karen Baker is your mother or not does not change the fact that you are mentally unstable. You may be her daughter, but you are also the person who posted all that crap defending Wood on the internet including the bullshit here yesterday and today.
Yes, I have read the court documents detailing the evidence of the case, you dumbass.
ya whatever you stupid bitch that has nothing better to do than nose around in other peoples life your so fucking educated why dont you go get a real fucken job with your great education than nosing around in other peoples bullshit,drama,life whatever the fuck you wont to call it you low life worthless piece of shit no good dirty whore you want to keep posting false stuff on here about my mom i will sue you for false statements and wherever you got these stupid fake facts from my mom is dead you dident know her so quit trying to act like you care about these girls and get a real fucking life you dumb bitch
you go to bed at night and dream about what you want to do with david and how much you care about him yuck you sick bitch why dont you just have him as your lover sence you are so worked up about this case you dont care about my mom or the other girls just what u want you and david can have together just admit it ur a sick nasty cold hearted no good person who needs to have god take them off the face of this earth already…hope u have your great time with this sick pervert and your fucked up mind in hell where you guys can live happy ever after you sick minded bitch
yes and thats all you know stupid is what you have read hello people need to learn to think before they open there big fucking fat mouths and post stuff about the dead you fucking morons
and when he ends up in hell send him my wishes when u get there to
You first, you mentally unbalanced poseur.
what do wi have to do to prove karen is my mother i am not faking that
Jessica you do not have to prove is she was your mother or not. If you are that do not beg people to believe you. If you know you are her daughter that is all that matters. One thing I’ll tell you is that you have been the one posting such rude and stupid comments. Just watch your writing style (no periods, same misspelled words……). People who post comments and follow up on such case like your mom’s it is because either is a female, has a mother or sister and for that reason want to keep dirty animals like Wood out of this world to not harm more people. That Is all, honey. As to your education, it is not necesary to write or use faul language. It is possible to get a message or point across without being so uneducated.
Nobody gives a crap who she is. However, her comments on this thread and elsewhere show her to be mentally unstable.
anonynous has a victim as a family memeber and that is ok, get mad
You don’t know what the fuck you are talking about.
The Atkins hearing was delayed to June 20, 2011. It’s ridiculous for the defense and courts to take 2 years to even schedule this. All these Atkins hearings are used for is to delay the execution. Same thing happened with Bradford. Pedo Sosa is down the Atkins rabbit hole. I have no idea what is going on with that case. Julius Murphy is another one. All are Atkins claims. Total bullshit.
Found a post you made this a.m. on the “Friday Humor” thread in the spam filter.
It is now free.
I don’t know what there is about this case that attracts so many psychos. Their only regret in life is that Ted Bundy isn’t still around so they could line up to fellate him, too.
Thankfully, the trial court ruled against this monster’s DNA petition. Still, it’s been over 2 years and they have still not had a hearing on the guy who has completed several years of college while in custody claim that he is mentally retarded.
Judge rules against serial killer David Leonard Wood’s DNA petition (4:25 a.m.)
by Diana Washington Valdez / El Paso Times
Posted: 08/19/2011 04:25:10 AM MDT
A visiting judge for the 171st Judicial District Court has ruled against convicted serial killer David Leonard Wood’s petition involving DNA test results.
Wood, who received a stay of execution two years ago, had expanded his death penalty appeal to include a petition for a new finding of his 1992 conviction.
He requested, and was granted, new DNA tests of items from 1987 victims of the notorious desert deaths in Northeast El Paso.
“The court finds that the results of the DNA analysis do not establish that, had the results been available during the trial of offense, it is reasonably probable that (Wood) would not have been convicted,” according to Judge Bert Richardson’s ruling dated Aug. 17.
According to court records, prosecutors did not rely on DNA evidence to try Wood.
The Texas Criminal Court of Appeals granted Wood a stay of execution two years ago, the day before he was to be executed by lethal injection.
Wood was accused of killing six girls and young women in 1987 in Northeast El Paso: Desiree Wheatley, Angelica Frausto, Ivy Susanna Williams, Karen Baker, Rosa Maria Casio and Dawn Smith.
He was the first Texan convicted under the state’s serial-killer statute.
He was indicted for killing all six and was convicted of the stabbing death of Williams. Wood denied killing anyone.
Wood initially appealed his 1992 death sentence, arguing that he was mentally retarded and therefore exempt from the death penalty.
Nineteen years since his conviction. He should now be charged with felony theft of oxygen.
I’m sure there are many more weasel writs to follow.
I knew Dawn Smith when I was in Jr. High in El Paso as well as in High School. My mother informed me of her murder when she saw it on the local news some time after she disappeared. I am very surprised that the State of Texas of all states has not killed this son-of-a-bitch yet. Should somebody break him out to kill him themselves? How can we let this bastard survive?!
Wood has scores of 11 and 101 on IQ tests. This hearing is a sham! I hope they fast track his ass to the gurney.
His groupies are insane and it wouldn’t surprise me if one of them commits a murder, too. I’ve seen a lot of scumpals but these are really out there. Sickening…
Just read some of their comments.
.
David Leonard Wood’s death-penalty hearing likely to end today
By Diana Washington Valdez \ El Paso Times
Posted: 12/07/2011 12:00:00 AM MST
A hearing to determine whether convicted serial killer David Leonard Wood is mentally retarded and should be spared the death penalty is expected to end today.
Wood’s defense plans to continue cross-examining forensic psychologist Thomas Allen, a witness for the state and the only expert called to testify.
Tuesday, Allen repeated that he did not believe Wood is mentally retarded.
He also testified at length Tuesday on why he suspected Wood of dumbing down his answers on various tests to measure his IQ and other mental skills.
Visiting Judge Bert Richardson, who is presiding over the hearing, also will hear arguments by Wood’s defense requesting more DNA testing of evidence from Wood’s 1992 capital murder trial. [Enough of the dna requests!]
…..
Tuesday, state lawyers presented Wood’s correspondence from prison that Allen
testified indicates that he is not mentally retarded.
During the hearing, the court was shown a list of Wood’s prison commissary list that included such things as hot chocolate, peanut butter, chicken noodle soup, corn chips, soft drinks and postage stamps.
Wood corresponds with pen pals and relatives and reads books and magazines, according to testimony and court records. In his letters, he also dispenses legal advice to others.
http://www.elpasotimes.com/newupdated/ci_19486168
This guy is not mentally retarded. I don’t know why the court ever granted a hearing on the issue. What a waste of time!
Killer David Leonard Wood awaits judge’s decision: Defense has until March for closing arguments
by Lourdes Cardenas and Diana Washington Valdez \ El Paso Times 12/12/2011 09:44:51 AM MST
It may be months before Judge Bert Richardson issues a recommendation on the mental retardation appeal for serial killer David Leonard Wood.
After Wood’s hearing wrapped up last week, the judge gave the state and the defense until March to submit their closing arguments in writing. The judge will review them before he submits his findings to the Texas Criminal Court of Appeals.
Even if the judge finds that Wood, who is on death row, is not mentally retarded, the defense can appeal further to the federal courts.
…..
http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_19526578
Read the rest of it. It pretty much confirms that the is not retarded. It also reports that two other girls who disappeared in 1987 who were last seen talking to this creep, were never seen again.
Are you kidding me this creep will die of old age before he is ever executed. The girls never got their justice! Not here on earth anyway. There is no justice here! I hope there is a hell and he wakes up in it!
Back in 1980 I almost suffered the same fate. I’m sure I wasn’t the first girl David Wood took out to the desert back then either. He probably killed some other girls then too.
It makes me sad to think of how these girls were found, and how they died. At the same time it makes me so angry knowing that this is the same thing he had in store for me. No one deserves to die like that!