Catherine Elizabeth Woods
Find-A-Grave: Catherine Elizabeth Woods
48 Hours Mystery: Death of a Dream
The Murder of Catherine Woods… Did the Rocker Do it?
A dancer’s secret life and savage murder
America’s Most Wanted: Fugitive: Paul Cortez
Murder Of Catherine Woods (several links and stories)
MYSTERY WITNESS IN UPPER E. SIDE STRIPPER SLAY
STRIPPER-SLAY SUSPECT’S TRASH MYSTERY
BEAUTY & THE BEAST
BERRY KINKY CALL BEFORE MURDER
‘DIAL BLITZ’ TO TRAGIC STRIPPER
‘CROSS’ SLASHING
‘RIP YOU APART & BURN YOU INSANE’ – DANCER EX’S ‘HELL’ DIARY
The savage stripper ripper is guilty
Cortez Sentenced in Dancer’s Death, But Will Appeal
Forgotten Victims: Catherine Woods ( Warning: Some parts of this site can be viewed as racist)
‘Blood All Over’: NY Detectives Hunt Down Killer Who Slashed Aspiring Broadway Dancer’s Throat
Books
Death of a Dream (48 Hours Mystery)
Movies/Documentaries
New York Homicide: Dimmed Broadway Lights
The Last Dance
Dead On Arrival: Fatal Obsession
INMATE INFORMATION
Identifying and Location Information
As of 09/02/14
DIN (Department Identification Number) 07A1881
Inmate Name CORTEZ, PAUL
Sex MALE
Date of Birth 03/18/1980
Race / Ethnicity WHITE/HISPANIC
Custody Status IN CUSTODY
Housing / Releasing Facility GREEN HAVEN
Date Received (Original) 04/05/2007
Date Received (Current) 04/05/2007
Admission Type NEW COMMITMENT
County of Commitment NEW YORK
Latest Release Date / Type (Released Inmates Only)
Crimes of Conviction
As of 09/02/14
Crime MURDER 2ND
Class A1
Sentence Terms and Release Dates
Under certain circumstances, an inmate may be released prior to serving his or her minimum term and before the earliest release date shown for the inmate.
As of 09/02/14
Aggregate Minimum Sentence 0025 Years, 00 Months, 00 Days
Aggregate Maximum Sentence LIFE Years, 99 Months, 99 Days
Earliest Release Date 12/17/2030
Earliest Release Type PAROLE ELIGIBILITY DATE
Parole Hearing Date 08/2030
Parole Hearing Type INITIAL RELEASE APPEARANCE
Parole Eligibility Date 12/17/2030
Conditional Release Date NONE
Maximum Expiration Date LIFE
Maximum Expiration Date for Parole Supervision
Post Release Supervision Maximum Expiration Date
Parole Board Discharge Date
Filed under: crime, high profile, murder, murder in the 21st Century | Tagged: 2005, Catherine Woods, homicide, New York, New York City, stabbing |
Bonnie's Blog of Crime 
The site addressing “Catherine Elizabeth Woods” is blatantly racist. It highlights that the suspect in her killing is a Hispanic male and comments attached to the site clearly suggest that black and Hispanic men should be avoided since they allegedly have a propensity toward violence. This is totally unhelpful. The murder of anyone, by anybody is a tragedy and highlighting racial differences is unproductive and morally repugnant. I think you should delete this link!
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That link has been removed.
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Get off of it – of course race & gender (along with age and sexual orientation) should be included in any descriptive narrative of a crime. It provides a better description of those involved in a criminal incident. It also sheds light on victimology, and lets even the naive, dumb & ignorant understand that everyone is criminally victimized. It also helps demonstrate the absurdity of so-called “hate crime” laws.
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Bob,
I don’t know if you actually read the link or didn’t understand my point – highlighting someone’s race in a descriptive manner is a typical practice. I was concerned with statements on the site that suggested that because the suspect was Hispanic he was somehow a “natural born” killer. The site also very, very strongly suggested that if she had stayed with her “white, hometown” boyfriend she would not have been victimized (which is interesting in light of the statistics on interpersonal/domestic violence – most women are killed by men who are the same race). The implication was that (white) women are more vulnerable when intimately involved with men of color due to some sort of “culture clash.” The man that ended the life of this promising young woman is truly pathetic and he needs to be locked up. However, bringing up his race every single time you mention his name–as this site did–shows a serious lack of awareness and in my opinion, racism.
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JJ,
I am of the opinion that the best way to diminish absurdities is to highlight them, not delete them. I would have loved to have seen the article that you mentioned and form my own opinions and make my own criticisms, but I can’t because you suggested that the link be taken down and the blogger unbelievably agreed to do so. Now all I have is your interpretation of whatever was on that site, and nobody can even discuss it. Why do you think it’s okay for you to decide that your interpretation of a website means that you can decide whether other people here get to see it for themselves or not?
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Ronnie,
I went back over the website and I do still view it personally as racists in many sections, however, I put the link back up (I usually do not put such links up, as I do not condone being racist in anyway) as the site does have some good information and more pictures and such. It is the last link, and to appease the other person and anyone else that might be easily offended, I put up a warning. The site does have stuff on other murders, but I have not yet checked them out.
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I am a clinical psicologist fro mexico city, the psichopatology has no race or gender.
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You can’t even spell psychologist!
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Uh (3 years later)…Grace was actually spelling it in proper Spanish. As you can see, she is from MEXICO.
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grace, did you mean you are a Psychologist and that psychopathology has no race or gender? Do you spelled it different?
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Thanks for putting the link back up. After reading the material on the linked site, I am in agreement that it is ridiculous and racist. I am a senior year criminology student, and from what I’ve studied, the idea that hispanic males are somehow more likely than others to kill women that break up with them is not supported by statistics. Some men simply can’t handle losing their girlfriend, especially if that girlfriend ends up with a new man.
What I found more disturbing that the racial implications on that site is that it also seems to be blaming Catherine Woods for her own death. It suggests that she should have known better than to have casual relationships and break them off whenever she wanted. I thought that’s what dating was. To suggest that she was responsible in any way for what happened to her is mind numbing. I can only hope that no members of her family see that.
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I found a lot of information about this case on the freepaulcortez.org website. I did not see that link mentioned on your blog
note from blog owner
The site he has posted is about Paul Cortez, not about Catherine. It is a site soliciting donations to prove Paul Cortez’ innocence. It even starts out the story of the crime about Paul Cortez rather than the victim. And in my opinion the site does NOT provide much about the actual murder, but rather reasons that Paul Cortez (in their opinion) is innocent.
(Ian, that is one of the reason’s I did not post it as it is Paul oriented, NOT Catherine oriented. And remember, Paul is her convicted killer and unless that changes, that is how he will be presented here. I personally believe he is guilty, and will until I am shown actual real evidence to the contrary. And that site does not prove that to me.)
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http://www.dontfreepaulcortez.org
shows the real facts of the case, not the one-sided bologna you see on Paul’s site… he is a murderer desperatly trying to get out of prison.
Not once in any letter or plea sis he show any sympathyu for catherine.. he did it…. she was afraid of him for months pror to him killing her
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It’s a statement of fact…it is not racist to say what ethnicity the killer is or was. It is simply a statement of the facts. When you give a description to police if you are a witness you don’t just say oh yeah I saw her, she was a woman, you give a detailed description of hair color, race, etc.
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Bonnie…why are you so sure Paul Cortez is guilty? It seems like this guy got a horrible trial and there are so many things that just dont make sense? I am still not sure how the jury convicted him. Just trying to research the case…I see a lot of media spin from the articles you posted. THe Post is a rag, AMW got the facts wrong etc…it seems like there is an awful lot that just does not match up. Could you give me some of your insight.
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i watched this mystery in 48 hours. I knew paul was going to do it because of the love triangle. It’s such a same to have such as young, beautiful, women who didn’t do anything killed
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Ian, I think he’s guilty also. I have been following this case from the beginning. I believe the evidence presented points to him as the killer. You stated you thought he had a horrible trial. I’m curious what was said or what happened to make you think that. Do you think he was railroaded?
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RIP Catherine. So beautiful.
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Shauncey, I have spent a lot of time educating my self on this case. It is lunacy that a man can be condemned to a cell for the rest of his human life with such little evidence. His attorneys were a joke. This guy did not get a fair trial. The media in this case was a joke. Rush to judgment..The jurors convicted him on a grainy video that real experts could not determine anything from. What evidence was there? His own attorney was being prosecuted by the same DA office prosecuting Paul. This case seems all wrong! If there is a 1% chance this man is innocent then how can any of us be ok with not getting him a fait trial? Holy crap….give the guy a fair trial!
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Ian,
You do have the right to believe as you do. I have read quite a bit on this and believe the opposite of you. I believe he is guilty. If he did not receive a fair trial, then any appeal he files will be granted and he will have a new trial.
12 jurors believed him to be guilty. You may not agree, but that is the way our justice system works. And in my opinion, in this case, justice was served.
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He is most definatly guilty… Almost ALL convicted murderers will try to prove their innocense and do a good job at it… somehow they were ALL railroaded… Between the many lies for his alibi, to him (for the first time ever) not showing up to band practice the exact time she was killed, to the fingerprint (that many contest) BUT is in the exact spot it should be to be connected to the visible bloody handprint.. and not to mention had no ridges between the print ridges (being that if the blood which is a thick substance splattered ON the print, it would have blood splatters between the ridges of the actual print, in this case their was not) which means it was a fresh print… to her denying him a thanksgiving which led to erratic behavior on his part a few days before her death… come one….
most people who support that crazy fool wouldnt believe it if they saw a video of him doing it… they would continue to come up with some excuse
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I still to this day think he did it.
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didn’t they also find his show imprint on the toilet seat?
I thought I read that. From what I read he sure is guilty!
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*show s/b shoe…sorry
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Everyone is a racist, chauvinist, sexist or whatever else of some sort. I see people on this blog too think they are perfect and out of the bonds of racism, I’m just letting you know that if racism offends you, then you are probably guilty of it too in some form or another. This guy is so guilty I’m surprised it took so long to convict him. Go to NICP’s website and check out the crimes against women’s page. Most women are harmed by someone they know regardless of race. Regarding race and crimes, if you want to get technical look up the statics of the race of men that are currently incarcerated cold hard facts are immune to racism. OK, I”m waiting for the “they were railroaded because of their race” card to fly in my face.
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The United States imprisons more people than any other nation in the world. China is second, with 1.5 million people behind bars. The gap is even wider in percentage terms. According to the NY Times http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/29/us/29prison.html
Incarceration rates are even higher for some groups. One in 36 adult Hispanic men is behind bars, based on Justice Department figures for 2006. One in 15 adult black men is, too, as is one in nine black men ages 20 to 34.
I’m not making it up, I”m only reporting it, someone else above opened the door to this.
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i have been looking into this fascintaing trial. I most likely think because catherine was such a beautiful girl, many men were attracted to her. That probably Paul jealous and wanting to kill her.
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I’ve followed this case through and through.
If you have any doubt go to: http://www.courttv.com/trials/cortez/docs/journala.htmlandRead his excerpts from his diary found under his bed. He was obsessed with her. He lived every day thinking of her obsessively. Thats why the band couldn’t deal with him anymore. He couldn’t focus on anything but her. He became very dillusional and reclusive. After you read his diary then you will know in your heart he did it.
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I’ve followed this case through and through.
If you have any doubt go to: http://www.courttv.com/trials/cortez/docs/journala.html
Read his excerpts from his diary found under his bed. He was obsessed with her. He lived every day thinking of her obsessively. Thats why the band couldn’t deal with him anymore. He couldn’t
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I lived down the block from the apartment.
I saw them as a couple on the Upper East Side, she was so nice and sweet and beautiful. He was a complete ass with a little man’s complex who walked with his chest puffed out and his curly hair looking ridiculous. They ate at a restaurant, and I overheard the waitress complaining about what a prick the guy was, and how beautiful she was. Later on I reported back to that waitress that this murder was that couple, and the waitress looked horrified as if she had seen it coming, but didn’t do anything about it. This was 2 months before she was murdered. Anyone who saw them for even a split second together could understand what a bad situation it was.
I say innocent until proven guilty in the case of the murder.
But, the world would have been better off if this guy had never been born.
Lock him up and throw away the key, regardless.
To this day, even as a stranger, the thought of such beauty taken away from the world by such trash, sticks with me.
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I saw this story on “48 Hours” and it really struck a chord with me. Catherine share the same name although mine is spelled differently, and she was an aspiring dancer who was trying to reach her dream by living in NYC. I’m an aspiring actress and want to live there one day. It’s just so awful that someone can do that to someone they say they “love”, as it is said there is a thin line between love and hate. I think he was jelous and obssesed with her, and because of his ego took away a beutiful talented girl.
Rest in Peace Catherine and my love and thoughts to her friends and family.
❤
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I can not help but to leave a comment, I too have reviewed this case on numerous occasions and in all honesty believe Paul Cortez did Not get a fair trial!! In all fairness the media has pegged him as a horrible killer however he was a talented young man, most fail to mention that? Yes Catherine was a beautiful girl, however she was also a Stripper, who lead a double life with 2 men and wasn’t as innocent as she looked, whenever you put yourself in this postion your pretty much setting yourself up for something bad to happen…Anyway I cannot help but wonder about the live in boyfriend, in his interview he seemed odd and closed off, and with his background he too seems to have some issues deeper than we will ever know? Just because someone calls 30 minutes before a murder doen’t make them guilty of a murder, He was in the area, thats not unusual is it ? The fingerprint under the blood to me is not guilt he was seeing her, was in the apartment before and that would be normal for a boyfriends print to be in the home? This to me is just a case of …put someone in jail, not justice, Paul deserves a fair trial and the right to defend his self…Also his journal, more or less poetry and songs that are not uncommon in todays society, just listen and read some on the web listen to rock lyrics? This is just a messed up case, and i am not just defending Paul, I feel sorry for the family and Catherine too…But it just doen’t add up?
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Kim, you fail to look at all the evidence, many women work at strip clubs to make ends meet. This does not mean that they are leading a double life, it does not mean they should be held as putting themselves in a position where they can have something bad happen to them. MANY people are gifted and talented but also many are screwed up in the head and immature as this fellow was. He killed her, let me say this again, HE KILLED HER. It adds up…
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Paul Cortez did it. He is a sick, lying, twisted soul. He was caught in lies for which he has no plausible explanation. In fact, in response to some of Erin Moriarty’s questions, he offers NO explanation. Remember, the guy is an experienced actor, but he could not come up with anything to explain the things that cannot be explained without admitting his guilt. People are convicted all the time in America on circumstantial evidence. Paul Cortez is guilty.
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I’ve read this case and saw the 48 hours mystery show on it and what strikes me as odd is that Paul didn’t call her after she was murdered, the police had phone records of clown calling her at all hours but not this night although he claims he was trying hard to reach her prior to her murder. Also from 6:30 PM til 10:30 AM all of Manhatten knew of this murder but him he didn’t find out until his mother told him which I find absurd, anyone who lives in NY can’t help but hear or see the news whether on TV on a newspaper, I mean he had to take the subway to work the next day I’m sure someone had a paper or even passing by one of the many newsstands that are located in Manhatten. He also lied to the police of his wherabouts and his band why he didn’t show up for practice ahich according to them was not like him. And after he was released he never once phoned or sent a card to the parents of Catherine while he was free and anyone who read the book knows he knew how to contact them. So that brings me to one conclusion “GUILTY”
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Kim, I couldn’t agree with you more. Im sure that once it goes to appeals he will be freed. I can’t say he is innocent but it cannot also be said 100% beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is guilty. I tend to think that this was another man she was sleeping with.
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After watching this case on TV and following up on the details of the trial; it saddens and sickens me to think of young Catherine’s life taken so short. I do feel in my gut that Paul had lied; I believe him to come from a loving family, he was also very intelligent yet lived this very dark, internal existence. Not every murderer wears black and looks creepy. Paul Cortez clearly wanted to be with her and when she rejected him he couldn’t handle it. While the evidence needed to have been tested further and the media i also think pegged Paul from the start; I do believe he thought he’d get away with it and that his killing her was essentially saving her. Such a sad, sad case. My heart goes out to Catherine and her family.
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All Of you need to relax and quickly!!!
I knew Catherine. I called her my Angel. the most amazing trusted human been i have ever known.i knew her relationship with the boyfriend. I knew how she met Paul and how scary his behavior got lately.
Who cares if he was talented like some people said??? how many stories have you heard of all kind of people who are killing in the name of religion or what ever they believe in. I could care less about this man since he murdered my friend in cold blood.
there were enough evidence in this case to prove him guilty. all of you who seems to have an “opinion” need to pretend she was your sister. Go educate yourself before writing any other silly things that make no sense. He wrote his diary and it was Cristal clear that he is a sick man.
This October 27th will be my friend 5 years for her murder. I hope we will have the death penalty in NYC one day.
I love you Catherine.
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How fast you people judge others. Racism is still present in the US, no matter we have a black president and all. Let me give you some facts for those ignorant fools out there.
Greatest killers in history, sociopaths. They have an extra Y chromosome on their genes and are 100% white males, charming, thouthful, even handsome and good looking with a perverted and twisted mind like Ted Bundy, remember him? With this I am refuting all the the ridiculous stories of hispanic men and their killing attitudes. I have never heard anything more stupid than this.I live in a hispanic country I was born from a hispanic father very sweet and charming indeed, white, spanish descent, well educated, I have know many hispanic men, none of them killers. Fact number one.The reason to why there are so many hispanic and blacks in jail for murder is only one thing=racism, lack of money to pay for a good lawyer and press condemnation before a trial.I don’t recall the name right now but it was on all the news a couple of years back. This black man was given life imprisionment 30 years ago for the rape and killing of a white beautiful girl. There were no DNA testing at the time. He was poor, black and happened to be on the wrong place at the wrong time.It just so happens that somebody decided to test the guys DNA with what was found on the body at the time of the crime, I am not sure if it was hair or something like that that they kept. Surprise! DNA was from somebody WHITE! The black guy had spent more than 20 years in jail for a crime he did not commited and I am sure all of you must have seen this on the news.I don’t live in the states and I saw it in cable tv news. My question for your statistics: How many of those blacks and hispanics are in jail for crimes comitted by whites and could not prove their innocence because racism and the press didn’t let them? I have never ever heard that a yoga could kill anybody. It is not in their nature. The poems, they didn’t read the nice ones of course. The guy is a heavy metal musician. Heavy metal lyrics all are about death, killings, suicides and dark things, why do you think heavy metal music is forbidden in some countries outside yours? The accusing part used this to prove he was guilty and that he planned this murder. The other guy, the good David, he also had the same feet size and had the same boots, why not check for blood on his boots? Weird he like rap music. Do you know that most hispanic women hate rap because its lyrics are very insulting toward women and treat them as whores? Rap music is the most insulting music for women, their lyrics don’t refer to girls as girls, they call the girls, bitch or cats and they talk about treating them hard and fu.. them for thats what they are good for. It is my humble opinion that this guy Paul probably was at the wrong place the wrong time and somebody else got away with crime.He deserves another trial. I am not convinced of his guilt, anybody with two ounces of brain that finds out his girlfriend was killed the same time he was calling her like crazy from downstairs is going to lie, yes is going to lie in fear of being wrongly accused, much more if you can’t prove with an alibi. What makes you think that instead of going to look for the car, David got out and went back again from the back door, killed Catherine and called the 911 afterwards? While the other, tired of calling and getting no answer left and called no more.There are so many questions that need answer that no conviction should have been made without first answering all of them.Think about it.
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Do not blame the music. I am sick of hearing that argument. I listen to heavy metal. In fact, at times, I listen to death metal. But I have never nor will I ever kill anyone. So stop. In the USA, that argument has been used and even lawsuits done over it. And those lawsuits failed. Like against Judas Priest. We have freedom of speech here, and no one is forced to listen to music that offends them. You say that all heavy metal lyrics are about dark things? You know nothing about heavy metal then. Because that statement is flat out false. Some are about social issues (Look at Megadeth’s Family Tree), a lot about sex, a lot about partying and having fun. Stop generalizing about these things!
This murder has nothing to do with race. I am tired of hearing that her killer could not have murdered her because it is racist to think that. He was convicted of murdering her. The evidence leads to that. I believe he killed her and it had NOTHING to do with race. And guess what? People of ALL races kill people, including Hispanics. You want to name names? What about serial killers Richard Ramierez, Juan Corona, Adolfo Constanzo, Juan Diaz and there are others! Wow, there is a serial killer working in Juarez killing the women there. So do not insult us by trying to say that Hispanics could not kill. That is racism on YOUR part.
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Anyone that sticks up for Paul is sick. im not saying that she is some innocent girl , but u tell me, even if she had a douuble life, did she deserve to have her life taken away from her? and plus theres enough evidence,.
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Whether or not Paul is guilty is really irrelevant. What is relevant is that he did not get a fair trial, even by the least of standards. Give him a fair trial, with competant representation, and let the legal system determine the truth. That is what is at issue in this case.
The above link is no longer valid as Court TV is now TruTV. Does anyone have access to any legitimate evidence or court transcripts?
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Anyone who still defends this guy despite overwhelming circumstantial evidence is the true racist. It is too much like the OJ case.
Yes, Paul Cortez will get off IF and only IF the next jury is a jury of his “peers,” i.e., people who are considered minorities in this country.
I guess I am racist to an extent for those exact reasons: that these so-called minorities are defending a heinous, evildoer like Cortez who has already been convicted (hello!) based on:
1. He was standing right outside her apartment just prior to the murder and had, in fact, placed several calls to her at that time.
2. In the small window of time that David Haugh left to get his car (20 min. at most), Cortez just happened to be right outside Catherine’s apartment and, what do you know? In that same 20 minutes Catherine was murdered.
3. Cortez the Murderer was caught on surveillance video that same day wearing shoes that bore the EXACT footprint of the one left in blood at the murder scene. Oh, that just has to be a coincidence, too? Right down to the same size shoe??
On another matter, RE: “Forgotten Victims,” in which certain statements made therein by the author may be considered racist due to the author correlating Hispanics with acts of violence:
This is not to defend Cortez, but technically, Hispanics can be Black Hispanic or they can be Caucasian Hispanics. Obviously, Paul Cortez is the latter, i.e., a Caucasian (Hispanic) male who just happens to be a convicted murderer, too.
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I think that some of you need to get a wakeup call, racism can be against any race, NOT JUST BLACKS AND HISPANICS, you can be racist against white people too. Cortez was guilty, unless anyone camn somehow explain any reason he might have to lie about where he was that night? And how he just coincidentally of course stopped calling Catherine after he killed her? he did kill her, you know. he is a blood thirsty, terrible creep and he deserves to rot and burn eternally in the fiery pits of Hades. he got a fair trial, it’s completely obvious he got a fair trial. if it was unfair he would have gotten off the hook, which he didn’t, now did he? And i feel like throwing up when i see that some of you DEFEND a murderer when the family of Catherine is mourning, it sickens me. I suppose none of you care about that, do you? You just want your “justice’ which consists of babying blacks and Hispanics and making excuses for them. i don’t think they are any less important that whites, but they are certainly not MORE important. We are equal. Which means that if a Hispanic guy kills somebody, he gets punished just as badly as if he was a white person. Which i believe he is, so there is no racism.
My heart goes out to you, Catherine
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I have watched “Death of a Dream” multiple times now, most recently last night and I always thought he was guilty beyond a shadow of a reasonable doubt until last night. I don’t know why but something is off. I can’t say he’s innocent but also can’t say he’s guilty and no matter what he definitely didn’t get a fair trial.
4 things that stick out to me are:
1. Where was he at the time of the murder?
2. The phone calls…why did they just stop? And also I read some reports that stated he called during the time of the murder. Which is it?
3. Why are there no boot prints leading out of the apt? Why were the blonde hairs tested that were found stuck to her bloody fingers along with the DNA under her nails?
And then this is the one that kills me:
4. Whoever did this, how did they walk away from there with no blood on them? That crime scene was blood-soaked. How could nobody have noticed them? Where are the clothes? Weapon? I just don’t understand whether it was Paul or not, where are the blood-soaked clothes? It’s baffling.
He does he looks good for the crime but I still wonder…
Was the boyfriend thoroughly investigated?
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Simone,
Yes, the boyfriend was thoroughly investigated.
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Is it true some of the jurors have changed their mind since they convicted him?
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I find it disturbing that you act like an expert in this case. Are you friends of the police who investigated this crime? Do you have the police records that are private and unable to be read by the public? How is it that you claim to know that David Haughn was fully investigated? There was never a blood splatter expert called into this case to investigate the blood on David’s clothing. There was never any analyzation done. David claimed to have had unprotected sex with her within minutes of the murder but absolutely no semen was found on the victim…so many things David claims don’t seem to add up. Also, maybe you should take another listen to David’s very disturbing 911 call. If you were to walk in and find your girlfriend bleeding all over the place nearly decapitated would you not scream? Cry? Try to see if she is ok? How was it that David knew that the person who had committed the murder was wearing boots? Did you look at the crime scene photos? How did he possibly KNOW that those were boot prints? Kind of odd that he would say the type of shoe as opposed to saying someone was on the bed? Why were there ONLY bloody boot prints leading into the apartment and NONE leading out? David’s own statement to the police placed him in the apartment during the time of the murder. Why was their not ONE single print of anyone’s found in the apartment other then ONE of Paul Cortez’s on the third sweep of the apartment? David and Catherine were living there and they did not have one of their own prints anywhere? The fingerprint found at the scene of the crime was a latent fingerprint that was only found after several police sweeps of the apartment when they applied chemicals to the print. No expert was called on this point. If an expert had been called, the expert would have explained to the jury that such a latent fingerprint exists underneath the blood, not on top of it. More specifically, the print that everyone calls “the bloody fingerprint” is an old print had blood splatter on top of it at the time of the murder.
I do not see how Paul Cortez was able to sneak into the apartment without the surveillance cameras detecting him, entering the apartment, murdering Catherine Woods in such a gruesome way without getting any cuts on himself, cleaning up in the apartment and somehow changing his clothes so as to not have any blood on him, running out again avoiding the cameras, not being seen by anyone on an incredibly busy NYC intersection (86th Street & 1st Avenue), running ten blocks uptown without anyone noticing him, and then stopping to call some clients to schedule work appointments all within a 14-minute span. I am sorry, but I cannot accept that justice has been served. I find it terrifying that you could rationalize this decision!
The case against Paul is full of holes. There is not nearly enough evidence for a conviction – and that is justice denied. Do you realize there are text messages between Catherine and Paul that prove the loving nature of their relationship – but they were not allowed to be presented in the trial. Catherine wrote to Paul the day of the murder saying….”I Love You” . (more then once) There was plenty of evidence not admitted into court! Maybe things would have been different had Paul’s defense lawyers not skipped so much of the trial! (That alone indicates shamefully inadequate representation and grounds for a re-trial.)
Furthermore, that so much pro-prosecution information was leaked to the media through “anonymous sources” is troubling, and suggests that one or more people on the prosecution team were anxious to satisfy a media and public hungry for an answer – or, more to the point, a conviction.
I don’t see how anyone looking at this trial could conclude that it was even close to fair. That skepticism seems to be shared by a growing number of legal experts, journalists, and people who read the book you recommend, “Death of a Dream.”
I also don’t see how anyone could be opposed to an appeal, during which all these relevant questions could be looked into, and the evidence, testimony, timeline, and motive could be examined with due diligence, albeit long after the fact.
If you’re sure Paul did it, why are you so seemingly afraid of a more thorough trial, in which the defendant has adequate counsel?
Finally, there is this cogent and relevant remark by lawyer Sal Osio, writing in the Hispanic Vista: “The legal doctrine of absolute immunity, codified into law universally, grants criminal prosecutors and judges total protection from legal accountability of any kind, regardless of the maliciousness and willfulness of their conduct, in the course of their discharge of their function as prosecutor or judge. The victims of their intentional fabrications, withholding or concealment of evidence, prosecutorial misconduct, lies, procurement of perjured testimony and outright misconduct during the prosecution and trial of a defendant, have no recourse.” That to me, is a crime. And I know it occurs. The only redress for the victim is a new trial (ideally with a new prosecutor).
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I’m not convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that Cortez is guilty.
There are definitely things that make him look good for the crime but the fact that the blonde hairs found in her bloody hands were NOT hers or Paul’s yet never tested to down to the the nitty gritty DNA is crazy.
The fingerprint to me is moot since it was a latent fingerprint.
The fact that he was never arrested for her murder and was convicted of it is also another baffling thing.
Neither David nor Paul had any cuts or bruises on their hands or bodies. Someone did this within 15 minutes and just walked away lickety-split.
Nobody saw anything or anyone with blood on them, which by juding by the crime scene, is completely nuts.
There is too much open-endedness with this case and because of that, as someone on the jury, I wouldn’t have been able to convict.
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Perhaps a neighbor?
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Catherine is my cousin
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Wow… Whats her birthdate?! if you have
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I remember seeing this story on TV and was reminded of her story after a conversation and promptly looked up info on her to see if anyone was ever convicted for her murder and am very glad to see there was. My question is – anyone have a birth date for Catherine? I’m building a website listing birth dates of famous and infamous people and am including people like Catherine so they will never be forgotten.
I agree that forgotten victims website is incredibly racist but it does provide a lot of information.
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@mylifeofcrime:
Maybe David or somebody else with blond hair — like the hair found in her hands, which can be seen 2 minutes and 35 seconds into the Sept. 13, 2009, video posted on http://www.freepaulcortez.org/ — was with her at the moment Paul was calling and that blond person (whose hair remained in her hands) got jealous and killed her. The fact that no tests were run on the DNA under her fingernails and the hair in her hands suggests that Paul should get another trial. I don’t know if he’s innocent, but that alone suggests there is reasonable doubt.
You stated that the boyfriend had been thoroughly investigated, but, until such tests are conducted on the hair and DNA under her fingernails, I don’t see how you can make that claim.
Also, your response to Ian on August 1, 2008,
at 11:31 pm is less than adequate. The site has more accurate information than the site you are using for a source and less racism. (I don’t think you should remove the link however).
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@johm
After checking out http://www.dontfreepaulcortez.org, I have to say that I’m not impressed. There are not many facts on that site.
You have to keep in mind that there are a number of people who are freed after being wrongfully convicted. At the very least, they should open the case again and run tests on the hair and DNA under her fingernails. That blond hair could be David’s or one of the guys she met as a stripper.
@Aaron Escall
1. I’ve called friends when I was on my way and outside. Why didn’t the video camera catch him?
2. Really?! In 20 minutes he went up there and killed her? She didn’t answer his calls and lives with another boy, and he went up there anyway? He killed her, got cleaned up, and met someone in 20 minutes? Maybe she didn’t answer because she was already dead, and David was cleaning himself up. After all, David has blond hair like that found in her hands along with other signs of a struggle. Or maybe it was some other blond stalking her from the strip club she worked at.
3. When it comes to the shoes, the coincidence is that Paul and David both had 10 1/2 shoes like that. Also, the shoes prints never left the apartment.
So far as you being a racist, well, you said it, but don’t feel bad there is a lot of racism on here and certainly on the site forgottenvictims. Maybe just create a website that has ALL “hate crimes” and then nobody is “forgotten” and you don’t have to show the racist prism from which you view the world.
@all
It’s certainly a tragedy that Catherine Woods was killed. It’s a bigger tragedy if the wrong person is in prison while the killer is free — Catherine deserved better. A new trial can assure that the right person is in prison.
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I really the author of this blog would have responded to my questions.
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dani,
I am the author of this blog and you must not really follow my entire blog. If you did, you would know that I was hit by a car about 3 months ago and am still recovering. I am very behind in my blog. I am also out of working and searching for a job. I do not currently have much time for my blog, especially for long comments. I am still having trouble with my vision from the accident and will not even try to read long comments. Most of them do not even get approved lately. But to answer the first question on your comment, no, I am not friends with anyone involved with this case. No one. I do not even live in NY. Nor do I claim to be an expert in the case. My opinion is my own and your opinion is your own and you have your right to it. However, I will not be reading the rest of your comment at this moment. It is not personal, nor does it have anything to do with content. I has to do with blurry vision and not being able to concentrate at this time. I can’t even read a book, which is something I normally love to do. So, I am sorry.
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I am terribly sorry for your pain. I wish you the best and hope you make a full recovery. As you must know, when ones life has or is falling apart….it is hard to have people adding to your destruction or kicking you further when you are fighting with all your will to get back up. So I hope only the best for you and will send good thoughts your way.
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Anyone have a Birth Date for Catherine? I’m sorry to hear of the loss, very. No one deserves to feel or be a victim in any situation.
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u can’t just BE under the assumption that she was aware that Paul was even hispanic. I’d like to consider my self a part of life not one that supports or creates it but I have a free thoughts that I deserve to have. Maybe she had no reason to consider that he has some other religion or beliefs that doesn’t agree with her own. u think a little kid who grows up believing their going to be a dancer for the rest of their life has the motion to consider that they should put “faith” into others reality. Maybe she just likes staying in shape and looking to her own standards. At the time I would not care who told me what, I like to dance…. let people be free. But don’t iterrogate their happiness. How about some more information such as, what kind of arguments, are to be explained of what Catherine and whom ever she was with at the time had. youre saying something but not everything. I want to know a lot about this person. u know words are different to all people, maybe she grew up knowing “bad” words or maybe she liked to dance for some reason. One thing I know is for “females” who like to look “good” life is a lot easier. Which in my view is better than feeling like you like to look mess, cuz u have no need to hide anything, either way. All I’m trying to say here is .. more details please. Lets put some kind of picture on what we feels about . Read the meaning of “different” for to get some kind of clue.
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[…] Catherine Woods Murder […]
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@Simon
1. Where was he at the time of the murder?
David – in the apartment committing homicide
Paul – Starbucks, as cell tower pings show on 84th st; contrast to David’s 6:47pm call to her phone that was picked up via the cell tower on E 86th St; time of attack approx 6:20pm; Paul calls her at 6:33pm from Starbucks over a block away; To suspect Paul because he was “in the area” (the same one in which he also worked, hung out at a sports bar, and the coffee shop he’d usually meet Catherine at) validated by cell tower pings that come from nearly 2 blocks away then you must apply the same suspicions to David’s 6:47pm call that were pinged from the tower on the street where they lived. Had Paul called at 6:33 from their apartment, it would’ve registered from the same place David’s call registered. Can’t have it both ways.
2. The phone calls…why did they just stop?
Because Catherine had already told Paul they couldn’t hook up and she was getting ready to work (7pm) and given her line of work, hanging out talking to boyfriends wasn’t permitted; he stopped calling after he spoke to her in the 5pm hour. The 6:33pm call didn’t connect, and lasted about a second.
And also I read some reports that stated he called during the time of the murder. Which is it?
The estimated time of the attack’s onset was put about 6:20pm. Given the length of the struggle and the nature of the attack, the 6:33pm call would’ve very likely occurred during the attack.
3. Why are there no boot prints leading out of the apt?
Given the ridiculously inept investigation laced with tunnel vision and letting the media do its thinking for them, we may never know.
Given the timeline and actual probable scenario, the evidence could’ve been removed from the premises entirely before the 911 call, or hidden in a vent, floorboard, crawlspace, attic space, or the manner of attack did not lend itself to hosing down the attacker. Or, the murderer cleaned up the print evidence and the crime scene people simply failed to look or notice.
If David Haughn wasn’t her killer, the police should’ve been looking for suspects from residents of the building because only someone with the same level access to the building and apartment as David Haughn could have murdered her. Also note, someone deliberately let the black lab David was sitting out of the apartment, out of the building, and out of the gate onto the street. Brad returned the dog and put it in the building. The dogs were barking during the attack, the lab was back inside for that. Someone let the dog out in advance. That someone was either David Haugn, Catherine herself, or someone who lived in the building and could access all three exits.
Why were the blonde hairs tested that were found stuck to her bloody fingers along with the DNA under her nails?
I assume you mean why weren’t they tested. They weren’t tested because investigators had tunnel vision and no clue how to properly conduct a murder investigation.
And then this is the one that kills me:
4. Whoever did this, how did they walk away from there with no blood on them?
They didn’t. They would’ve cleaned up, they would’ve had to. And had time to do it. That could only be David Haughn or someone who lived in the building, if not the same floor.
That crime scene was blood-soaked. How could nobody have noticed them? Where are the clothes? Weapon? I just don’t understand whether it was Paul or not, where are the blood-soaked clothes? It’s baffling.
It couldn’t possibly have been Paul even if he was sitting outside the building on the curb. He didn’t just have the locked front gate, he still had the building door and the apartment door. WE know after the fact the door was unlocked. The killer wouldn’t have any way to know the security status of two doors and a gate without advanced planning. Paul spent the day with another woman, called her at 6pm to chat and apologize, an hung out in Starbucks reading a book she gave him, all of which were confirmed. He wasn’t planning a murder. He also had no way to know about the black lab that would’ve been another obstacle.
He does he looks good for the crime but I still wonder…
Well, the way it works is evidence needs to look good and point somewhere specific. How someone looks is what ends up with the wrong people in prison and the right ones tripping at how easily they got away with it.
Was the boyfriend thoroughly investigated?
Not at all. He named Paul as “kinda stalking her” and that was the last of their concern with the light colored short haired room mate with ample time, motive, and opportunity…
See a 2011 updated timeline at Alpha Darling .com
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Stacey,
For your #1, what SPECIFIC evidence do you have that David was committing the homicide?
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After watching the Jodi Arias trial, I reached back into my book collection and re-read portions of this case. There seems to be quite a few similarities between the crimes. Jodi admitted killing Travis. Paul doesn’t. The one thing that stands out is the obsessive behaviors that they both convicted felons have and how their victims were not aware of the red flags as we all can clearly see. The nature of the crime speaks volumes to me. This was clearly a crime of passion, jealousy, and rage. Paul wanted Catherine to suffer for all the hurt he felt from losing in love. He must have been determined to be with her forever. I believe she finally told him she was done with him. She didn’t go to his family Thanksgiving dinner, meet him for cafe, return his calls, short on the phone with him ( I believe she was telling him to leave her alone………that she was through with him). When he saw David, he literally did snap and went up to her apartment to kill her. Nothing says hate like love lost.
I don’t put a lot of stock in the hairs found in her hand or body. After all she was bloody and lying face down on the hardwood floor. There could have been many hairs on the floor from anyone that was in that apartment over the past. Do we know when the last time that apartment was clean? Even the defense said it wasn’t so clean. Any hairs that are on the floor are going to stick to her body. As far as anyone seeing someone covered in blood leave the apartment? Well, that is the key. Nobody saw ANYONE leave. We know Paul was in the neighborhood. No, that doesn’t make him guilty, but that bloody fingerprint does. It puts him inside the apartment. It was latent, yes. But it showed up with amido black dye which tells me that the protein in blood ( hemoglobin) was on the finger at the time the print was made. Just not enough blood to make it visible to the naked eye………….but in any event, it was there. It wasn’t a fingerprint produced before the murder because there is no blood on top of it. The blood would have appeared inside the grooved ridges; this is not the case. it is on the ridges of the print. The shoes in the video are subjective. It could be boots or something else. What I do find telling is that the shoes in the video are definitely NOT the shoes he presented to the jury as being the ones worn that particular day. The heel thickness is apparent to anyone in parts of the clip. He lied to the jury in my opinion.
I know this is long, but just wanted to add my opinion. I do not believe he will ever get out of prison because the bloody fingerprint can’t be refuted.
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What was the name of the show that this appeared on? It was Investigation Discovery but can’t recall the name of the series it was on and it driving me nuts. It happens to be on Oxygen tonight and I remember this from several years ago.
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It is listed above.
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