The Witness the Jury Never Heard

The defense wanted to call a woman who had been in jail with another inmate. That inmate, she was prepared to testify, had told her that her own boyfriend killed Michelle Mitchell. Outside the jury's presence, the boyfriend denied it. The inmate refused to testify without immunity, and prosecutors refused to grant it. The judge ruled the account untrustworthy and kept it out. On December 11, 1980, Woods was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole.