Shraman Mitra
It is not possible to put into words the grief that comes with losing one’s parents. Unfortunately, Charla Woodruff had to endure such a heartbreaking experience in October 2005, when her parents, Dennis and Norma Woodruff, were found murdered inside their home. ABC’s ’20/20: Night Terror’ as well as ’20/20: Double Life Double Murder’ take the viewer through the horrifying murder and portrays how the incident affected the members of the Woodruff family.
Charla Woodruff Was Shattered Over Her Parents’ Demise
Charla Woodruff is the eldest of the Woodruff children, who grew up alongside her younger brother, Brandon. At the time of Dennis and Norma’s murder, Charla had been attending university and living away from home. However, she was the first person who raised the alarm after failing to get in touch with her parents over a call late at night on October 16, 2005. After being unable to contact her parents, Charla informed other relatives, who also couldn’t get hold of the couple. The police were sent over for a welfare check the following day, but they decided against forcing their way in after no one answered the door.
Finally, upon the request of a relative, Todd Williams, a family friend, went to check in on Dennis and Norma. He forced his way inside the home and discovered the gruesome murder scene. When the police arrived, they found Norma and Dennis sitting beside each other on the couch and declared them dead. Moreover, an autopsy revealed that Dennis was stabbed nine times before being shot in the face, while Norma suffered five bullet wounds and a stab wound across the neck. A blood trail led straight from the couch to the bathroom, indicating that the killer had washed up before exiting the house.
Furthermore, there was no sign of a forced entry, and only the victims’ wallets were found to be missing. However, authorities did not discover bullet casings or a murder weapon that would provide them with an early lead. The police turned their attention toward Brandon early into the investigation after learning that he was the last person to see Norma and Dennis alive. Although Brandon insisted on his innocence and claimed that he left after sharing a pizza with his parents, the police kept investigating his whereabouts on the night of the murder.
According to the show, authorities found discrepancies in his statement and believed that he was not entirely honest about the timeline of his whereabouts on the night of October 16, 2005. Moreover, in 2008, Norma’s sister found a knife among the family’s possessions at the Woodruff’s previous residence; it had Dennis’ blood on it. Considering it to be a murder weapon, the detectives built a case against Brandon and were hopeful of a conviction.
Charla Woodruff Leads a Quiet Life Today
Unfortunately, once detectives began suspecting Brandon of murder, it drove a wedge between the Woodruff family as they had different opinions. Charla followed the police investigation and believed her brother was responsible for the killings. Moreover, when Brandon was arrested and produced in court, Charla testified against him at his trial and even delivered a victim impact statement at the end. Ultimately, the jury did find Brandon guilty of capital murder, and he was sentenced to life without parole in 2009.
Since then, Charla has embraced privacy and did not appear on the ’20/20′ episode. However, back in 2014, she agreed to appear in an interview with Investigation Discovery, through which she shared her story with the world. Although Charla prefers to keep her present whereabouts under wraps, she mentioned how she forces herself to keep living even after the tragedy.
Having said that, it is unfortunate that the families of Dennis and Norma remain broken as some members are convinced of Brandon’s innocence and are determined to free him from prison. Still, we wish Charla the very best and hope she gets to experience a brighter and more peaceful future in the coming years.
Read More: Where is Bonnie Woodruff Now?
