1 00:00:04,840 --> 00:00:07,840 Speaker 1: In October of two thousand and five, nineteen year old 2 00:00:07,880 --> 00:00:11,560 Speaker 1: Brandon Woodroff was home from college visiting his parents. They 3 00:00:11,560 --> 00:00:15,000 Speaker 1: had just moved to a new home in Royce City, Texas. 4 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:18,120 Speaker 1: Brandon helped them around the house, and then the family 5 00:00:18,160 --> 00:00:21,080 Speaker 1: sat down to a pizza dinner. In almost every way, 6 00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:23,520 Speaker 1: it was a normal Sunday night for the Woodroffs. 7 00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:29,440 Speaker 2: Everything just seemed to be ordinary. I mean, if I 8 00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:31,440 Speaker 2: you know, if somebody were to tell me, well it 9 00:00:31,520 --> 00:00:33,480 Speaker 2: was there one thing that was strange, was there one 10 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:35,839 Speaker 2: thing that was odd? And I can't pinpoint anything. It 11 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:39,440 Speaker 2: was just a normal weekend. None of this what ended 12 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:41,800 Speaker 2: up happening was even I mean, I couldn't even have 13 00:00:41,840 --> 00:00:43,320 Speaker 2: thought that would have happened. 14 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:48,159 Speaker 1: Two days later, Brandon's parents were found brutally murdered. In 15 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:50,920 Speaker 1: the days that followed, Brandon was doing his best to 16 00:00:50,960 --> 00:00:54,760 Speaker 1: try and help investigators find out who had killed them. 17 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:56,680 Speaker 2: And then they just flipped the whole table and they 18 00:00:56,680 --> 00:00:59,040 Speaker 2: were like, well we really think that you murdered your parents. 19 00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:04,040 Speaker 2: My name is Brendon del Woodriff. I'm thirty six years 20 00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:06,880 Speaker 2: old from Rockwall, Texas, and I've been wrongly convicted for 21 00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:07,959 Speaker 2: seventeen years. 22 00:01:10,520 --> 00:01:13,600 Speaker 1: From LoVa for good. This is wrongful conviction with Maggie 23 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:36,360 Speaker 1: Freeling today. Brandon Woodruff Brendan Woodruff was born September sixth, 24 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:40,600 Speaker 1: nineteen eighty six, in Rockwall, Texas, to Dennis and Norma Woodruff. 25 00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:43,880 Speaker 1: Brendan and his sister, Charla are eighteen months apart. 26 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:46,480 Speaker 3: He was a baby. Other family. 27 00:01:47,160 --> 00:01:49,400 Speaker 1: This is Brendan's grandma, Bonnie. 28 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:54,160 Speaker 3: Brandon was always a happy child. He just he loved everyone. 29 00:01:54,320 --> 00:01:59,080 Speaker 3: He was always happy singing when he's a little boy smiling. 30 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:03,560 Speaker 1: Brandon describes life growing up as idyllic. 31 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:07,440 Speaker 2: We had two wonderful parents. They kind of spoiled us 32 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:09,360 Speaker 2: a whole lot, he says. 33 00:02:09,400 --> 00:02:12,120 Speaker 1: The family was always on the go and participating in 34 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:16,800 Speaker 1: community events. Charlie was a dancer and had recitals and shows, 35 00:02:17,160 --> 00:02:21,760 Speaker 1: and Brandon embraced the country life. The Wooddrifts lived on 36 00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:23,959 Speaker 1: a farm in the town of Heath, just a few 37 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:25,160 Speaker 1: miles south of Rockwall. 38 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:28,679 Speaker 2: Kind of a small town. It's really like close knit. 39 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:32,840 Speaker 1: And Brandon was involved in the youth agricultural organizations Four 40 00:02:32,919 --> 00:02:36,200 Speaker 1: Age and Future Farmers of America. 41 00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:39,720 Speaker 2: My mom gave me this passion for horses, and so 42 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:42,120 Speaker 2: my mom was really there to you know, kind of 43 00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:44,200 Speaker 2: inspire me and teach me things with the horses, with 44 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 2: the cattle. Like she was a blue Jean kind of woman. 45 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:51,960 Speaker 2: Most moms like cook when my dad cooked, and my 46 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:55,520 Speaker 2: mom was out there hauling hay like a hard working guy. 47 00:02:56,120 --> 00:02:58,080 Speaker 2: And you know, she would go out there with a 48 00:02:58,080 --> 00:03:01,480 Speaker 2: postal digger and you know, go dig to put a 49 00:03:01,520 --> 00:03:05,240 Speaker 2: post and build a fence. Yeah, she was definitely like 50 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:06,720 Speaker 2: one of the strongest women I've known. 51 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:10,600 Speaker 1: Brendan says he and his mom raised livestock to show 52 00:03:10,639 --> 00:03:12,880 Speaker 1: and sell at markets in the surrounding cities. 53 00:03:14,080 --> 00:03:17,560 Speaker 2: We would basically get a young count and you basically 54 00:03:17,680 --> 00:03:20,080 Speaker 2: raise them up since so maybe you halter train them, 55 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:22,320 Speaker 2: which can be hectic. And then I didn't really want 56 00:03:22,320 --> 00:03:24,000 Speaker 2: to do the market steers because then you'd have to 57 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:26,079 Speaker 2: sell them to butcher and I really didn't want to butcher. 58 00:03:25,960 --> 00:03:29,960 Speaker 1: My animals, so Brandon would show them instead, traveling to 59 00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:31,720 Speaker 1: fairs all over Texas. 60 00:03:32,919 --> 00:03:35,880 Speaker 2: So it's a lot of hours and three o'clock in 61 00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:39,920 Speaker 2: the morning drive times to Wago, Texas and Abilene and 62 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:42,480 Speaker 2: for war stock show and all different types of rodeo 63 00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:43,080 Speaker 2: and fairs. 64 00:03:43,280 --> 00:03:48,080 Speaker 1: So that is a life. I know nothing, but it 65 00:03:48,120 --> 00:03:55,440 Speaker 1: sounds pretty cool. Brandon loved this life, especially being around horses. 66 00:03:55,960 --> 00:03:57,840 Speaker 2: Really, I kind of wanted to be a horse trainer, 67 00:03:57,920 --> 00:04:00,800 Speaker 2: Like I really have this huge horse bug. My mom 68 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:04,480 Speaker 2: volunteered at a therapeutic writing center called Equests for like 69 00:04:04,520 --> 00:04:07,600 Speaker 2: disabled kids and kids with like autism and stuff, and 70 00:04:07,680 --> 00:04:09,680 Speaker 2: so she used to take me out there to volunteer. 71 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:11,760 Speaker 2: You know, it kind of opened my eyes to the 72 00:04:11,800 --> 00:04:14,800 Speaker 2: world is a little bit different than in your perfect 73 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:17,000 Speaker 2: little neighborhoods. 74 00:04:18,080 --> 00:04:20,880 Speaker 1: Brandon was also really close with his father. He says 75 00:04:20,880 --> 00:04:22,880 Speaker 1: his dad was really funny, Like. 76 00:04:22,839 --> 00:04:25,720 Speaker 2: He was kind of embarrassingly funny, Like he was a 77 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:27,960 Speaker 2: class clown like I was, kind of. He would just 78 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:30,760 Speaker 2: make everybody laugh, and I would have friends come over, 79 00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:33,880 Speaker 2: and he had blared Tina Turner's Proud Mary, like at 80 00:04:33,960 --> 00:04:36,000 Speaker 2: eight o'clock in the morning. He would go get donuts, 81 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:37,800 Speaker 2: and I would come out and he'd be in the 82 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:40,520 Speaker 2: room dancing to Proud Mary, and I've got my friends over, 83 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:42,200 Speaker 2: and I'd be like, Dad, are you crazy. 84 00:04:44,920 --> 00:04:48,119 Speaker 1: One time, Brandon remembers he broke both his legs falling 85 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:50,880 Speaker 1: off a horse. For the first two months of recovery, 86 00:04:51,040 --> 00:04:55,120 Speaker 1: he was bedridden and his dad was totally there for him. 87 00:04:55,080 --> 00:04:57,960 Speaker 2: And so I had a toilet next to my bed, 88 00:04:58,480 --> 00:05:01,160 Speaker 2: and I remember when I had to use the toilet, 89 00:05:01,360 --> 00:05:03,360 Speaker 2: it was so embarrassing for me. You know, I'm already 90 00:05:03,360 --> 00:05:06,120 Speaker 2: a teenager and I'm having to scoot onto this plastic 91 00:05:06,160 --> 00:05:09,159 Speaker 2: toilet to use the bathroom. And my dad literally took 92 00:05:09,200 --> 00:05:12,080 Speaker 2: off work so he could be there. So anytime that, 93 00:05:12,240 --> 00:05:15,159 Speaker 2: like I needed him, I could just say hey, Dad, 94 00:05:15,200 --> 00:05:16,200 Speaker 2: you know, and he would come in there and he 95 00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:19,640 Speaker 2: would claim the whole toilet, like, no questions asked, no embarrassment, 96 00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:20,440 Speaker 2: no belittle. 97 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:27,960 Speaker 1: Mint Brandon says there was a lot of love in 98 00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:32,680 Speaker 1: the Woodroff household, but internally he was struggling. It started 99 00:05:32,720 --> 00:05:35,760 Speaker 1: around his high school years in the early two thousands. 100 00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:40,640 Speaker 2: I basically started to like maybe exploring my sexuality. 101 00:05:40,760 --> 00:05:43,800 Speaker 1: He had a girlfriend, Morgan, who he really loved, but 102 00:05:43,880 --> 00:05:47,040 Speaker 1: he also had thoughts and feelings about boys. 103 00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:50,000 Speaker 2: Coming from a close knit town, there wasn't too many 104 00:05:50,120 --> 00:05:52,960 Speaker 2: quote unquote gay kids at school. I think we maybe 105 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:55,400 Speaker 2: had like one or two, and you know, I was embarrassed, 106 00:05:55,400 --> 00:05:56,919 Speaker 2: I am to say it now, you know. I was 107 00:05:56,960 --> 00:05:58,680 Speaker 2: kind of along with the group that kind of made 108 00:05:58,680 --> 00:05:59,240 Speaker 2: fun of them. 109 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:02,800 Speaker 1: So in his world of Rockwall, Texas. Brandon kept his 110 00:06:02,839 --> 00:06:05,080 Speaker 1: attraction to boys to himself. 111 00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:08,279 Speaker 2: You know, to my friends that I showed cattle and 112 00:06:08,320 --> 00:06:11,200 Speaker 2: horses with. I knew that they'd probably not understand, and 113 00:06:11,400 --> 00:06:14,239 Speaker 2: especially the re action to gay people in my small town. 114 00:06:15,720 --> 00:06:17,800 Speaker 2: You know, they were just kind of like ostracized a 115 00:06:17,839 --> 00:06:19,800 Speaker 2: little bit. Like I said, there was maybe only two 116 00:06:20,000 --> 00:06:22,440 Speaker 2: in my public high school, and I think both of 117 00:06:22,520 --> 00:06:24,480 Speaker 2: them went to alternative school by the end of their 118 00:06:24,560 --> 00:06:27,520 Speaker 2: senior year because it would just got too much. I mean, 119 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:33,440 Speaker 2: the people call them names, stuff like that. I really 120 00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:37,520 Speaker 2: didn't see like of the LGBT community in my neighborhood. 121 00:06:37,560 --> 00:06:40,200 Speaker 2: You know, we definitely didn't have no Pride month. We 122 00:06:40,279 --> 00:06:42,560 Speaker 2: definitely didn't have no pride parades. We didn't have none 123 00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:44,839 Speaker 2: of that. So I would actually have to drive into Dallas, 124 00:06:44,880 --> 00:06:47,760 Speaker 2: which was about thirty five minutes away to go experience 125 00:06:47,839 --> 00:06:52,800 Speaker 2: any of that stuff. What I would do is I 126 00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:55,120 Speaker 2: would kind of go out on the weekends. I'd visit 127 00:06:55,200 --> 00:06:58,600 Speaker 2: like a gay club. I visited a couple of gay bars. 128 00:07:00,279 --> 00:07:03,000 Speaker 1: Would also go online in chat rooms and MySpace groups 129 00:07:03,040 --> 00:07:05,400 Speaker 1: for gay men. He says life went on like that 130 00:07:05,680 --> 00:07:06,239 Speaker 1: for a while. 131 00:07:07,520 --> 00:07:09,159 Speaker 2: I thought my private world was going to be my 132 00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:13,360 Speaker 2: private world. Probably like mid Lake senior year in two 133 00:07:13,400 --> 00:07:16,320 Speaker 2: thousand and five, I really started getting to where I 134 00:07:16,360 --> 00:07:19,000 Speaker 2: really kind of just did a care. It wasn't like 135 00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:21,600 Speaker 2: I was advertising my sexuality. I wasn't jumping up and 136 00:07:21,640 --> 00:07:24,800 Speaker 2: down with a rainbow flag. But I wasn't hiding it 137 00:07:24,840 --> 00:07:27,120 Speaker 2: at so much because I was going in public places. 138 00:07:27,240 --> 00:07:29,080 Speaker 2: I was having you know, boyfriends. 139 00:07:29,600 --> 00:07:31,520 Speaker 1: Then one night, when Brandon was on his way out, 140 00:07:31,800 --> 00:07:33,560 Speaker 1: his dad asked him the name of the club he 141 00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:34,120 Speaker 1: was going to. 142 00:07:35,240 --> 00:07:36,600 Speaker 2: I really didn't want to tell him that it was 143 00:07:36,600 --> 00:07:38,640 Speaker 2: a gay club, so I just said a club's name 144 00:07:38,680 --> 00:07:40,320 Speaker 2: on the radio that we had heard, you know, like 145 00:07:40,480 --> 00:07:43,880 Speaker 2: repeated over the years. And the next day he said, 146 00:07:43,920 --> 00:07:45,520 Speaker 2: you know that club you went to last night was 147 00:07:45,520 --> 00:07:49,520 Speaker 2: a gay club. And inadvertently I had given him a 148 00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:52,120 Speaker 2: gay club's name anyway, And so I actually had a 149 00:07:52,200 --> 00:07:55,160 Speaker 2: kind of telling him, well, okay, you know, I just 150 00:07:55,160 --> 00:07:58,240 Speaker 2: told him I didn't know yet at that time, which. 151 00:07:58,080 --> 00:08:00,720 Speaker 1: Was the truth. Brandon was still trying to find himself 152 00:08:01,040 --> 00:08:02,120 Speaker 1: and figure it all out. 153 00:08:02,800 --> 00:08:04,840 Speaker 2: And he told me, you know, be safe, be careful, 154 00:08:04,960 --> 00:08:06,680 Speaker 2: and he said, when you find out, let me know. 155 00:08:09,600 --> 00:08:12,360 Speaker 3: Dennis would be the type of person that would accept that, 156 00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:12,920 Speaker 3: you know. 157 00:08:13,120 --> 00:08:15,559 Speaker 1: I mean, here's Brendan's grandma Bonnie. Again. 158 00:08:16,160 --> 00:08:21,480 Speaker 3: He was accepting the people because he loved people just 159 00:08:21,560 --> 00:08:25,040 Speaker 3: like Brandon, you know, didn't matter who they was, because 160 00:08:25,080 --> 00:08:28,120 Speaker 3: he had a friend that was also gay. 161 00:08:30,960 --> 00:08:35,520 Speaker 2: I've told my dad a lot worse. I could tell 162 00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:37,760 Speaker 2: my dad anything. I could literally talk to my dad 163 00:08:37,800 --> 00:08:41,160 Speaker 2: about the bad grades I was making. Now sometimes I 164 00:08:41,160 --> 00:08:43,320 Speaker 2: would try to hide them to but at the end 165 00:08:43,360 --> 00:08:45,200 Speaker 2: of the day, my Dad's going to be there for 166 00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:45,880 Speaker 2: me no matter what. 167 00:08:46,679 --> 00:08:49,600 Speaker 1: So were the bad grades worse than being gay? Is 168 00:08:49,640 --> 00:08:51,280 Speaker 1: that one of the worst things he told him. 169 00:08:51,679 --> 00:08:54,000 Speaker 2: I mean, I really think that the back grades would 170 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:56,079 Speaker 2: have been a little bit worse than being gay. Like, 171 00:08:56,640 --> 00:09:00,520 Speaker 2: my parents were like so hands on loving that that's 172 00:09:00,559 --> 00:09:08,280 Speaker 2: the last thing that they would have really even cared about. 173 00:09:08,640 --> 00:09:11,679 Speaker 1: Brandon graduated from Rockwall High School in two thousand and 174 00:09:11,760 --> 00:09:15,120 Speaker 1: five and went on to Abilene Christian University, about three 175 00:09:15,200 --> 00:09:18,920 Speaker 1: and a half hours away. He found himself struggling in 176 00:09:18,960 --> 00:09:22,480 Speaker 1: his first semester. He was put on academic probation and 177 00:09:22,600 --> 00:09:24,960 Speaker 1: was on the verge of failing out of college. His 178 00:09:25,040 --> 00:09:27,600 Speaker 1: parents told him they could no longer support him financially 179 00:09:27,840 --> 00:09:30,400 Speaker 1: if that happened and that he'd have to come back home. 180 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:34,520 Speaker 1: But Brandon wasn't worried about money. He would wear designer clothes, 181 00:09:34,600 --> 00:09:37,680 Speaker 1: go on shopping sprees, and eat out often, which led 182 00:09:37,679 --> 00:09:40,360 Speaker 1: his college friends to believe he came from a wealthy family, 183 00:09:40,920 --> 00:09:44,400 Speaker 1: but the reality was Brandon was acting in pornographic movies 184 00:09:44,720 --> 00:09:46,840 Speaker 1: to make money. Though he told his friends he had 185 00:09:46,840 --> 00:09:49,920 Speaker 1: taken up modeling, most of his money was coming from 186 00:09:49,920 --> 00:09:52,920 Speaker 1: making porn, but with his spending habits, he was racking 187 00:09:53,000 --> 00:09:59,199 Speaker 1: up credit card debt. In October of that first semester 188 00:09:59,280 --> 00:10:01,720 Speaker 1: in college, Brandon came home for a few days to 189 00:10:01,720 --> 00:10:04,240 Speaker 1: see his parents and help them out. His parents had 190 00:10:04,360 --> 00:10:07,480 Speaker 1: just bought a trailer home in Royce City, about fourteen 191 00:10:07,480 --> 00:10:09,959 Speaker 1: miles north. They still had some things at their place 192 00:10:09,960 --> 00:10:11,720 Speaker 1: in Heath and needed help moving. 193 00:10:13,880 --> 00:10:16,760 Speaker 2: I guess it was like a foreclosed property. So there 194 00:10:16,800 --> 00:10:18,240 Speaker 2: was a lot of stuff that my mom wanted to 195 00:10:18,280 --> 00:10:20,800 Speaker 2: do to get the horses out there eventually, and so 196 00:10:20,920 --> 00:10:22,760 Speaker 2: I was just home, you know, to help her and 197 00:10:22,840 --> 00:10:23,880 Speaker 2: help my dad a little bit. 198 00:10:26,040 --> 00:10:29,440 Speaker 1: On the evening of October sixteenth, the Woodroff family sat 199 00:10:29,480 --> 00:10:31,480 Speaker 1: down for a pizza dinner in their new place. 200 00:10:32,760 --> 00:10:37,080 Speaker 2: Everything just seemed to be ordinary. I mean, if I 201 00:10:37,360 --> 00:10:39,040 Speaker 2: you know, if somebody were to tell me, well it 202 00:10:39,120 --> 00:10:41,080 Speaker 2: was there one thing that was stranged? Was there one 203 00:10:41,120 --> 00:10:43,400 Speaker 2: thing that was odd? And I can't pinpoint anything. It 204 00:10:43,480 --> 00:10:44,720 Speaker 2: was just a normal weekend. 205 00:10:45,760 --> 00:10:48,840 Speaker 1: After the dinner, Brandon headed out for the evening. He 206 00:10:48,880 --> 00:10:50,839 Speaker 1: plans on coming back to Roy City in a few 207 00:10:50,920 --> 00:10:53,880 Speaker 1: days to take Father's Day pictures with his sister Charla, 208 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:55,920 Speaker 1: who would also be home from school. 209 00:10:57,040 --> 00:10:59,240 Speaker 2: And so really I was expecting to see them, you know, 210 00:10:59,400 --> 00:11:03,240 Speaker 2: in four days. So what ended up happening was even 211 00:11:03,400 --> 00:11:05,760 Speaker 2: I mean, I couldn't even have thought that would have happened. 212 00:11:14,920 --> 00:11:18,920 Speaker 1: Shortly after seven pm on October sixteenth, Brandon left his parents' 213 00:11:18,920 --> 00:11:21,679 Speaker 1: home to go out with friends, first stopping by their 214 00:11:21,720 --> 00:11:28,560 Speaker 1: old home in Heath, about twenty four minutes away. A 215 00:11:28,600 --> 00:11:31,240 Speaker 1: bit after ten that night, a neighbor saw Brandon in 216 00:11:31,280 --> 00:11:34,320 Speaker 1: the driveway of the Heath house. Then Brandon picked up 217 00:11:34,320 --> 00:11:37,080 Speaker 1: some friends around ten forty pm and went to Dallas 218 00:11:37,120 --> 00:11:40,559 Speaker 1: to party with them and his boyfriend, Alex. Brandon drove 219 00:11:40,640 --> 00:11:43,080 Speaker 1: back to school in Abilene in the early hours the 220 00:11:43,120 --> 00:11:50,240 Speaker 1: following morning. Later that day, on the seventeenth, people started 221 00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:53,559 Speaker 1: becoming concerned about Dennis and Norma Woodruff. They didn't show 222 00:11:53,640 --> 00:11:56,240 Speaker 1: up to work, which was unusual for them, and no 223 00:11:56,280 --> 00:11:58,720 Speaker 1: one had seen or spoken to them since nine pm 224 00:11:58,800 --> 00:12:01,720 Speaker 1: the night before, when Norma talked with her mother on 225 00:12:01,760 --> 00:12:04,960 Speaker 1: the phone. Charla had called her parents from school at 226 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:07,720 Speaker 1: eleven pm on Sunday night and had not heard back, 227 00:12:08,120 --> 00:12:11,160 Speaker 1: so she contacted her aunt Linda on the eighteenth, two 228 00:12:11,240 --> 00:12:14,040 Speaker 1: days after they were last heard from. Linda reached out 229 00:12:14,080 --> 00:12:16,280 Speaker 1: to a family friend to go over to the Woodruff's 230 00:12:16,320 --> 00:12:18,600 Speaker 1: new home to check on them. A couple of friends 231 00:12:18,600 --> 00:12:22,199 Speaker 1: showed up, knocked and got no response, so they opened 232 00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:24,040 Speaker 1: a window with a pride bar to see what was 233 00:12:24,080 --> 00:12:30,480 Speaker 1: going on. Once inside, they found a horrific scene. Dennis 234 00:12:30,520 --> 00:12:33,920 Speaker 1: and Norma's dead bodies were seated on their couch. They'd 235 00:12:33,960 --> 00:12:48,920 Speaker 1: each been shot and stabbed several times. This episode is 236 00:12:49,000 --> 00:12:53,760 Speaker 1: underwritten by AIG, a leading global insurance company. AIG is 237 00:12:53,800 --> 00:12:57,640 Speaker 1: committed to corporate social responsibility and to making a positive 238 00:12:57,640 --> 00:13:00,040 Speaker 1: difference in the lives of its employees and in the 239 00:13:00,040 --> 00:13:02,920 Speaker 1: communities where they work and live. In light of the 240 00:13:02,960 --> 00:13:06,559 Speaker 1: compelling need for pro bono legal assistance, and in recognition 241 00:13:06,679 --> 00:13:10,600 Speaker 1: of AIG's commitment to criminal and social justice reform. The 242 00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:14,840 Speaker 1: AIG pro bono program provides free legal services and other 243 00:13:14,920 --> 00:13:31,400 Speaker 1: support to underrepresented communities and individuals. When investigators from the 244 00:13:31,480 --> 00:13:34,560 Speaker 1: Hunt County Sheriff's Office arrived at the Woodriffs trailer home, 245 00:13:34,880 --> 00:13:38,160 Speaker 1: they found a crime scene covered in blood, yet they 246 00:13:38,160 --> 00:13:41,760 Speaker 1: failed to wear protective foot coverings. And what's even more bizarre, 247 00:13:42,120 --> 00:13:44,520 Speaker 1: they began investigating in the dark. 248 00:13:45,360 --> 00:13:47,319 Speaker 4: They think, well, this is how the murderers would have 249 00:13:47,320 --> 00:13:48,920 Speaker 4: seen the house. So we're going to turn off the 250 00:13:49,000 --> 00:13:51,400 Speaker 4: lights in the house and that's how we're going to 251 00:13:51,679 --> 00:13:54,040 Speaker 4: walk around and make our crime scene video. And during 252 00:13:54,080 --> 00:13:56,240 Speaker 4: course of doing that, you know, they're knocking stuff off, 253 00:13:56,320 --> 00:13:59,920 Speaker 4: They're destroying all kinds of potential evidence of the sea. 254 00:14:01,400 --> 00:14:04,000 Speaker 4: They literally investigated the crime in the dark. 255 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:07,560 Speaker 1: This is Alison Clayton. She's the deputy director of the 256 00:14:07,559 --> 00:14:10,560 Speaker 1: Innocence Project of Texas and the adjunct professor of the 257 00:14:10,600 --> 00:14:16,800 Speaker 1: Innocence Clinic at Texas Tech University School of Law. Allison 258 00:14:16,840 --> 00:14:19,600 Speaker 1: says that inside the trailer it's unclear what had been 259 00:14:19,640 --> 00:14:23,480 Speaker 1: disturbed by the crime or by the investigators stumbling around 260 00:14:23,480 --> 00:14:26,720 Speaker 1: in the dark, But what seems clear is that there 261 00:14:26,720 --> 00:14:30,480 Speaker 1: were strange items found laying around the house. Flavored condom 262 00:14:30,520 --> 00:14:34,560 Speaker 1: packets were strewn about, along with an extensive pornography collection 263 00:14:34,920 --> 00:14:38,720 Speaker 1: and an air mattress completely inflated. On top of the 264 00:14:38,760 --> 00:14:42,760 Speaker 1: mattress were two pairs of women's capri pants that were 265 00:14:42,880 --> 00:14:46,440 Speaker 1: way too big to fit Norma. Brandon says none of 266 00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:48,960 Speaker 1: this was there when he left on that Sunday night. 267 00:14:51,480 --> 00:14:54,200 Speaker 1: Joel Gibson was the lead investigator on the case along 268 00:14:54,240 --> 00:14:58,680 Speaker 1: with Texas Ranger Jeff Collins, and Brandon was their lead suspect. 269 00:14:59,080 --> 00:15:02,760 Speaker 1: He was the last person known to have seen his parents. 270 00:15:02,640 --> 00:15:04,520 Speaker 2: And they were like, well, we really think that you 271 00:15:04,600 --> 00:15:06,760 Speaker 2: murdered your parents. And I just I didn't know what 272 00:15:06,840 --> 00:15:08,640 Speaker 2: to think. You know, I wasn't raised a cuss out 273 00:15:08,640 --> 00:15:11,360 Speaker 2: of law enforcement officer or anything, and I just I 274 00:15:11,440 --> 00:15:13,120 Speaker 2: just kind of lost it because I thought, you do 275 00:15:13,200 --> 00:15:14,960 Speaker 2: not know what you're talking about, Like you don't know 276 00:15:14,960 --> 00:15:17,600 Speaker 2: who these people are. These are my parents, these like 277 00:15:17,640 --> 00:15:18,840 Speaker 2: are the people who raised me. 278 00:15:19,880 --> 00:15:24,320 Speaker 1: Brendan was devastated his parents had been violently murdered and 279 00:15:24,400 --> 00:15:27,560 Speaker 1: here he was being accused of killing them. And what 280 00:15:27,720 --> 00:15:31,800 Speaker 1: stung even more his sister, Charla turned on him. She 281 00:15:31,880 --> 00:15:34,520 Speaker 1: told police she thought that Brandon could have done it. 282 00:15:34,960 --> 00:15:38,280 Speaker 2: I think my sister's sentence that has been repeated over 283 00:15:38,320 --> 00:15:40,400 Speaker 2: and over, well, if you could lie about being gay, 284 00:15:40,440 --> 00:15:42,000 Speaker 2: then he could lie by killing my parents. 285 00:15:43,360 --> 00:15:46,800 Speaker 1: On November tenth, two thousand and five, Brendan was indicted 286 00:15:46,840 --> 00:15:50,360 Speaker 1: for capital murder. His grandma Bonnie was horrified. 287 00:15:51,160 --> 00:15:54,680 Speaker 3: I knew Brandon couldn't have couldn't have done anything to 288 00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:57,320 Speaker 3: his parents. She loved both his parents. He said he's dead, 289 00:15:57,440 --> 00:16:02,080 Speaker 3: was his best friend. So I know, you know, I'm 290 00:16:02,120 --> 00:16:05,960 Speaker 3: even more convinced today. I know what type of person 291 00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:09,160 Speaker 3: he is and what love he has for people and 292 00:16:09,200 --> 00:16:14,120 Speaker 3: for God. So I know Brandon Wood. As for the investigators, 293 00:16:14,640 --> 00:16:17,680 Speaker 3: I just think they were a small town and they 294 00:16:18,200 --> 00:16:21,720 Speaker 3: were a little bit lazy. They just wanted to wrap 295 00:16:21,760 --> 00:16:24,800 Speaker 3: the case up because it makes the neighborhood feel better 296 00:16:24,840 --> 00:16:25,480 Speaker 3: and say. 297 00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:29,880 Speaker 4: They knew that Brandon was the last person to see 298 00:16:29,920 --> 00:16:32,400 Speaker 4: them alive, because you know, they knew that he had 299 00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:33,360 Speaker 4: gone and gotten the pizza. 300 00:16:33,960 --> 00:16:36,400 Speaker 1: This is Alison Clayton again, and is. 301 00:16:36,400 --> 00:16:39,280 Speaker 4: The fact that there was no forced entry into the house, 302 00:16:39,800 --> 00:16:42,120 Speaker 4: so they thought that that indicated that it was somebody 303 00:16:42,120 --> 00:16:43,160 Speaker 4: that the would have's knew. 304 00:16:43,720 --> 00:16:47,280 Speaker 1: Allison says that investigators quickly homed in on Brandon not 305 00:16:47,360 --> 00:16:50,720 Speaker 1: only for those reasons, but also because the police had 306 00:16:50,760 --> 00:16:53,520 Speaker 1: discovered his secret life. 307 00:16:53,600 --> 00:16:57,240 Speaker 4: So then that was a large part of their motive. 308 00:16:57,560 --> 00:17:01,480 Speaker 4: That Brandon was leading this double life, that he was 309 00:17:01,520 --> 00:17:03,800 Speaker 4: coming home and helping his parents move on the weekend 310 00:17:03,840 --> 00:17:06,720 Speaker 4: and then going out and partying at gay night clubs, 311 00:17:07,119 --> 00:17:10,080 Speaker 4: and you know, participating in all these activities, and that 312 00:17:10,119 --> 00:17:12,280 Speaker 4: they were about to find out and his grades were bad, 313 00:17:12,280 --> 00:17:14,520 Speaker 4: and he had credit card debt, and so you know, 314 00:17:14,560 --> 00:17:16,239 Speaker 4: they were about to cut him off, and so he 315 00:17:16,320 --> 00:17:18,680 Speaker 4: was just terrified that he was going to get cut off, 316 00:17:18,720 --> 00:17:21,959 Speaker 4: and so in an act of indescribable violence, the way 317 00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:24,520 Speaker 4: these people were murdered was very, very violent. You know, 318 00:17:24,600 --> 00:17:27,640 Speaker 4: he just decides to murder his parents. 319 00:17:32,680 --> 00:17:35,840 Speaker 1: Brandon's trial started on March sixth, two thousand and nine, 320 00:17:35,920 --> 00:17:39,439 Speaker 1: in front of the Honorable Judge Richard Beakham Junior, the 321 00:17:39,480 --> 00:17:42,640 Speaker 1: current governor of Texas. Greg Abbott was the state's attorney 322 00:17:42,640 --> 00:17:45,080 Speaker 1: general at the time, and he was appointed as a 323 00:17:45,119 --> 00:17:48,960 Speaker 1: special prosecutor on the case. The state presented the theory 324 00:17:49,080 --> 00:17:52,240 Speaker 1: that Brandon was living a double life, having money troubles 325 00:17:52,320 --> 00:17:54,960 Speaker 1: and failing out of school, all of which he wanted 326 00:17:54,960 --> 00:17:56,760 Speaker 1: to keep secret from his parents. 327 00:17:57,400 --> 00:18:02,240 Speaker 4: But mainly, really the state's only motive that Brandon would 328 00:18:02,240 --> 00:18:05,520 Speaker 4: have had to do this is that he was gay. 329 00:18:05,720 --> 00:18:06,160 Speaker 4: That's it. 330 00:18:06,600 --> 00:18:07,160 Speaker 1: He's gay. 331 00:18:07,640 --> 00:18:09,960 Speaker 4: His parents are going to find out about it, and 332 00:18:10,000 --> 00:18:12,679 Speaker 4: so he just has to kill them right now. And 333 00:18:12,760 --> 00:18:16,000 Speaker 4: remember again, this is small town Texas, early two thousands, 334 00:18:16,600 --> 00:18:20,480 Speaker 4: uber uber conservative, so the mention of oh, well he 335 00:18:20,600 --> 00:18:24,600 Speaker 4: was gay would have been plenty to start raising eyebrows like, 336 00:18:24,600 --> 00:18:26,120 Speaker 4: oh my goodness, he was gay. 337 00:18:26,320 --> 00:18:27,320 Speaker 1: What is shame like? 338 00:18:27,320 --> 00:18:30,200 Speaker 4: That's what would have been the sentimentality someone coming from 339 00:18:30,240 --> 00:18:32,000 Speaker 4: small town Texas in the early two thousands. 340 00:18:34,119 --> 00:18:37,960 Speaker 1: The state offered no real hard evidence against Brandon. It 341 00:18:38,080 --> 00:18:39,240 Speaker 1: was mostly speculation. 342 00:18:40,320 --> 00:18:43,160 Speaker 2: I think they got caught up in this whole story 343 00:18:43,280 --> 00:18:45,760 Speaker 2: of well, he had a double life. He was wearing 344 00:18:45,800 --> 00:18:48,000 Speaker 2: boots and jeans, and then he was wearing city clothes, 345 00:18:48,040 --> 00:18:50,119 Speaker 2: and he was, you know, like they felt like he 346 00:18:50,200 --> 00:18:52,159 Speaker 2: was a lot more sinister, when really it was just 347 00:18:52,240 --> 00:18:54,760 Speaker 2: me being myself. I mean I would wear boots and 348 00:18:54,800 --> 00:18:56,600 Speaker 2: jeans when I was around the horses and stuff, and 349 00:18:56,600 --> 00:18:58,720 Speaker 2: then I would wear you know what they'd call like 350 00:18:58,840 --> 00:19:01,480 Speaker 2: city clothes, I guess to you know, the bars and 351 00:19:01,520 --> 00:19:07,040 Speaker 2: clubs and stuff. But your clothing doesn't make you who 352 00:19:07,080 --> 00:19:09,080 Speaker 2: you are. And your clothing doesn't make you a killer. 353 00:19:09,280 --> 00:19:12,480 Speaker 2: And you lagging guys and girls or just guys or 354 00:19:12,560 --> 00:19:14,320 Speaker 2: just girls, they doesn't make you a killer either. 355 00:19:25,240 --> 00:19:30,040 Speaker 1: But there was one thing. Brandon's girlfriend, Morgan's parents noticed 356 00:19:30,160 --> 00:19:33,399 Speaker 1: that a Western style revolver was missing from their home. 357 00:19:33,880 --> 00:19:36,199 Speaker 1: They didn't know how long it had been missing, but 358 00:19:36,400 --> 00:19:39,200 Speaker 1: they remembered that the night before the murder, Brandon had 359 00:19:39,240 --> 00:19:41,760 Speaker 1: showered at their house and so would have been able 360 00:19:41,800 --> 00:19:43,320 Speaker 1: to take the revolver. 361 00:19:43,600 --> 00:19:46,080 Speaker 4: And so police were thinking that that you know, had 362 00:19:46,080 --> 00:19:48,919 Speaker 4: corroborated their suspicions of Brandon because he would have had 363 00:19:48,960 --> 00:19:52,400 Speaker 4: the opportunity to still the gun. They viewed that as 364 00:19:52,600 --> 00:19:55,920 Speaker 4: inculpatory evidence that he had the opportunity to get what 365 00:19:55,960 --> 00:19:57,359 Speaker 4: they thought would be the murder weapon. 366 00:19:58,400 --> 00:20:01,399 Speaker 1: The gun used in the murders was never recovered, but 367 00:20:01,520 --> 00:20:05,000 Speaker 1: the state offered expert testimony that the gun missing from 368 00:20:05,040 --> 00:20:08,600 Speaker 1: Morgan's home could have theoretically been the one used to 369 00:20:08,600 --> 00:20:15,320 Speaker 1: commit the murders. One of the main things the state 370 00:20:15,400 --> 00:20:18,679 Speaker 1: focused on during trial was Brandon's cell phone records to 371 00:20:18,840 --> 00:20:22,359 Speaker 1: try and disprove Brandon's alibi that he was driving around 372 00:20:22,480 --> 00:20:26,040 Speaker 1: picking up friends and heading to a club. However, because 373 00:20:26,080 --> 00:20:29,040 Speaker 1: of a merger between cell phone companies, many of Brandon's 374 00:20:29,080 --> 00:20:32,479 Speaker 1: calls during the crucial Sunday night time period were missing, 375 00:20:32,960 --> 00:20:37,440 Speaker 1: and that didn't bode well for the defense. After both 376 00:20:37,480 --> 00:20:42,760 Speaker 1: sides presented, the jury deliberated for five hours, and. 377 00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:45,280 Speaker 2: You know, it was just the whole time, I kept 378 00:20:45,280 --> 00:20:47,600 Speaker 2: telling myself, well, Okay, everything's gonna be. Okay, everything is 379 00:20:47,680 --> 00:20:49,240 Speaker 2: gonna be. I never would have thought they were going 380 00:20:49,280 --> 00:20:51,760 Speaker 2: to return a guilty verdict ever, Like I really felt 381 00:20:51,800 --> 00:20:54,679 Speaker 2: like I was going home that day, but he didn't. 382 00:20:55,240 --> 00:20:58,200 Speaker 1: Brandon was convicted by a jury of murdering his parents 383 00:20:58,280 --> 00:21:00,000 Speaker 1: on March twentieth, two nine. 384 00:21:02,119 --> 00:21:04,960 Speaker 2: So they said guilty, and I was like, like I 385 00:21:05,040 --> 00:21:07,080 Speaker 2: really just wanted to sit down, Like I wanted to 386 00:21:07,119 --> 00:21:10,600 Speaker 2: sit down. I wanted to like just breathe. I was 387 00:21:10,640 --> 00:21:12,240 Speaker 2: really kind of freaking out. 388 00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:16,119 Speaker 1: But Brandon was told to remain standing while his sister, 389 00:21:16,240 --> 00:21:18,840 Speaker 1: Charlotte gave a victim impact. 390 00:21:18,440 --> 00:21:23,600 Speaker 2: Statement where my sister got up there and basically just 391 00:21:24,280 --> 00:21:26,600 Speaker 2: told me how I ruined her whole life and told 392 00:21:26,680 --> 00:21:29,359 Speaker 2: me how, you know, because of my actions. And that 393 00:21:29,480 --> 00:21:31,439 Speaker 2: was the hardest thing to hear because I'm sitting here 394 00:21:31,520 --> 00:21:34,080 Speaker 2: thinking to myself, I did not do this, and I 395 00:21:34,119 --> 00:21:36,480 Speaker 2: just had to stand there and be quiet and accept it. 396 00:21:36,560 --> 00:21:38,679 Speaker 2: And I think that was the hardest thing in my 397 00:21:38,840 --> 00:21:40,880 Speaker 2: entire life. And I will never forget. 398 00:21:40,560 --> 00:21:43,239 Speaker 1: That you had to sit there and listen to your 399 00:21:43,280 --> 00:21:45,320 Speaker 1: sister not believe you, Like what is that? 400 00:21:45,640 --> 00:21:45,880 Speaker 5: Like? 401 00:21:45,880 --> 00:21:47,320 Speaker 1: Like this is a person you grew up with. She's 402 00:21:47,359 --> 00:21:48,800 Speaker 1: supposed to know you better than anybody. 403 00:21:49,440 --> 00:21:52,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, and I you know, it makes so many questions 404 00:21:52,240 --> 00:21:55,720 Speaker 2: come up, like why, like why are you doing this? 405 00:21:55,880 --> 00:21:59,960 Speaker 2: Like I don't know. It's really hard to just grabb 406 00:22:00,119 --> 00:22:01,919 Speaker 2: I mean, even to this day, it's hard to grasp. 407 00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:09,320 Speaker 1: At twenty two years old, Brendan was sentenced to life 408 00:22:09,320 --> 00:22:29,560 Speaker 1: in prison without parole. Even though his relationship with Charlie 409 00:22:29,600 --> 00:22:33,080 Speaker 1: was strained, Brendan's grandma Bonnie never let him down. 410 00:22:33,800 --> 00:22:36,159 Speaker 3: About every three months, we'd traveled down to see him, 411 00:22:36,200 --> 00:22:39,520 Speaker 3: and we'd spend the night and go early the next 412 00:22:39,560 --> 00:22:42,840 Speaker 3: morning and we'd get to stay four hours with him 413 00:22:42,880 --> 00:22:48,840 Speaker 3: and set across the table from him. He never gave up, 414 00:22:48,880 --> 00:22:55,119 Speaker 3: and he always claimed his innocens And I knew he 415 00:22:55,280 --> 00:22:58,240 Speaker 3: lifts me up. He's the type of person that lifts 416 00:22:58,280 --> 00:23:00,920 Speaker 3: you up and makes you feel better about if he's 417 00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:03,199 Speaker 3: not a person this day on all the time. 418 00:23:08,119 --> 00:23:10,920 Speaker 2: She's like my angel, She's like my rock. I tell 419 00:23:10,920 --> 00:23:12,800 Speaker 2: people that all the time. I'm like, that's my angel 420 00:23:12,880 --> 00:23:16,160 Speaker 2: right there. I mean she's never once even like faltered 421 00:23:16,240 --> 00:23:19,000 Speaker 2: from the truth. She's been like there's no way, absolutely, 422 00:23:19,160 --> 00:23:22,360 Speaker 2: I believe in you. She doesn't care who she has 423 00:23:22,400 --> 00:23:24,960 Speaker 2: to stand up and tell that to, including the investigators. 424 00:23:25,080 --> 00:23:27,960 Speaker 2: She's like, you know, show me proof, Like quit telling me, 425 00:23:28,080 --> 00:23:29,560 Speaker 2: y'all have proof, show me something. 426 00:23:42,160 --> 00:23:45,240 Speaker 1: With Bonnie by his side, Brandon spent years in prison 427 00:23:45,359 --> 00:23:48,680 Speaker 1: appealing his decision to no avail. But while he stayed 428 00:23:48,720 --> 00:23:51,720 Speaker 1: up beat in front of his grandmother, inside his emotions 429 00:23:51,760 --> 00:23:55,720 Speaker 1: were a different story. Prison is a hard place for anyone, 430 00:23:56,240 --> 00:23:58,520 Speaker 1: especially a young man finding himself. 431 00:23:59,280 --> 00:24:01,840 Speaker 2: You gotta have walls put up anyway. You got to 432 00:24:01,880 --> 00:24:04,280 Speaker 2: be like a different person in here. You can't be, 433 00:24:04,920 --> 00:24:08,320 Speaker 2: you know, to cry you're weak, or to be gay 434 00:24:08,400 --> 00:24:10,439 Speaker 2: you're a little bit weaker, or so you always have 435 00:24:10,480 --> 00:24:12,440 Speaker 2: to kind of like prove yourself. So I just stay 436 00:24:12,440 --> 00:24:14,760 Speaker 2: out of really everybody's a way. I don't really even 437 00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:15,960 Speaker 2: talk to too many people here. 438 00:24:16,800 --> 00:24:19,560 Speaker 1: Brendan spends much of his time in prison, taking classes 439 00:24:19,800 --> 00:24:21,000 Speaker 1: or working in the craft shop. 440 00:24:22,520 --> 00:24:25,520 Speaker 2: Are you wearing a wedding ring? Actually? I made this 441 00:24:25,560 --> 00:24:29,000 Speaker 2: in the crash, did so? Yeah? I started working with 442 00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:32,159 Speaker 2: like metal and stuff like that. Okay, we're allowed like 443 00:24:32,200 --> 00:24:36,520 Speaker 2: a few what they call in prison free world items. 444 00:24:36,640 --> 00:24:39,520 Speaker 2: So you can have a wedding band, a watch, and 445 00:24:39,560 --> 00:24:41,000 Speaker 2: then you can have like a cross. 446 00:24:40,800 --> 00:24:43,000 Speaker 1: Necklace and it can only be a wedding ring. 447 00:24:43,200 --> 00:24:46,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, you cannot have any other rings or jewelry or 448 00:24:46,840 --> 00:24:48,080 Speaker 2: that's considered a contrabmand. 449 00:24:55,520 --> 00:24:57,679 Speaker 4: There are certain red flags that we look for in 450 00:24:57,760 --> 00:25:00,800 Speaker 4: every single case. Brandon exhibits a lot of them. 451 00:25:01,280 --> 00:25:04,600 Speaker 1: In twenty twenty one, Alison Clayton from the Innocence Project 452 00:25:04,680 --> 00:25:06,720 Speaker 1: of Texas took on Brandon's case. 453 00:25:07,160 --> 00:25:09,840 Speaker 4: First red flag, you don't know anything about the victims. 454 00:25:10,119 --> 00:25:12,639 Speaker 4: That is a good investigation. Will away start out with 455 00:25:12,680 --> 00:25:16,280 Speaker 4: who are these victims? Why did they meet this horrific end? 456 00:25:16,480 --> 00:25:16,680 Speaker 3: Right? 457 00:25:17,119 --> 00:25:20,280 Speaker 4: A good investigation that's bent on figuring out what happened 458 00:25:20,320 --> 00:25:23,240 Speaker 4: to these people and not bent on painting a bullseye 459 00:25:23,280 --> 00:25:26,080 Speaker 4: around someone like you've already chosen who did it? A 460 00:25:26,080 --> 00:25:27,760 Speaker 4: good investigation starts with the victims. 461 00:25:28,160 --> 00:25:30,679 Speaker 1: So who were Norma and Dennis? 462 00:25:30,920 --> 00:25:33,960 Speaker 2: They weren't judgmental. They weren't you know, my mom volunteered 463 00:25:34,000 --> 00:25:37,840 Speaker 2: for adults and children that really allot of the world 464 00:25:37,960 --> 00:25:39,840 Speaker 2: wouldn't have nothing to do with them because they can't 465 00:25:39,880 --> 00:25:42,800 Speaker 2: come sit at a dinner table, you know, normally and functionally. 466 00:25:43,320 --> 00:25:45,880 Speaker 2: And I mean, my dad used to go to these 467 00:25:45,960 --> 00:25:48,760 Speaker 2: drag shows for guys that would dress up like Dolly 468 00:25:48,800 --> 00:25:51,359 Speaker 2: Parton and Tina Turner, like the five five, you know, 469 00:25:51,440 --> 00:25:54,639 Speaker 2: and so like, I feel really really bad that the 470 00:25:54,760 --> 00:25:58,119 Speaker 2: jury didn't get to learn about who my parents were like. 471 00:25:58,200 --> 00:26:01,600 Speaker 2: They did not humanize my parents because they would know 472 00:26:01,680 --> 00:26:04,280 Speaker 2: that my dad's best friend from high school and college 473 00:26:04,320 --> 00:26:08,480 Speaker 2: is openly gay. They're basically not only accusing me of 474 00:26:08,560 --> 00:26:11,360 Speaker 2: killing my parents because I was gay and had a lifestyle, 475 00:26:11,400 --> 00:26:14,360 Speaker 2: but they're also accusing my parents of being so judgmental 476 00:26:14,400 --> 00:26:17,359 Speaker 2: that they wouldn't have loved their son if he was gay. 477 00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:21,399 Speaker 2: You're telling me that my parents are basically like hateful people. 478 00:26:22,320 --> 00:26:25,880 Speaker 1: In fact, at trial, Brandon's lawyers presented that Brandon's dad 479 00:26:26,160 --> 00:26:30,040 Speaker 1: did know about Brandon's sexuality. It wasn't a secret from him. 480 00:26:30,480 --> 00:26:33,040 Speaker 1: On the evening of the sixteenth, the night the Woodruffs 481 00:26:33,080 --> 00:26:35,800 Speaker 1: were presumably murdered. Dennis spoke on the phone with his 482 00:26:35,880 --> 00:26:36,680 Speaker 1: sister Kathy. 483 00:26:37,280 --> 00:26:41,600 Speaker 4: During that phone call, is whenever Dennis told his sister, 484 00:26:41,680 --> 00:26:44,920 Speaker 4: you know, Brandon told me that he likes boys, and 485 00:26:45,440 --> 00:26:47,520 Speaker 4: he told his sister, you know, he was okay with it, 486 00:26:47,960 --> 00:26:50,480 Speaker 4: that he loved Brandon, and he's fine with it. It's 487 00:26:50,560 --> 00:26:53,199 Speaker 4: just he was worried about Brandon because that can be 488 00:26:53,240 --> 00:26:57,960 Speaker 4: a dangerous lifestyle. So this entire idea that his parents 489 00:26:57,960 --> 00:27:01,280 Speaker 4: would have rejected him because of his sexuality, there is 490 00:27:01,760 --> 00:27:04,560 Speaker 4: no basis in fact for that. 491 00:27:06,119 --> 00:27:09,080 Speaker 1: Alison goes on to outline a key part of Brandon's 492 00:27:09,080 --> 00:27:15,880 Speaker 1: defense at trial, his alibi. We know Brandon was out 493 00:27:15,920 --> 00:27:19,000 Speaker 1: of his parents' house a bit after seven pm, because 494 00:27:19,040 --> 00:27:21,680 Speaker 1: cell phone records show he called them at seven thirty 495 00:27:21,720 --> 00:27:24,679 Speaker 1: six pm, indicating he had already left the house. 496 00:27:25,080 --> 00:27:29,760 Speaker 4: But after that, Brandon wasn't really with anybody after the 497 00:27:29,800 --> 00:27:32,040 Speaker 4: time he left his parents' house until much later that 498 00:27:32,160 --> 00:27:34,760 Speaker 4: night when he met up with his friend back in Dallas. 499 00:27:35,240 --> 00:27:37,160 Speaker 4: So it's not we have somebody who can say, yes, 500 00:27:37,160 --> 00:27:38,639 Speaker 4: he was with me, this is what we were doing. 501 00:27:39,119 --> 00:27:41,159 Speaker 4: So in those instances, normally we would go back to 502 00:27:41,160 --> 00:27:42,440 Speaker 4: the cell phone records. 503 00:27:42,960 --> 00:27:46,520 Speaker 1: But remember there were missing records during the crucial time 504 00:27:46,720 --> 00:27:49,960 Speaker 1: because of the cell phone company merger, so Brandon's team 505 00:27:50,119 --> 00:27:53,720 Speaker 1: relied on piecing together other people's records, people who he 506 00:27:53,760 --> 00:27:56,480 Speaker 1: said he was on the phone with. Allison says this 507 00:27:56,560 --> 00:27:59,119 Speaker 1: timeline is the most important part of the case. 508 00:28:01,200 --> 00:28:04,159 Speaker 4: The first time in Brandon's phone records that we have 509 00:28:04,240 --> 00:28:08,280 Speaker 4: really anything is whenever we have that pang at ten 510 00:28:08,359 --> 00:28:11,320 Speaker 4: forty six, where he's around I thirty and six thirty five. 511 00:28:13,560 --> 00:28:16,439 Speaker 1: This intersection is about twenty minutes away from both of 512 00:28:16,480 --> 00:28:19,879 Speaker 1: Brandon's parents' homes. A neighbor had seen Brandon down at 513 00:28:19,880 --> 00:28:22,040 Speaker 1: the heath House just after ten pm. 514 00:28:22,880 --> 00:28:25,720 Speaker 4: He would have been about twenty minutes away from them 515 00:28:25,800 --> 00:28:28,600 Speaker 4: at ten forty six, which means he would have left 516 00:28:28,680 --> 00:28:31,960 Speaker 4: from either Royce City or Heath at around ten twenty 517 00:28:32,040 --> 00:28:33,120 Speaker 4: six that night. 518 00:28:33,960 --> 00:28:36,000 Speaker 1: And Norma spoke to her mother on the phone that 519 00:28:36,119 --> 00:28:36,919 Speaker 1: night as well. 520 00:28:37,520 --> 00:28:41,800 Speaker 4: If the last time that anyone spoke to the Woodruffs 521 00:28:41,960 --> 00:28:44,280 Speaker 4: was that call between Norma and her mom from nine 522 00:28:44,280 --> 00:28:48,440 Speaker 4: to nine twenty, then you look at everything else. In 523 00:28:48,480 --> 00:28:50,880 Speaker 4: my analysis, I look at everything from nine to twenty 524 00:28:50,920 --> 00:28:53,600 Speaker 4: that evening until ten twenty. 525 00:28:53,200 --> 00:28:57,760 Speaker 1: Six, leaving Brandon with just an hour where he could 526 00:28:57,800 --> 00:29:01,800 Speaker 1: have killed his parents. But the timeline shrinks even. 527 00:29:01,600 --> 00:29:06,280 Speaker 4: More during that time. You've got the call at nine 528 00:29:06,360 --> 00:29:09,120 Speaker 4: twenty seven from Brandon to Alex, nine thirty two to 529 00:29:09,160 --> 00:29:12,080 Speaker 4: Morgan nine forty one with Morgan nine forty nine, with 530 00:29:13,120 --> 00:29:16,120 Speaker 4: the room that he was taking back, ten ten to Morgan, 531 00:29:17,040 --> 00:29:19,280 Speaker 4: and then that's that. So you've got five phone calls 532 00:29:19,360 --> 00:29:23,440 Speaker 4: during that hour, and between those phone calls, I'm terrible 533 00:29:23,440 --> 00:29:25,360 Speaker 4: with math, but it's looking to me like, I mean, 534 00:29:25,400 --> 00:29:30,200 Speaker 4: there's about maybe ten minutes, ten eleven minutes tops that 535 00:29:30,320 --> 00:29:33,000 Speaker 4: you have in between any of these phone calls. 536 00:29:34,880 --> 00:29:37,760 Speaker 1: Allison says that in such a short amount of time, 537 00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:41,520 Speaker 1: it's unrealistic, if not impossible, that Brandon would have been 538 00:29:41,520 --> 00:29:45,000 Speaker 1: able to pull all of this off, shoot and stab 539 00:29:45,040 --> 00:29:48,120 Speaker 1: both of his parents, shower, change his clothes and shoes, 540 00:29:48,280 --> 00:29:50,920 Speaker 1: hide his clothes and shoes, clean the bathroom, clean the 541 00:29:51,000 --> 00:29:54,160 Speaker 1: knife and gun, ditch the gun and hide the knife. 542 00:29:55,720 --> 00:30:02,120 Speaker 4: A man who has zero history of violence, so either 543 00:30:02,200 --> 00:30:05,560 Speaker 4: he is, i mean, just committing a vicious crime against 544 00:30:05,640 --> 00:30:10,480 Speaker 4: his parents in really really efficient style, which I've never 545 00:30:10,520 --> 00:30:14,200 Speaker 4: seen anyone inflict the number of wounds that these people 546 00:30:14,360 --> 00:30:18,440 Speaker 4: had on them in ten minutes time. Or you're assuming 547 00:30:18,520 --> 00:30:21,720 Speaker 4: that he's in the course of murdering his parents, he 548 00:30:21,760 --> 00:30:25,320 Speaker 4: gets a phone call from Morgan and you know, hey, Morgan, 549 00:30:25,360 --> 00:30:27,600 Speaker 4: how's it going. Everything's fine over here? What are you doing? 550 00:30:28,200 --> 00:30:29,840 Speaker 4: Or you know, you hang up and you go back 551 00:30:29,880 --> 00:30:32,880 Speaker 4: to murdering your parents, and then your boyfriend college you're like, oh, 552 00:30:32,880 --> 00:30:34,560 Speaker 4: hey Alex, yep, I'm going to be there later on 553 00:30:34,840 --> 00:30:36,560 Speaker 4: this evening. Yeah, I've just got to finish up here 554 00:30:36,600 --> 00:30:37,840 Speaker 4: and we're going to go and we're going to party 555 00:30:37,840 --> 00:30:39,320 Speaker 4: in Dallas all night long. And then you hang up 556 00:30:39,360 --> 00:30:41,760 Speaker 4: and you keep on murdering your parents. Neither one of 557 00:30:41,760 --> 00:30:43,000 Speaker 4: those scenarios makes sense to me. 558 00:30:44,480 --> 00:30:48,160 Speaker 1: So Allison has a different theory. It wasn't Brandon, and 559 00:30:48,200 --> 00:30:50,840 Speaker 1: she says the crime scene points to that. Remember the 560 00:30:50,880 --> 00:30:54,440 Speaker 1: air mattress, the women's parts, the porn, and the condoms. 561 00:30:56,200 --> 00:30:58,440 Speaker 2: I know for a fact that my dad has a mysectomy, 562 00:30:58,840 --> 00:31:02,240 Speaker 2: because he's actually told me that on multiple occasions. In fact, 563 00:31:02,320 --> 00:31:04,080 Speaker 2: you know, he had told me so much it became 564 00:31:04,120 --> 00:31:07,120 Speaker 2: a joke. And so I tell myself, like, why would 565 00:31:07,160 --> 00:31:09,440 Speaker 2: you need a condom if you had a mysegnamin? 566 00:31:11,800 --> 00:31:14,520 Speaker 4: And then the pornography collection, why would you have a 567 00:31:14,520 --> 00:31:18,840 Speaker 4: pornography collection out there's it's just there feels there are 568 00:31:18,880 --> 00:31:23,000 Speaker 4: some very overtly sexual elements that are a part of 569 00:31:23,040 --> 00:31:25,680 Speaker 4: the crime scenes. I think there's definitely something going on there. 570 00:31:27,000 --> 00:31:30,440 Speaker 1: Not only that, but Norma was found with long blonde 571 00:31:30,520 --> 00:31:34,560 Speaker 1: hairs in her hands and those hairs were never tested 572 00:31:34,640 --> 00:31:35,840 Speaker 1: for the original trial. 573 00:31:37,040 --> 00:31:39,120 Speaker 4: They did not test the hair in the dead woman's hand, 574 00:31:40,640 --> 00:31:44,800 Speaker 4: which is just befuddling to me. You know, if you're 575 00:31:44,840 --> 00:31:48,959 Speaker 4: truly investigating, truly trying to find out who did this that, 576 00:31:49,160 --> 00:31:51,280 Speaker 4: what would you do? Like, you don't have to be 577 00:31:51,320 --> 00:31:54,760 Speaker 4: an investigator, don't have to have FBI training or anything advanced. 578 00:31:54,800 --> 00:31:57,080 Speaker 4: What do you do? You test the hair in the 579 00:31:57,080 --> 00:32:01,040 Speaker 4: dead woman's hands? But they didn't do that, so to 580 00:32:01,040 --> 00:32:03,400 Speaker 4: this day, we don't know who that hair belongs to. 581 00:32:11,400 --> 00:32:14,560 Speaker 1: Since Alison and the Innocence Project of Texas have taken 582 00:32:14,600 --> 00:32:18,400 Speaker 1: Brandon's case, they have actively fought for DNA testing of 583 00:32:18,480 --> 00:32:21,480 Speaker 1: the hair and any other items that exist from the 584 00:32:21,480 --> 00:32:22,120 Speaker 1: crime scene. 585 00:32:22,960 --> 00:32:25,080 Speaker 4: Is that evidence still available for us to go look at? 586 00:32:25,120 --> 00:32:28,760 Speaker 4: I don't know. We filed requests with you know, law enforcement, 587 00:32:28,800 --> 00:32:31,560 Speaker 4: with the DA's office. We're trying to figure out, you know, 588 00:32:31,600 --> 00:32:34,040 Speaker 4: where's the hair what about everything else. I don't know 589 00:32:34,040 --> 00:32:35,520 Speaker 4: where those things are at. I don't know if they 590 00:32:35,520 --> 00:32:38,640 Speaker 4: have been maintained. They should have been, but i mean, 591 00:32:38,680 --> 00:32:40,920 Speaker 4: come on, at Texas. Just because it should it doesn't 592 00:32:40,960 --> 00:32:41,640 Speaker 4: mean it happened. 593 00:32:44,520 --> 00:32:47,400 Speaker 1: While Brandon waits, he concentrates on the future he'll have 594 00:32:47,440 --> 00:32:48,440 Speaker 1: when he's out. 595 00:32:49,120 --> 00:32:51,440 Speaker 2: You know, growing up, I've always wanted to adopt a kid, 596 00:32:51,800 --> 00:32:54,280 Speaker 2: like I've even told you know, my girlfriend at the time. 597 00:32:54,320 --> 00:32:55,960 Speaker 2: I was like, hey, you know, if we ever have kids, 598 00:32:56,000 --> 00:32:57,840 Speaker 2: like I would rather have like one on my own 599 00:32:57,880 --> 00:33:00,520 Speaker 2: and adopt one. In college, I was a part of 600 00:33:00,520 --> 00:33:03,040 Speaker 2: the Big Brother Little Brother program, and so that really 601 00:33:03,080 --> 00:33:05,760 Speaker 2: opened my eyes to you know, there's a lot of 602 00:33:05,840 --> 00:33:09,840 Speaker 2: kids and you know, a lot less fortunate places and situations. 603 00:33:10,520 --> 00:33:13,120 Speaker 2: Now I look, you know, looking at myself now, I'm like, okay, 604 00:33:13,120 --> 00:33:15,440 Speaker 2: you're thirty six. You might be thirty seven or thirty 605 00:33:15,520 --> 00:33:18,520 Speaker 2: eight before something, you know, goes on with your case. 606 00:33:19,080 --> 00:33:21,640 Speaker 2: And then at least for a couple of years, I 607 00:33:21,720 --> 00:33:23,440 Speaker 2: want to just hang out and spend time with the 608 00:33:23,440 --> 00:33:24,360 Speaker 2: people who took care. 609 00:33:24,240 --> 00:33:27,400 Speaker 1: Of me, especially his grandma Bonnie. 610 00:33:28,640 --> 00:33:31,160 Speaker 2: My grandmother's like a very avid traveler, and I'm just 611 00:33:31,240 --> 00:33:33,480 Speaker 2: like me and me look one day when I come home, 612 00:33:33,560 --> 00:33:35,360 Speaker 2: we're not going to sit down like I don't want 613 00:33:35,400 --> 00:33:38,080 Speaker 2: to be idle. I've been idle for too long now. 614 00:33:39,560 --> 00:33:42,640 Speaker 1: But in thinking about all the people who were there 615 00:33:42,680 --> 00:33:45,360 Speaker 1: for him, Brendan can't help but think about the people 616 00:33:45,400 --> 00:33:47,840 Speaker 1: who weren't, like his sister Charla. 617 00:33:47,920 --> 00:33:49,680 Speaker 2: You know, it's been over ten years and I can 618 00:33:49,720 --> 00:33:53,960 Speaker 2: still remember some of the things she said, and yet 619 00:33:54,000 --> 00:33:57,400 Speaker 2: I still love my sister. So it's it's really, you know, 620 00:33:57,480 --> 00:33:59,440 Speaker 2: a torn, torn feeling right there. 621 00:34:01,360 --> 00:34:04,640 Speaker 1: Brendan says that although his parents are gone, they're always 622 00:34:04,680 --> 00:34:07,800 Speaker 1: with him, and that inspires him to keep going. 623 00:34:12,400 --> 00:34:14,080 Speaker 2: It's a lot more personal than what a lot of 624 00:34:14,080 --> 00:34:16,880 Speaker 2: people think. People are thinking, oh, well, you know, the 625 00:34:16,920 --> 00:34:18,879 Speaker 2: truth is going to come out one day, but there's 626 00:34:19,000 --> 00:34:21,239 Speaker 2: you know, there's not justice for me right now, but 627 00:34:21,239 --> 00:34:26,319 Speaker 2: there's also not justice for my parents either, And so 628 00:34:26,400 --> 00:34:28,319 Speaker 2: I told myself, you know, I'm gonna make this count. 629 00:34:28,400 --> 00:34:32,480 Speaker 2: Like my parents need, you know, justice, but they also need, 630 00:34:32,800 --> 00:34:38,040 Speaker 2: you know, some change in Texas. Something good can come 631 00:34:38,080 --> 00:34:40,560 Speaker 2: from this, and maybe that can be like my parents' 632 00:34:40,640 --> 00:34:44,680 Speaker 2: legacy is to help what needs to be fixed in 633 00:34:44,719 --> 00:34:47,600 Speaker 2: the justice system. I don't want this to just be 634 00:34:47,760 --> 00:34:50,680 Speaker 2: like Okay, Well, he's innocent, he's free, and we're going 635 00:34:50,760 --> 00:34:52,480 Speaker 2: to let this go. I mean, I think there needs 636 00:34:52,480 --> 00:34:55,200 Speaker 2: to be at least some change, because this should never, ever, 637 00:34:55,280 --> 00:34:57,239 Speaker 2: ever have happened to me, and it definitely shouldn't happen 638 00:34:57,239 --> 00:34:57,760 Speaker 2: in the future. 639 00:35:03,640 --> 00:35:06,239 Speaker 1: To learn more about Brandon's case and show your support, 640 00:35:06,400 --> 00:35:09,200 Speaker 1: visit Freebrandon dot org and you can sign a petition 641 00:35:09,239 --> 00:35:18,080 Speaker 1: for his exoneration at change dot org. Next time, on 642 00:35:18,200 --> 00:35:22,520 Speaker 1: Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Freeling, Deb Nichols. 643 00:35:22,239 --> 00:35:24,840 Speaker 5: You could see the emergency lights since we were coming 644 00:35:24,920 --> 00:35:29,399 Speaker 5: up the street, and I got out of the car 645 00:35:29,400 --> 00:35:32,960 Speaker 5: and started rounding around the corner and it was my 646 00:35:33,120 --> 00:35:37,759 Speaker 5: house and it was on fire. I was literally terrified, 647 00:35:38,040 --> 00:35:40,840 Speaker 5: and my brain was like, I just I need to 648 00:35:40,880 --> 00:35:44,360 Speaker 5: get to the back and make sure the kids are okay. 649 00:35:49,239 --> 00:35:52,400 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Freeling. Please 650 00:35:52,400 --> 00:35:55,480 Speaker 1: support your local innocence organizations and go to the links 651 00:35:55,480 --> 00:35:57,799 Speaker 1: in our bio to see how you can help. I'd 652 00:35:57,840 --> 00:36:01,280 Speaker 1: like to thank our executive producers Jason and Kevin Wordis, 653 00:36:01,480 --> 00:36:05,360 Speaker 1: as well as our senior producer Annie Chelsea, producer Lyla Robinson, 654 00:36:05,480 --> 00:36:08,680 Speaker 1: and story editor Sonia Paul The show is edited and 655 00:36:08,800 --> 00:36:12,400 Speaker 1: mixed by Annie Chelsea, with additional production by Jeff Cliburn 656 00:36:12,520 --> 00:36:15,560 Speaker 1: and Connor Hall. The music in this production is by 657 00:36:15,600 --> 00:36:19,200 Speaker 1: three time OSCAR nominated composer Jay Ralph. Be sure to 658 00:36:19,239 --> 00:36:22,680 Speaker 1: follow us on Instagram at Wrongful Conviction, on Facebook at 659 00:36:22,680 --> 00:36:26,719 Speaker 1: Wrongful Conviction Podcast, and on Twitter at wrong Conviction, as 660 00:36:26,760 --> 00:36:29,600 Speaker 1: well as at Lava for Good. On all three platforms, 661 00:36:29,920 --> 00:36:32,640 Speaker 1: you can also follow me on both Instagram and Twitter 662 00:36:32,800 --> 00:36:36,239 Speaker 1: at Maggie Freeling. Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Freeling is a 663 00:36:36,239 --> 00:36:39,840 Speaker 1: production of Lava for Good Podcasts in association with Signal 664 00:36:39,840 --> 00:37:01,239 Speaker 1: Company Number one