A month later, along with his associates nonetheless in jail, Woodruff was referred to as to testify earlier than a grand jury. Detectives spoke with him beforehand, and of their subsequent experiences they claimed that he gave them new particulars in regards to the crime. Based on a detective’s memo, Woodruff mentioned that one in all his associates had urged all of them go to Fillmore Avenue that evening, as a result of “perhaps any individual in one of many bars has cashed a test,” and that two of them went into the Golden Nugget, after which they advised the others about “an previous white dude on the bar with some cash.” The teenager-agers allegedly “waited until the white man crossed Fillmore Avenue,” and, when he did, Gibson “hit the person in regards to the head and face with the piece of pipe he had up his sleeve.”
When Woodruff was introduced earlier than the grand jury, he repeated a few of these particulars. Timothy J. Drury, the lead prosecutor, was taking notes that day, and even he seems to have had doubts in regards to the veracity of Woodruff’s testimony. Drury’s notes reveal that he was nonetheless contemplating two different suspects—Watson and one other man. In the event that they had been culpable, that might imply, he wrote, utilizing Woodruff’s nickname, that “Tony is mendacity.”
Walker and the opposite three associates couldn’t perceive why Woodruff was telling lies that might ship them to jail for many years. In March of 1976, Walker wrote from jail to a pal that he didn’t know what was occurring with Woodruff. Remembering that point, Walker not too long ago advised me, “We couldn’t consider it. How might he do one thing like this?” The 4 would discuss what they “needed to do to Tony, on the time, for what he was doing to us.”
Woodruff has described himself on the time as “quiet and confused.” He by no means confided in his dad and mom about giving false testimony, as a result of, he mentioned, “I didn’t know go about it. I didn’t know talk with them.” He advised me that, earlier than he testified, Drury formed his story. When he tried to think about particulars of the crime, the prosecutor would reply with steering resembling “It couldn’t occur like that. Properly, perhaps it occurred like this.” (Drury has repeatedly denied any misconduct within the case.) Woodruff recalled pondering, about his predicament, “‘Man, I accomplished dug myself into some bullshit that I don’t know get out of.’” He added, “I ought to’ve simply mentioned, ‘You understand what? I ain’t doing nothing. Y’all do what y’all bought to do.’ ”
As an alternative, in 1977, he took the witness stand at 4 separate trials to testify towards his 4 associates. Every time, he was offered as the one eyewitness to the crime. Protection attorneys identified inconsistencies in his statements and argued that he was mendacity, with Boyd’s lawyer saying that the decide ought to dismiss the indictment as a result of Woodruff’s testimony was “uncorroborated” and “unbelievable.” Woodruff gave an incorrect time, date, and place for the homicide, the lawyer famous; “he couldn’t establish the sufferer, he couldn’t establish the home.” Drury advised the jurors, “Look, if we had fed Woodruff stuff, you wouldn’t have that blithering fool up there speaking like he did. He can be loads smoother.”
Drury added, “He’s a ghetto child. . . . He’s a snook. You noticed him—he’s an fool, a nitwit.” However, the prosecutor continued, “I’m asking you to consider him.” Walker, Gibson, and Boyd had been convicted of second-degree homicide and despatched into the state’s adult-prison system. Martin, who went on trial final, was acquitted. Martin’s lawyer later defined {that a} crime-scene photograph that he had acquired had been essential to the acquittal however that he didn’t know if the opposite protection attorneys had been given it. As he recalled, the photograph confirmed a single set of footprints within the snow strolling from the crime scene—proof, he argued, that there had been just one assailant.
Tyrone Woodruff photographed on January 11, 2026.
