Suffolk Man Accused Of Killing Girlfriend Charged With Murder: DA

PATCHOGUE, NY — A Yaphank man accused of killing his girlfriend earlier this year was arrested Sunday and charged with second-degree murder, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said Monday.

Willie Hart, 59, of Yaphank, faces a second-degree murder charge after he was accused of killing Candace Woodruff, 37, of Texas, the DA said. If convicted, Hart faces 25 years to life in prison.

"The alleged actions of this defendant were not only cowardly, but they were also callous and reprehensible," Tierney said in a news release. "We will pursue this case vigorously to ensure the defendant is held responsible for his actions, and, hopefully, the victim and her family receive a small measure of justice."

Hart pleaded not guilty, his lawyer, Chris Brocato, told Patch on Tuesday.

Hart, a long-haul trucker, called police around 2:25 a.m. May 29 and told police he found his girlfriend, Woodruff, unresponsive on the floor of his tractor cab, which was parked near a motel in Patchogue, prosecutors said. Police saw Woodruff on the ground in front of the tractor cab not breathing, officials said. Police took photos of Woodruff's facial injuries, which were still bleeding at the time, authorities said.

Woodruff's injuries included facial and neck cuts, neck soft tissue hemorrhage, head and neck bruises, and minor bruising and cuts to her extremities, investigators said. Woodruff was pronounced dead at Long Island Community Hospital, the DA said.

Woodruff died of asphyxia by neck compression, the Suffolk County Medical Examiner told police, officials said.

"We're really eager to scrutinize the people's evidence, particularly the coroner's report," Brocato said.

Woodruff did not have visible injuries when she left the motel room and headed to the tractor cab, the investigation team said.

A witness said Woodruff left her motel room at approximately 1:25 a.m., crying, after an argument with Hart, authorities said. Woodruff left the motel room with several bags and got into the tractor cab parked near the motel, prosecutors said.

Approximately nine minutes later, Hart was seen leaving the motel room for the trailer cab and getting in, the DA said. Hart remained in the trailer with Woodruff for 37 minutes before surveillance footage captured a struggle between the two, Tierney's office said.

After exiting the cab, Hart sat outside the trailer and "casually" walked back to the motel room, where he retrieved a bag, placed the bag in a car, and returned to the trailer cab, all before
calling 911, prosecutors said.

There was evidence of a struggle in the trailer cab, authorities said. The cabin was covered front to back with Ramen noodles, which were also recovered from Woodruff’s mouth, and jewelry consistent with that worn by Woodruff and Hart was recovered from the floor of the cab, investigators said. Hart was "disheveled" with blood on his face after returning from the cab, the DA said.

Hart was arraigned Monday. The justice remanded Hart into custody while his case is decided. He is scheduled to return to court Nov. 15.