Susan Woods Murder: The Truth Behind Her Tragic Death

May 2024 · 4 minute read

Susan Woods murder occurred on July 28, 1987. The community was shocked by the tragic story of the murder case. 

Since high school, they had developed a tight bond. They were both born on April 6, the same day. 

The other friend was devastated later on when one of these close friends was discovered dead in a bathtub.

After the incident, Hayes quickly developed suspicions about Susan’s ex-spouse, but the police investigation did not find any evidence to support this belief. 

For approximately 20 years, the case remained unsolved until Lt. Don Miller from the Stephenville Police Department reopened the investigation. 

The subsequent revelation left everyone involved shocked and filled with disbelief.

Recently, an episode of Investigation Discovery’s ‘On the Case with Paula Zahn’ delves into the tragic narrative of Susan Woods, titled ‘Evidence Never Lies.’ 

This episode presents the heart-wrenching crime through personal interviews with Woods’ closest friend, parents, and others.

How did Susan die?

Susan Woods’ father discovered the horrible discovery on July 28, 1987, in Stephenville, Texas. He discovered his daughter’s lifeless corpse partially submerged in the bathtub at her house. 

The detectives came to the conclusion that Susan had passed suddenly after two to three days. The physicians eventually learned that she may have been strangled or drowned after she died from lack of breathing. 

Sadly, there was proof that before she died too soon, someone had attempted to damage her improperly.

When Susan died, she was going through a divorce. Cindy Hayes, Susan’s best friend, asserts that she listened to a cassette tape left by Michael Woods, Susan’s ex-husband. 

The tape contained deeply offensive and vulgar remarks made by Michael about Susan, her family, and her friends. 

Cindy naturally became suspicious of Michael upon hearing the tape. The police, too, focused their attention on Michael and kept him under suspicion for two decades.

Cindy and Susan met in high school when they were both in the school band and played the clarinet. They went to a concert once, a Michael Jackson show. 

Cindy explained that her cousin, Joseph Scott Hatley, was also part of the group that went to the concert, but he and Susan weren’t very close friends. 

They only met in person three times, according to Cindy. When Susan died, the investigation didn’t find any critical clues. 

The police checked the crime scene at the beginning and saw that no one had forced their way into Susan’s home. 

This made them think Susan might have known the person who hurt her. However, after 20 years with no solution, Lt. Don Miller from the Stephenville Police Department decided to start investigating again. What happened next shocked everyone.

Who was Susan Woods killer? 

Susan Woods passed away at the hands of Joseph Scott Hatley, who just so happened to be Cindy Hayes’ first cousin.

Michael Woods, Susan’s ex-husband, was subjected to numerous interviews throughout the drawn-out investigation, but nothing was learned, and the matter went unresolved for 20 years.

Michael and Susan were wed for five and a half years before getting a divorce. After that, Michael relocated to Indianapolis.

Although their divorce had not been formalized, Michael was the main suspect in Susan’sslaying, according to the police. They attempted to collect enough proof to show his complicity but were unable.

After two decades, Lieutenant Miller decided to reopen the case, embracing advanced DNA profiling techniques in forensic analysis. 

He recalled his observations of Susan and the crime scene, noting specific indications that suggested a possible struggle had occurred. 

Fingerprints collected from the scene and DNA obtained from cigarette butts were analyzed against a database to find a match. 

They were surprised to find that these bits of information pointed them toward Joseph Hatley, an odd suspect who had never been noticed by the authorities before.

Susan’s ex-husband, Michael Woods, was subjected to numerous interviews throughout the drawn-out investigation, but nothing was learned, and the matter went unresolved for 20 years.

The ex-pair  were wed for five and a half years before getting a divorce. After that, Michael relocated to Indianapolis.

He was discovered in Round Rock on June 6, 2006, and taken in for interrogation. Hatley admitted to killing Susan in 2007 and consented to a plea agreement. 

To the ire and dismay of the family, Hatley was freed from prison after only 11 years, despite the plea agreement’s terms calling for a 30-year sentence.

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