GoPackGo
04-17-2007, 12:43 PM
With draft day approaching, I thought this would be a fitting time to share this little known fact in Green Bay Packer history.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randall_Woodfield
An Excerpt from The Serial Killer Letters
RANDALL WOODFIELD
BACKGROUND
Randall Brent Woodfield’s childhood was not filled with horrifying abuse and neglect like so many of the men I corresponded with. In fact it was just the opposite. He was a cherished son in a close-knit and supportive family, a star athlete and an accomplished student who was admired and respected by most of those who knew him. Charming, handsome, brimming with possibility and promise, Randall Woodfield could have done great things with his life. Tragically, things didn’t work out that way. He is now a convicted killer who will spend the rest of his life in prison.
The first sign that there was something wrong with Randall was when he was caught, at the age of 11, exposing himself to women. He also seemed to have a problem with anger. Even though his concerned parents sent him to see a therapist, no one seemed to pick up on the seriousness of his problems, or if they did, they certainly weren’t able to help him. The "flashing" continued and before long, Woodfield started committing petty thefts and burglaries.
At Treasure Valley Community College in Ontario, Oregon, Woodfield excelled in just about every sport, especially in football. But his problems had not gone away. He was arrested for breaking into a girlfriend’s house and trashing her bedroom. (Due to a lack of evidence, a jury found him not guilty and all charges were dropped.) In 1971, Woodfield transferred to Portland State University where he became a born-again Christian. He took religion very seriously, but it didn’t seem to interfere with his need to expose himself to women. He was arrested repeatedly during the next few years for indecent exposure.
Woodfield’s dream finally came true in 1973 when he was drafted by the Green Bay Packers. However, once training started, he was cut from the team — a monumental disappointment that devastated him. Angry and depressed, Woodfield promptly dropped out of college — just three semesters away from graduation. At age 25, things didn’t look too bright for Randall. He had no money, no job, no prospects.
In 1975, after being caught red-handed trying to rob a woman at knife point, Woodfield was sentenced to ten years in Oregon State Prison. Paroled after only four years, he was back on the streets. The crimes continued, but by now they had escalated far beyond flashing and petty theft.
In 1981, a spate of rapes and murders began to occur along the long stretch of Interstate 5 that runs through Oregon and Washington. The killer eluded frustrated police for a long time, especially because the attacks were occurring in so many different counties that it was hard for police to coordinate investigations. The first murders attributed to the "I-5 Killer" were in Keiser, Oregon, in 1981, when Shari Hull and Lisa Garcia were sexually molested and shot. Shari Hull died, but Lisa Garcia survived the attack, despite two extremely bloody gunshot wounds to the head. The next murder was in Redding, California, where 37-year-old Donna Eckard and her 14-year-old stepdaughter, Janell, were raped and murdered. Two weeks later in Beaverton, Oregon, Julie Reitz was found shot to death in her home. And there were many more victims that police suspected had died at the hands of the "I-5 Killer."
In addition to Lisa Garcia, there were other women who lived to give a description of the man who attacked them: white male, 25 to 30 years old, 6', 175 pounds, brown hair, short beard and mustache, Band-Aid across the nose, using a small nickel- or chrome-plated revolver, driving a gold VW. Finally, many victims later, the name Randall Woodfield popped up while police were investigating the murder of Julie Reitz. Not only did Woodfield match the description exactly, but subsequent investigations turned up enough evidence that police were sure they had finally caught the "I-5 Killer."
Randall Woodfield was 30 years old at the time of his arrest. All told, he was charged with sodomy, attempted kidnapping, robbery, attempted murder and murder. He pleaded innocent on all charges. In the end, although suspected in as many as 18 murders, Woodfield was charged and convicted of only two murders. He is now serving a life sentence plus 157 years, in Oregon State Prison.
Woodfield admits to a history of exhibitionism and robbery, but murder? "No way!...I’m really innocent of this terrible murder charge." Woodfield says that the "real" killer is a man named Larry Moore. Woodfield also believes that he is an innocent victim of a legal conspiracy. "Something [about my case] stinks of corruption by a resigned D.A., a demoted lead detective and a judge [who retired] soon after my case."
Woodfield didn’t seem to hate women — that is, with the exception of true-crime author Ann Rule, who he unsuccessfully attempted to sue for libel for her book about him, The I-5 Killer. He wanted to make sure that I thought Ann Rule was all wrong in her estimation of him and it was clear he had read her book carefully. "You think Ann Rule lied about me having ‘shark’ eyes? Maybe I just looked a little scared or depressed in my bogus trial for murder? Ya think?" He also denies her accusation that he has small hands, herpes and a low I.Q.
Of all my correspondents, no one was more eager than Randall to get me to visit. When I finally did visit him, he was every bit as handsome as everyone says he is (he is gorgeous — and he knows it). He was also extremely convincing in his pleas of innocence. He even cried. I must confess that I had a hard time not believing him. He later wrote: "So you see Jenny, I may not be an angel, but I’m definitely not a killer, or rapist of women! I have confessed and repented my sins, crimes, etc. But I will fight ‘til my dying day to show the conspiracy to convict me for murder, and that I was robbing people.... I never harmed people." If Randall Woodfield is telling the truth that he’s innocent, then a terrible injustice has certainly occurred. If he’s guilty, you just have to wonder how such a promising young man could have turned into a maniacal rapist and killer.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randall_Woodfield
An Excerpt from The Serial Killer Letters
RANDALL WOODFIELD
BACKGROUND
Randall Brent Woodfield’s childhood was not filled with horrifying abuse and neglect like so many of the men I corresponded with. In fact it was just the opposite. He was a cherished son in a close-knit and supportive family, a star athlete and an accomplished student who was admired and respected by most of those who knew him. Charming, handsome, brimming with possibility and promise, Randall Woodfield could have done great things with his life. Tragically, things didn’t work out that way. He is now a convicted killer who will spend the rest of his life in prison.
The first sign that there was something wrong with Randall was when he was caught, at the age of 11, exposing himself to women. He also seemed to have a problem with anger. Even though his concerned parents sent him to see a therapist, no one seemed to pick up on the seriousness of his problems, or if they did, they certainly weren’t able to help him. The "flashing" continued and before long, Woodfield started committing petty thefts and burglaries.
At Treasure Valley Community College in Ontario, Oregon, Woodfield excelled in just about every sport, especially in football. But his problems had not gone away. He was arrested for breaking into a girlfriend’s house and trashing her bedroom. (Due to a lack of evidence, a jury found him not guilty and all charges were dropped.) In 1971, Woodfield transferred to Portland State University where he became a born-again Christian. He took religion very seriously, but it didn’t seem to interfere with his need to expose himself to women. He was arrested repeatedly during the next few years for indecent exposure.
Woodfield’s dream finally came true in 1973 when he was drafted by the Green Bay Packers. However, once training started, he was cut from the team — a monumental disappointment that devastated him. Angry and depressed, Woodfield promptly dropped out of college — just three semesters away from graduation. At age 25, things didn’t look too bright for Randall. He had no money, no job, no prospects.
In 1975, after being caught red-handed trying to rob a woman at knife point, Woodfield was sentenced to ten years in Oregon State Prison. Paroled after only four years, he was back on the streets. The crimes continued, but by now they had escalated far beyond flashing and petty theft.
In 1981, a spate of rapes and murders began to occur along the long stretch of Interstate 5 that runs through Oregon and Washington. The killer eluded frustrated police for a long time, especially because the attacks were occurring in so many different counties that it was hard for police to coordinate investigations. The first murders attributed to the "I-5 Killer" were in Keiser, Oregon, in 1981, when Shari Hull and Lisa Garcia were sexually molested and shot. Shari Hull died, but Lisa Garcia survived the attack, despite two extremely bloody gunshot wounds to the head. The next murder was in Redding, California, where 37-year-old Donna Eckard and her 14-year-old stepdaughter, Janell, were raped and murdered. Two weeks later in Beaverton, Oregon, Julie Reitz was found shot to death in her home. And there were many more victims that police suspected had died at the hands of the "I-5 Killer."
In addition to Lisa Garcia, there were other women who lived to give a description of the man who attacked them: white male, 25 to 30 years old, 6', 175 pounds, brown hair, short beard and mustache, Band-Aid across the nose, using a small nickel- or chrome-plated revolver, driving a gold VW. Finally, many victims later, the name Randall Woodfield popped up while police were investigating the murder of Julie Reitz. Not only did Woodfield match the description exactly, but subsequent investigations turned up enough evidence that police were sure they had finally caught the "I-5 Killer."
Randall Woodfield was 30 years old at the time of his arrest. All told, he was charged with sodomy, attempted kidnapping, robbery, attempted murder and murder. He pleaded innocent on all charges. In the end, although suspected in as many as 18 murders, Woodfield was charged and convicted of only two murders. He is now serving a life sentence plus 157 years, in Oregon State Prison.
Woodfield admits to a history of exhibitionism and robbery, but murder? "No way!...I’m really innocent of this terrible murder charge." Woodfield says that the "real" killer is a man named Larry Moore. Woodfield also believes that he is an innocent victim of a legal conspiracy. "Something [about my case] stinks of corruption by a resigned D.A., a demoted lead detective and a judge [who retired] soon after my case."
Woodfield didn’t seem to hate women — that is, with the exception of true-crime author Ann Rule, who he unsuccessfully attempted to sue for libel for her book about him, The I-5 Killer. He wanted to make sure that I thought Ann Rule was all wrong in her estimation of him and it was clear he had read her book carefully. "You think Ann Rule lied about me having ‘shark’ eyes? Maybe I just looked a little scared or depressed in my bogus trial for murder? Ya think?" He also denies her accusation that he has small hands, herpes and a low I.Q.
Of all my correspondents, no one was more eager than Randall to get me to visit. When I finally did visit him, he was every bit as handsome as everyone says he is (he is gorgeous — and he knows it). He was also extremely convincing in his pleas of innocence. He even cried. I must confess that I had a hard time not believing him. He later wrote: "So you see Jenny, I may not be an angel, but I’m definitely not a killer, or rapist of women! I have confessed and repented my sins, crimes, etc. But I will fight ‘til my dying day to show the conspiracy to convict me for murder, and that I was robbing people.... I never harmed people." If Randall Woodfield is telling the truth that he’s innocent, then a terrible injustice has certainly occurred. If he’s guilty, you just have to wonder how such a promising young man could have turned into a maniacal rapist and killer.