Defense To Appeal 22-Years To Life Sentence For Trucker In Girlfriend's Murder Outside Hotel In Patchogue

RIVERSIDE, NY — A defense attorney for the Yaphank long-haul trucker, who was sentenced 22 years to life in prison on Wednesday for murdering his girlfriend, says he plans to file an appeal.

Willie Hart, 61, was convicted in October of murdering his girlfriend, Candace Woodruff, 37, in 2023.

One of his defense attorneys, John Halverson of Patchogue, told Patch that he and his client respect the jury's decision.

"We disagree with it, and we will be filing an appeal," he added.

His co-counsel, Tara LaTerza of East Moriches, also said she respects the jury's verdict.

“Mr. Hart maintains his innocence and will be pursuing a full appeal,” she added.

An appeal must be filed within 30 days.

Suffolk District Attorney Ray Tierney, whose office tried the case, said that the "powerful" victim impact statement made by Woodruff’s mother "is a painful testament to the irreparable harm the defendant has caused."

"We hope that today’s sentence brings Candace’s family some semblance of peace," he added.

Just before 3 a.m. on May 29, 2023, Hart, called police and claimed he had found Woodruff unresponsive on the floor of his tractor cab, which was parked near the Shore Motor Inn in Patchogue, prosecutors said.

When police arrived at the scene, they saw Woodruff on the ground in front of the tractor cab, not breathing, and officers saw and photographed scratches on the defendant’s face, which at the time were actively bleeding, according to prosecutors.

Police and medical staff saw injuries to Woodruff’s body, including facial and neck abrasions, neck soft tissue hemorrhage, head and neck contusions, and minor contusions and abrasions to her extremities, prosecutors said.

Woodruff was ultimately taken to what was then Long Island Community Hospital in East Patchogue, where she was pronounced dead, according to prosecutors.

Suffolk's medical examiner's office determined Woodruff’s cause of death was asphyxia
by neck compression, and the investigation revealed that when she first arrived at the motel, she did not have visible injuries, prosecutors said.

Video surveillance showed Woodruff leave her motel room at 1:25 a.m. with several bags and
enter the tractor cab parked near the motel, and showed Hart watching her head in the direction of the trailer cab, according to prosecutors.

Around nine minutes later, he left the motel room and went inside the trailer cab, where he remained there with Woodruff for around 35 minutes, during which time a struggle between the two was captured on video surveillance, prosecutors said.

After getting out of the cab, Hart touched the side of his face in the same location that police later noted the presence of blood, and casually walked back to the motel room, where he retrieved a bag, placed the bag in a car, and then returned to the trailer cab in a disheveled state, and missing the necklace that video surveillance previously captured him wearing, according to prosecutors.

Hart did all of this before calling 911, prosecutors said.

Evidence processing of the trailer cab found clear evidence of a struggle, and the cabin was covered front to back with Ramen rice, which were also recovered from Woodruff’s mouth, according to prosecutors said.

Jewelry consistent with that worn by Woodruff and Hart was found on the floor of the cab, according to prosecutors.