Long-Haul Trucker Found Guilty Of Murdering His Girlfriend Outside Suffolk Hotel: DA

PATCHOGUE, NY — A long-haul trucker was found guilty Wednesday of murdering his girlfriend in the cab of his truck outside a Patchogue motel, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said.

Willie Hart, 61, of Yaphank, was found guilty of second-degree murder in the death of his girlfriend Candace Woodruff, 37, of Texas, Tierney said.

The evidence at trial established that on May 29, 2023, at about 2:25 a.m., Hart called police and claimed that he had discovered his girlfriend Woodruff unresponsive on the floor of his tractor cab, which was parked near the Shore Motor Inn in Patchogue, Tierney said.

When police arrived at the scene, they saw Woodruff on the ground in front of the tractor cab, not breathing, the DA said. Police observed and photographed scratches on Hart's face, which at the time were actively bleeding, Tierney said.

Police and medical staff then observed 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, Tierney said.

Woodruff was ultimately transported to Long Island Community Hospital, where she was pronounced deceased, the DA said.

The Suffolk County Medical Examiner determined that Woodruff’s cause of death was asphyxia by neck compression, Tierney said. The investigation revealed that when Woodruff first arrived at the motel, she did not have visible injuries, the DA said.

Video surveillance showed Woodruff leave her motel room at 1:25 a.m. with several bags and enter the tractor cab parked in the vicinity of the motel, Tierney said. The video also showed Hart watching her head in the direction of the trailer cab, the DA said.

About nine minutes later, he left the motel room and entered the trailer cab; he remained there with Woodruff for approximately 35 minutes; during that time, a struggle between the two was captured on video surveillance, Tierney said.

After exiting the cab, Hart touched the side of his face in the same location that police later noted the presence of blood, the DA said.

He 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, Tierney said.

Hart did all of this before calling 911, the DA noted.

Evidence processing of the trailer cab revealed clear evidence of a struggle, Tierney said. The cabin was covered front to back with ramen rice, which was also recovered from Woodruff’s mouth, Tierney said.

Jewelry consistent with that worn by Woodruff and Hart was recovered from the floor of the cab, the DA said.

On Wednesday, Hart was convicted after a jury trial, heard before Supreme Court Justice Richard Ambro; he was convicted on one count of second-degree murder, a Class A felony, the DA said.

Hart is due back in court on December 3 for sentencing and faces up to 25 years to life in prison, Tierney said.

He is being represented by John Halverson and Tara LaTerza; neither was immediately available for comment.

Suffolk County’s S.T.O.P. Violence Against Women Program offers information, referrals to resources for further help and emotional support to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, Tierney said.

"The defendant behaved cowardly and callously when he took his girlfriend’s life," said Tierney. "I am relieved that the jury has held him responsible for his actions. I urge anyone who is in a relationship involving violence to call 911 or Suffolk County’s S.T.O.P. Violence Against Women Program at 631-853-8222."