Going West: True Crime

Episode 563 – Catherine Woods
Release Date: December 12, 2025
Host: Daphne Woolsoncroft (solo, Heath Merryman absent)

Episode Overview

This episode delves into the 2005 murder of Catherine Woods, an ambitious 21-year-old dancer found brutally slain in her Manhattan apartment. Daphne explores Catherine’s journey to New York City to pursue her dream of Broadway, her complicated relationships, and the subsequent obsessive behaviors, betrayals, and jealousies that culminated in tragedy. The case dives deep into the investigation, evidence, and eventual conviction of one of her lovers, Paul Cortez, while lingering questions and doubts remain.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Catherine Woods: Childhood and Ambition

• Background: Born June 1984, Worthington, Ohio. Grew up immersed in music and performing arts due to her father's occupation as a music professor and marching band leader.
• Dancing Dream: Began dance at age 3, skilled in ballet, jazz, tap, and modern dance. Her goal: to dance in Broadway musicals.
• Early Independence: Graduated high school six months early in 2002, immediately left for New York (01:32 - 04:15).
• Setback: At 17, her first NYC roommate (a mid-30s man in Brooklyn) assaulted her. She reported the rape, but charges were dropped when she didn't testify. Nonetheless, Catherine persisted and returned to NYC after two months (04:16 - 05:10).

Pursuing the NYC Dream

• Family Pressure vs. Drive: Parents encouraged college (Ohio State dance program), but Catherine feared falling behind her peers (05:11 - 06:13).
• Early Relationships:
  • David Hahn ("City270"): Met summer 2002, an aspiring rapper from Ohio. Moved to NYC to be with her by September 2002. Their relationship dynamic: she supported him financially and emotionally as he struggled to make it in the city.
  • Living together led to strain; David’s lack of contribution caused growing resentment, leading Catherine to end their romantic relationship by fall 2005 (06:14 - 09:05).
• Financial Independence & Secrets:
  • Catherine began dancing at gentlemen’s clubs (Privilege and Flash Dancers) but hid this from family, claiming restaurant work. The job gave her financial freedom to afford classes and gym memberships that furthered her dance dreams (09:06 - 10:37).

Complex Romances and Obsession

• Meeting Paul Cortez:
  • Met in August 2004 at Equinox gym where Paul was a trainer. He was ambitious, a performer and musician with a difficult upbringing but impressive academic and extracurricular achievements (10:38 - 13:00).
  • Started dating during a rough patch with David.
• Red Flags:
  • Paul turned out to be possessive and increasingly jealous, especially about Catherine's job and living situation with David.
  • His protectiveness blurred into control; he showed up unannounced, confronted David. After Catherine broke up with him, Paul retaliated by calling her parents and revealing (some true, some fabricated) secrets about her work (13:01 - 15:32).
  • Quote: “It certainly shows what a petty piece of shit he is that he's trying to get back at her by possibly destroying her relationship with her parents. Right?” – Daphne (15:15)
• Cycle of Breaking Up and Reconciling: Despite the drama, Catherine and Paul continued seeing each other casually after David moved out, with Catherine prioritizing her career (15:33 - 16:20).

The Day of the Murder (Nov 27, 2005)

• Thanksgiving Weekend: Paul invites Catherine to Thanksgiving with his family; she declines, choosing a quiet day with David.
• Timeline:
  • On the day, Catherine attends church, prepares for work, and is last seen by David after they have intimacy and he leaves to fetch his car (16:21 - 18:50).
  • Neighbors hear screams, commotion, and barking around 6:18pm (the cell call with her friend ends at 6:03pm).
  • David returns to find the door ajar, his dog safe, a neighbor corraling a runaway lab, and Catherine deceased after a clear struggle (18:51 - 21:10).
  • Catherine was stabbed 20 times; her throat was slashed (21:11).

Investigation and Evidence

The Crime Scene

• Very little physical evidence:
  • One bloody fingerprint
  • Hair strands in her hand
  • A bloody Skechers boot print (size 10.5) on her bedsheet (28:01).

The Suspects

• David Hahn:
  • Fully cooperative: DNA, fingerprints, shoe print, body examined for defensive marks.
  • Provided a timeline, which later appeared inconsistent (left apartment at 6:39pm but called police 20 minutes later), drawing some suspicion, but his cell records and behavior failed to implicate him (28:01 - 30:30).
  • When asked who might be responsible, David named Paul Cortez, describing his obsessive, stalking tendencies.
• Paul Cortez:
  • Claimed to have learned of the murder from his mother.
  • Phone records tell otherwise:
    • Between 5:00 and 6:33pm, Paul called Catherine 13 times, the last at 6:33pm (very shortly after the murder window) and then never called again.
    • Phone pings show he was in the vicinity of Catherine’s apartment during the time of her murder, contradicting his alibi of being at home (30:31 - 32:44).
  • Surveillance from earlier that day showed Paul wearing boots matching the murder shoe print, which never turned up in his apartment.
  • A friend who ran errands with him that afternoon confirmed his agitation and obsession with Catherine, and the pressure he put on her about her alleged sex work (32:45 - 34:15).

Escalating Pattern

• After Catherine’s murder, Paul arrested on an unrelated sodomy charge based on a two-year-old allegation; victim came forward after the murder, revealing a history of aggression toward women (34:16 - 36:20).
• Subsequent investigation revealed Paul’s obsessive patterns:
  • He’d made hundreds of calls to Catherine in the month preceding her murder.
  • Other women described similarly obsessive or harassing behavior (36:21 - 36:55).

Forensic Connections

• Paul's fingerprint matched the bloody print on Catherine’s wall.
• The defense claimed the print could have occurred during a previous sexual encounter, but this was considered highly unlikely.
• Bloody hair found in Catherine’s hand didn’t match Paul – a point the defense latched onto, but the police argued other evidence outweighed the mystery of the hair (40:20).

The Prosecution and Trial

Defense Strategy

• Paul was represented energetically with help from a friend fundraising for a better attorney (38:13).
• Defense tried to pin blame on David Hahn, portraying him as a dependent “midwestern simpleton” and manipulating sparse timeline inconsistencies or David's relationship with Catherine (39:46).
• Claimed the fingerprint could be old, and the boot didn’t belong to Paul, and that David and Catherine’s last sexual encounter was rape.
• The defense focused heavily on the unidentified hairs in Catherine’s hand, suggesting another assailant.

Jury Turning Points

• Jury swayed by:
  • Surveillance video showing Paul in boots matching the print
  • Inability to explain incriminating calls, timeline, and physical evidence
  • Pattern of jealousy and retaliatory behavior by Paul
  • Motive: Paul’s rage at Catherine cutting off the relationship, contrasted against David’s willingness to accept her choices (42:00 - 47:10).
• Quote: “So is it possible that she let him up to her apartment? … She decided she wanted to completely cut things off with Paul. And he didn’t like that answer so much he killed her in a jealous rage.” – Daphne (46:18)
• Verdict:
  • Feb 15, 2007: Paul Cortez found guilty of second-degree murder
  • Mar 23, 2007: Sentenced to 25 years to life; appeals denied (47:11 - 48:13)

Lingering Questions & Online Response

• Paul continues to claim innocence, alleging evidence was withheld—specifically, alleged surveillance of David leaving the apartment, which was never confirmed or made public.
• Online supporters and family maintain Paul’s innocence, but no new evidence has emerged. The Innocence Project has declined involvement, seemingly convinced by the weight of evidence against him (49:00 - 50:30).

Notable Reflection

• Quote: “We really can’t always believe when people say they’re innocent. I think there is a decent amount of evidence in this case that point towards Paul, but I do think the fact that the hair found in her hand wasn’t his is really bizarre.” – Daphne (50:46)

Memorable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• “She just didn’t want that judgment, but she didn’t want to quit these jobs… at just 20, she was able to work only a handful of days a week and fully support herself.” – Daphne (09:17)
• “Paul called her parents back in Ohio and told them how she was making her money not at a restaurant, but at two gentlemen’s clubs…” – Daphne (15:07)
• “So he ran to her side. He’s calling out her name, but she wasn’t reacting naturally.” – Daphne, describing David discovering Catherine (19:24)
• “There was little evidence left behind. One single fingerprint was found in the blood on the walls… a single bloody shoe print was left behind on Catherine’s bed sheet.” – Daphne (28:01)
• “Police started to believe Paul had made the call by mistake, maybe even while committing the murder or running away from the scene.” – Daphne (32:10)
• “Now, Paul’s family and close friends accused all these women of lying. But it’s not just these women talking. We have the fingerprint.” – Daphne (36:42)
• “The minds of the jury were made up when they were shown the security footage… and they acknowledge that the mysterious missing Skechers boots closely resembled the pair he was wearing…” – Daphne (44:21)
• “Paul has continued to proclaim his innocence, but all of his appeal attempts have been denied.” – Daphne (48:26)

Important Timestamps

• 01:32 – 10:37: Catherine’s early life, career ambition, and path to New York
• 10:38 – 15:32: Meeting Paul, forming relationships, and signs of obsession
• 16:21 – 21:10: The day of the murder: timeline of events and discovery of the body
• 28:01 – 36:20: Crime scene evidence, investigation, suspects’ profiles, and contact with victim
• 40:20: Courtroom drama, defense strategies, and impact of forensic evidence
• 47:11 – 49:59: Verdict, sentencing, continuing controversy, and post-trial developments
• 50:30 – End: Host reflection, open questions for the audience

Host’s Reflection and Tone

Daphne remains empathetic and analytical throughout, balancing personal commentary (“petty piece of shit,” “doesn't get crazier than that folks”) with careful coverage of criminal procedure and social context. She consistently urges listeners to weigh evidence critically, acknowledges unresolved elements (like the hair), and encourages discussion and engagement on social media.

Summary

This episode delivers a thorough, emotionally nuanced, and detail-rich account of Catherine Woods’ life, the controlling relationships that surrounded her, and the investigation that led to Paul Cortez’s conviction. Although the prosecution presented a powerful narrative and physical evidence, unanswered questions remain—especially regarding evidence like the unidentified hairs—which Daphne does not shy away from discussing. The show ends with an invitation to listeners to reflect and engage, keeping the memory of Catherine at the forefront.