Murder suspect claims man she killed had been grooming her since she was 8 years old
The suspect is accused of killing the man with a hammer after inviting him over to her apartment, police say
A 21-year-old murder suspect claimed the man she killed had been sexually grooming her since she was eight years old, police say.
Journee McGrew of Jacksonville, Florida, was arrested for the murder of 41-year-old Waduta Woodley, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said in a recent Facebook post.
Cops showed up to McGrew’s apartment in the early morning hours last Wednesday, “regarding a dispute,” according to a redacted arrest report obtained by The Independent.
When they arrived, police found Woodley lying in front of the apartment, “suffering from multiple blunt force injuries the head and face,” the report read. A metal hammer with blood on the handle was found during a search of the apartment, police say.
A note on Woodley’s chest read, “PEDO Touches Children,” according to the report.
Police interviewed McGrew’s father, who was identified in the report as Victor Owens Sr., and her brother, Victor Owens Jr. They drove to McGrew’s apartment to check on her after she tried to call Owens Sr.’s wife, according to the arrest report.
The News & Observer reported on a phone call between Owens Sr. and his daughter while driving to her apartment.
During the conversation, police say McGrew claimed Woodley came to her place and “demanded that she have sex with him.”
McGrew told her dad she said no to his demands, and claimed Woodley then grabbed her, prompting her to hit him with a hammer, according to police.
Owens Sr. told police his daughter told him, “I think he’s dead, Daddy.”
McGrew’s dad told her to call the police, and then he called the cops himself, according to authorities.
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When interviewed by police, McGrew said Woodley had been sexually grooming her since she was eight years old, The News & Observer reported, citing police.
She said a few hours before Woodley’s death, she sent him a sexual text and invited him over to have sex, according to the cops.
When he came over and later pressured her to have sex, she asked him to leave, McGrew told police.
She hid a metal hammer behind her back as she walked him out of her apartment, and then, he turned toward her at the door and wrapped his arms around her aggressively, McGrew told police.
A fight between the two ensued, which ended in Woodley’s death, according to authorities.
McGrew was charged with second-degree murder and tampering with evidence. It’s unclear whether she invited Woodley over with the intent to kill him.