Naman Shrestha
Nancy Woodrum was an integral part of the community of Paso Robles, California. So, when she suddenly disappeared in May 2018, the entire community put in efforts to search for her, along with the authorities. However, they were left shell-shocked when she was discovered dead months later. The case and the investigation that followed are covered in a detailed manner in the episode titled ‘No Sign of Nancy’ of ‘Harlan Coben’s Final Twist.’ Featuring exclusive interviews, the documentary explores the months-long investigation that eventually led to the perpetrator.
Nancy Woodrum’s Remains Were Found in a Secluded Area Several Months After Her Disappearance
On September 5, 1955, Nancy Colleen Woodrum (née Vestal) was born to a set of loving parents — Clyde Anderson Vestal and Arline Delle — in Los Angeles, California. By 1976, Nancy had started living in the city of Atascadero in San Luis Obispo County, California. Soon, she got into a romantic relationship with Robert Clark Woodrum, whom she married in 1977. In the years that followed, the couple gave birth to four children, including Christopher Woodrum and Amy Marie Woodrum. Unfortunately, Christopher died soon after his birth in 1982. Described as a spirited and independent individual, she worked as a hairdresser to support her family. In 2005, she suffered a huge loss when her 17-year-old daughter, Amy, passed away. Nancy relocated to multiple areas across California before settling in Paso Robles in 2013.
Residing alone in a studio apartment in the 5800 block of El Pharo Drive in Paso Robles, the hairdresser operated The Strand Salon in the downtown area of Paso Robles. When she failed to meet up with two of her friends, they got concerned and alerted her daughter, who lived nearby. When the daughter and a neighbor went to check on Nancy, they discovered that the door to her studio apartment was open and there were blood trails inside, but no sign of the hairdresser. Thus, on May 5, 2018, Nancy was reported missing to the authorities. The police launched an extensive search for the missing woman, covering the area near her residence on foot as well as by air. However, the months-long search yielded no results until her remains were located in an isolated area off Highway 58 in a rural area of San Luis Obispo County in December 2018.
Nancy Woodrum’s Killer Worked on Her Paso Robles House
During the months-long search for Nancy Woodrum, the authorities considered all possible scenarios and conducted several interviews with her family, friends, and everyone she had come in contact with in the days before her disappearance. In September 2018, the detectives came across DNA evidence that breathed new hope into the case. Eventually, they linked the forensic evidence to a man named Carlo Alberto Fuentes Flores, a painter hired by Nancy to do interior work at her apartment. In November, the authorities then obtained additional forensic evidence from the suspect.
By the following month, the investigators had enough evidence against Carlo to arrest him for the disappearance of Nancy Woodrum. After he was brought in for questioning on December 18, he told the detectives that he was hired to paint Nancy’s deck. Eventually, Carlo ended up confessing to killing the Paso Robles resident. He then led the authorities to the site where he disposed of her remains. Consequently, Carlo was arrested, and on December 20, he was charged with the killing of 62-year-old Nancy Woodrum. Since he pleaded not guilty to the charges against him, his case was taken to trial.
Carlo Alberto Fuentes Flores is Currently Incarcerated at a California Prison
Carlo Alberto Fuentes Flores reportedly waived his right to a jury trial and opted for a judge-only trial in January 2022. On January 20, he was tried by Superior Court Judge Timothy Covello, who found him guilty of first-degree murder in connection with Nancy Woodrum’s killing with special circumstances, that the murder was committed while raping her and burglarizing her residence. Following the verdict, the District Attorney expressed his relief.
He stated, “This conviction will not bring Nancy Woodrum back nor will it lessen the grief of her loved ones. This is, however, a critical step towards achieving an appropriate punishment for the predator who is responsible for her brutal murder.” On February 24, 2022, Carlo was finally sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. As of today, he is seemingly serving his sentence at the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad, California.
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