Shivangi Sinha
In July 1987, Susan Woods was found dead in the bathroom of her Stephenville, Texas home. The scene pointed to a violent crime, and suspicion quickly turned to those closest to her. At the time, she was going through a difficult divorce and had also started seeing someone new. Since there were no signs of forced entry, investigators believed the killer was likely someone Susan knew personally. The case, including the long-delayed capture of the perpetrator, is explored in detail in ABC’s ’20/20′ episode titled ‘There Is a Monster in Me.’
Susan Woods Was in the Middle of a Divorce When She Was Killed
Susan Jeanette Atkins was born on April 6, 1957, in Fredericksburg, Texas, to Bonner Joe and Erma Lou Atkins. The youngest of four siblings, she was raised in a devout household and was very close to her parents. Known for making thoughtful decisions, Susan’s romantic life surprised those around her when she fell for someone completely unlike her. Shortly after graduating from high school, she met Michael Woods, an aspiring musician visiting her town, and the two quickly connected. They married in 1980 and relocated to El Paso, Texas, but financial struggles made life difficult. Eventually, they chose to return to Stephenville.
Susan resumed her job at a sandpaper factory, the same one she had worked at before marriage, while Michael stayed home most of the time. The differences between them soon became apparent, leading to frequent arguments. Michael’s laid-back attitude and unconventional appearance fueled town gossip, which he found difficult to cope with. The strain took a toll on their marriage, and eventually, the couple separated. By February 1987, Michael had relocated to Indianapolis, leaving Susan deeply hurt. Despite the emotional toll, she made efforts to rebuild her life and spent much of her time with close friends.
On July 28, 1987, Susan’s father, Joe, went to her house after being unable to reach her. There, he discovered her lifeless body partially submerged in the bathtub. Her hands were bound behind her back, and she was unclothed. Both the bathroom and bedroom were in complete disarray, indicating a violent struggle. Six cigarette butts were found in an ashtray. The medical examiner determined her cause of death to be asphyxiation, likely due to strangulation or drowning. Additionally, there was evidence indicating that Susan had been sexually assaulted before her death.
Susan Woods’ Killer Was Tracked Through a National Database
As the investigation began, police focused on the clues found inside Susan Woods’ home. The cigarette butts were particularly significant, as Susan did not smoke. Despite the house being in complete disarray, there were no signs of forced entry, leading authorities to believe she had willingly let someone in, and it was likely someone she knew. When detectives interviewed her friends, a possible lead emerged as her then-estranged husband, Michael Woods. Their separation had not been amicable, and he had previously left behind a cassette tape filled with angry messages blaming Susan for everything wrong in his life. He had also left little notes calling her names throughout the house for her to find.
The police brought Michael in for questioning, but his fingerprints did not match those found at the crime scene. Another suspect was JC Bowman, a man Susan had dated after her separation, but he passed a lie detector test, and no evidence linked him to the murder. With no further leads or physical evidence, the case went cold. It remained unsolved until 2006, when it was reopened for investigation. This time, a fingerprint from the scene matched Joseph Scott Hatley, a man who had briefly met Susan during a card game. He was the cousin of one of her friends and lived in Round Rock, Texas.
Susan Woods’ Killer Eventually Confessed to Her Murder
Joseph Scott Hatley’s fingerprints had entered the system due to a 1988 incident in which his ex-girlfriend, Shannon Myers, accused him of rape and attempted murder, although no charges were filed. When he was brought in for questioning in June 2006 regarding Susan Woods’ case, his DNA was collected and matched the samples from the crime scene. In 2007, he confessed to the murder and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. He claimed that he had met Susan a couple of times and had thought she was flirting with him.
He said that he showed up at her house after drinking heavily, and she had let him in. However, when he made an advance, she reportedly rejected him. He claimed that he did not remember what took over him when he committed the crime and did not remember much of it. In fact, after her murder, he had even attended her funeral and spoken about the incident with others. Despite strong protests from Susan’s family and friends, Hatley was released in 2018 to a halfway house for good behavior after serving only part of his sentence.
Read More: Where is Michael Woods Now? Update on Susan Atkins’ Ex-Husband
