Man charged with fatally stabbing wife at Bible study in St. Paul
Robert Castillo (Ramsey County Jail)
Formal charges have been filed against a man accused of fatally stabbing his wife earlier this week during a Bible study.
Robert Castillo, 40, was charged Thursday with second-degree intentional murder for the killing of 41-year-old Corrina Woodhull.
St. Paul police said officers were called to the 1000 block of Maryland Avenue East at around 9 p.m. Tuesday on a report of a stabbing. There, they found Woodhull suffering from stab wounds and witnesses holding Castillo on the ground.
Charging documents note that, as officers took Castillo to jail, he asked an officer, “Is she going to be OK?” Woodhull was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
According to court documents, Castillo’s sister told officers they host a Bible study at the home every Tuesday night, and Woodhull and Castillo came over for that. She added that the couple was sitting on a couch, holding hands and Castillo kissed Woodhull, then whispered something into her ear. After Woodhull shook her head no, the woman said Castillo pulled out a hunting knife and stabbed Woodhull around 20 times.
The woman said people at the Bible study eventually were able to pull Castillo off of Woodhull and held him down.
Castillo’s brother gave a similar account, noting there were no signs of hostility between Castillo and Woodhull, despite the fact they’d been having marital problems.
The complaint states that none of the witnesses heard what Castillo said to Woodhull, and Castillo didn’t want to talk to investigators without an attorney. However, when officers told him that Woodhull died, he shook his head in disbelief and said, “No, she didn’t.”
Court documents note that, at the time, Castillo had an active warrant for failing to appear at a pretrial hearing for a fourth-degree assault charge in Washington County. That charge stems from the assault of a guard at the Stillwater prison. Castillo also has multiple past felony convictions for assault, gun possession and burglary.
Castillo’s sister told police one of those cases stems from when he previously hit the mother of his child — a different woman than Woodhull — with a hammer, breaking her arm and cracking her head open, but she thought Castillo was getting better. Another assault charge stemmed from the stabbing of his onetime roommate.
Castillo made his first court appearance Thursday morning for one count of second-degree murder. He also faces increased penalties and mandatory sentencing guidelines for this case being his third violent crime.
A judge set his bail at $5 million with no conditions.
Court records show that Castillo applied for a public defender.
If convicted, he could face up to 40 years in prison.