Man pleads guilty to murdering wife at St. Paul Bible study

Court documents reveal a man accused of fatally stabbing his wife during a Bible study almost exactly one year ago has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, canceling a jury trial that was scheduled to begin on April 8.

Robert Castillo, 41, entered the plea Monday morning in Ramsey County court, where a sentencing is now scheduled for June 24. Castillo also entered a Norgaard plea, saying in documents he couldn’t recall the circumstances of the murder.

As previously reported by 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS, Corrina Woodhull, 41, died in the city’s second domestic-related homicide of 2023 after she was stabbed on the 1000 block of Maryland Avenue East. When responding officers arrived, they found witnesses holding Castillo on the ground and Woodhull with stab wounds.

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 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 hold 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.