Man sentenced to more than 30 years in prison for killing woman in April 2021

A man convicted of second-degree murder was sentenced to 30½ years in prison for stabbing a woman to death in April of last year.

A jury convicted 53-year-old Jerome Anthony Woodland of second-degree murder in July 2022. He was sentenced in Hennepin County court on Monday.

The criminal complaint states that paramedics were called to the 400 block of Ridgewood Avenue in Minneapolis for reports of a bleeding woman at about 12:30 p.m. on April 7, 2021. The first 911 call was reportedly frantic and did not provide any information, but a second 911 call was placed by a man who said a woman was bleeding in his bathroom and he believed she was dying.

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene with a stab wound to the chest. A bloodied butcher knife was located nearby, along with bloodied shoe prints in the home.

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Police spoke to the witness who made the second 911 call. He said he was the homeowner who was letting Woodland stay at the residence. The witness said that he, Woodland and the victim were all at the home that morning before the witness left for an appointment. When he returned, he saw the victim injured in the back room. He later confirmed that Woodland was also there and that Woodland had made the first 911 call. The homeowner also said that Woodland fled when he arrived and told him to call for an ambulance.

Another witness, a neighbor, told police that they saw Woodland flee the home after hearing shrieks coming from the residence.

The Hennepin County Medical examiner later confirmed that the victim died from a traumatic injury to her chest.

Woodland was later apprehended by police and said that the woman tripped and “fell” on the knife while they were arguing, according to the complaint.

During Woodland’s trial, new evidence was presented that he posted an 11-minute video on Facebook Live two days before the woman was killed. An amended criminal complaint states that Woodland said he had “53 years of rage built up inside of him” and threatened to “lay out” or kill anyone who “messed with him.”

There was also evidence presented that Woodland and the victim were arguing about their relationship and that she called 911 two days before she was killed to report she was assaulted by him.