Woman stabbed to death at Bible study remembered as faithful volunteer

Friends of a woman who was stabbed to death during a Bible study at a St. Paul home Tuesday night began speaking out Saturday about who she was and the shock of losing her.

Those who knew her describe Corrina Woodhull, 41, as “radiant” and “full of positive energy.” Woodhull was a mother to five kids who spent much of her time volunteering, and she was remembered by many for her stand-out style and long, bright-red locks of hair.

Erin Honken said her friendship with Woodhull spanned 14 years. The pair lived together in Golden Valley with Woodhull’s kids.

“She’s like the only one that can pull off like bright green or the green, orange, yellow eyeshadow,” Honken laughed. “Like, she could pull it off.”

Honken met Woodhull along the road to recovery from addiction, and apparently, Woodhull was known for helping countless others down that same path.

“Any spare moment that she had, she was serving,” FreedomWorks volunteer coordinator Stephanie Tubman shared.

Tubman met Woodhull gathering volunteers for the non-profit’s food shelf.

“She came right at the very beginning and she came for every outreach,” Tubman added.

Like Tubman did every other Wednesday morning, she reached for her phone this week to message Woodhull about working at the Bread of Life food shelf.

That’s when she said, she “saw a text from my friend Diana saying what happened.”

“I was just floored, just floored,” Tubman recalled.

Woodhull’s husband, Robert Castillo, 40, is accused of stabbing her to death Tuesday night during a Bible study group hosted by his relatives at a home in St. Paul.

According witness accounts, the couple was sitting on a couch, holding hands when Castillo kissed Woodhull and whispered something in her ear, and then Woodhull shook her head ‘no’. That’s when police reports say Castillo pulled out a hunting knife and stabbed her about 20 times before witnesses were able to restrain him. Woodhull died at the hospital.

“Murder’s like a different thing, you know,” Honken said through tears. “It’s different than with a car accident or cancer, you know? Like, being stabbed, like that is a different thing,” she continued before putting her head in her hands.

Honken said she was surprised to learn Woodhull and Castillo were in Bible study together Tuesday, “because she came to me Monday night in the kitchen and said, ‘I’m getting a divorce.'”

“She never said to me, you know, like, ‘I’m scared for my life,’ but we just don’t talk about stuff like that. You know, when you’re getting abused, you don’t want to share. It’s embarrassing, shameful,” Honken continued.

“She would want other people to know about this,” Tubman added in a separate interview. “Because if there’s anybody that is being abused, there’s help out there for them.”

Honken started a social media campaign ‘#Cheetah4Corrina,’ encouraging others to wear wild animal prints, like Woodhull would, in her honor. Family and friends also created a GoFundMe for funeral expenses and support for Woodhull’s children.

There is support for victims of domestic violence. If you or anyone you know may be suffering, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233.