By David Lohr

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November 2, 2006

(Crime Library) — For nearly two months now I have been writing about John "Woody" Woodring, the North Carolina man who gunned down his estranged wife in a domestic violence shelter back in September.  That story has now taken an unexpected twist.

Yesterday afternoon, the body of John Raymond "Woody" Woodring was found inside a houseboat on Fontana Lake, near Almond, North Carolina.  The owner of the houseboat, Mark Leopard, and Mike Megrath were going to prepare the vessel for the winter when they stumbled upon Woodring's lifeless body.

According to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI), an autopsy is being conducted to "confirm" the official cause of death.  Unofficially, Woodring's death is assumed to be the result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. 

The incident is believed to have occurred less than 24 hours before the initial discovery.  A photo of Bonnie was reportedly in Woody's hand and a .38 caliber handgun was found at his side.  Authorities have since learned the handgun was stolen from inside another houseboat at the lake.

During an interview with the Asheville Citizen-Times, Mike Megrath said he found Woody's body on a couch inside the boat.  "He was clutching a picture of Bonnie to his chest," he said.  Megrath also said he found a suicide note Woody had written, in which he apologized for killing his wife, suggested he wanted to join her in heaven and made mention of missing his children. 

According to Almond area residents, investigators had been searching the area on and off for the last two weeks after a stolen Tennessee church bus was found abandoned in the area.  Since the discovery of Woodring's body, several residents have noticed food and other miscellaneous items missing from their own boats.  It is now believed Woodring was using those items to survive during his brief stay in the area. 

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Contact  David Lohr at           pa_crime_writer@velocity.net

John "Woody" Woodring: Full Coverage & Breaking News

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