Update: Man sentenced to life in prison for Nancy Woodrum murder
Update posted Feb. 25, 2022:
– San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow announced this week that Carlo Alberto Fuentes Flores, 45, has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the May 2018 murder of Nancy Woodrum committed during the commission of rape and residential burglary.
On May 5, 2018, Woodrum went missing from her Paso Robles home sparking an extensive six-month missing persons investigation by the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office. In November 2018, Fuentes Flores was identified as a suspect and brought in for questioning. He had been hired to paint Woodrum’s deck in the weeks leading up to her disappearance. After a lengthy interview, Fuentes Flores led investigators to the victim’s remains in a secluded area off Highway 58 in a rural eastern part of the county.
Fuentes Flores waived his right to a trial by jury and, at a court trial, on Jan. 20, 2022, Superior Court Judge Timothy Covello found him guilty of first-degree murder and found true the special circumstance allegations that the murder was committed during the commission of rape and residential burglary. The special circumstance findings require that Fuentes Flores be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
“Life in prison without the possibility of parole is an appropriate and just punishment for the brutal abuse and murder of Nancy Woodrum,” said District Attorney Dan Dow. “Our hearts remain with the Woodrum family and her loved ones who will always suffer the pain of her loss.”
The case was investigated by the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office with the assistance of the District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Christopher Peuvrelle.
Update posted Jan. 21, 2022:
Carlo Alberto Fuentes Flores is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 24, 2022
Carlo Alberto Fuentes Flores is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 24, 2022– District Attorney Dan Dow has announced that Carlo Alberto Fuentes Flores was convicted of murdering Nancy Woodrum by Superior Court Judge Timothy Covello who presided over a court trial after Fuentes Flores waived his right to a jury trial. Judge Covello also found true the special circumstance that the murder occurred during the commission or attempted commission of the crime of rape.
On May 5, 2018, Woodrum went missing from her Paso Robles home sparking an extensive six-month missing person investigation by the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office. In November 2018, Fuentes Flores was identified as a suspect and brought in for questioning. He had been hired to paint Woodrum’s deck in the weeks leading up to her disappearance. After a lengthy interview, Fuentes Flores led investigators to the victim’s remains in a secluded area off Highway 58 in a rural eastern part of the county.
“This conviction will not bring Nancy Woodrum back, nor will it lessen the grief of her loved ones,” said District Attorney Dan Dow. “This is however a critical step towards achieving an appropriate punishment for the predator who is responsible for her brutal murder. This conviction was only possible because of the immense amount of diligence and unwavering professionalism of the Sheriff’s Office investigative team. Our hearts remain with the Woodrum family and her loved ones who are suffering the pain of her loss.”
The lawful sentence for this crime is life in prison without the possibility of parole because of the special circumstance that was alleged and proved that he committed the murder during a rape or attempted rape. Fuentes Flores is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 24, 2022, in Department 7 of the San Luis Obispo County Superior Court.
The case was investigated by the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office with the assistance of the District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation and is prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Christopher Peuvrelle.
Update posted Sept. 15, 2020:
Update: Case against man charged with murder of Nancy Woodrum to move to trial
– The case against the man charged with murdering Paso Robles resident Nancy Woodrum in 2018 will move forward to trial, according to a report by KBSY.
A San Luis Obispo County Superior Court judge ruled Friday to uphold the charges against Carlo Alberto Fuentes Flores at the end of his multi-day preliminary hearing, according to the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office.
Update posted Jan. 5, 2019:
Suspect charged with Nancy Woodrum’s murder pleas not guilty
–Carlo Alberto Fuentes Flores, 42, the suspect charged in the murder of a Paso Robles woman Nancy Woodrum, has pleaded not guilty, according to reports.
He was arrested in December in connection with the disappearance and murder of Woodrum, 62, a local hairdresser who was last seen alive in May.
A pre-preliminary hearing is scheduled for Monday, January 7.
If convicted, the District Attorney’s Office says Fuentes Flores could face life in prison or the death penalty.
Original story Dec. 20, 2018:
Remains of missing person found, suspect arrested
Fuentes Flores was arrested for murder, was booked and is presently in custody in the County Jail.
–On Wednesday, San Luis Obispo County Ian Sheriff Parkinson announced that an arrest has been made in the missing person case of Nancy Woodrum. The suspect has been identified as 42-year-old Carlo Alberto Fuentes Flores of Paso Robles.
Woodrum was reported missing seven months ago on May 5, when her family checked her residence in the 5800 block of El Pharo Drive in rural Paso Robles and she could not be located. The Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Team was brought in to help locate her. Crews on the ground and by air conducted an exhaustive search of the area where Woodrum was last seen but they were unable to locate her.
During the course of the seven month investigation, Sheriff’s Detectives conducted numerous interviews with people who may have come in contact with Woodrum. In September, Detectives obtained forensic evidence that signaled a break in the case. In November, Detectives identified a possible suspect and were able to obtain additional forensic evidence. In December, Detectives had enough evidence to make an arrest in the disappearance of Nancy Woodrum.
Additional photo added May 8.
On Tuesday, Fuentes Flores was interviewed by Sheriff’s Office Detectives. As a result of the interview he then led investigators to her body.
That location was off Highway 58 in the rural eastern part of San Luis Obispo County.
The Sheriff’s Office has positively identified the remains as that of Nancy Woodrum.
Evidence appears to show the suspect operated alone and there is no risk at this time to public safety.
“The detectives, in this case, spent many hours tracking down leads, interviewing witnesses, and collecting evidence to try and determine what happened to Nancy Woodrum. This was a difficult case from the beginning, but I am extremely proud of the tenacious efforts put forth by the investigators in this case,” said Sheriff Parkinson. “I am also hopeful, this arrest brings some amount of closure to the family of Nancy Woodrum.”
The Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the California Department of Justice Forensic Lab for their work on this case.
Fuentes Flores was arrested for murder, was booked and is presently in custody in the SLO County Jail.
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