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“Because of my faith and God’s love in my soul - I can honestly say that I forgive you for murdering my dad.”
With these words, Sheila Woolsey Taylor and her family began to get closure in the murder of her father, Carl Woolsey, 72, who was killed Aug. 24, 2020.
Taylor, who is a 1991 graduate of Dublin High School, reported her estranged father missing in September 2021 to the Comanche Police Department.
In the early stages of the missing person’s investigation, it appeared that Carl had been the victim of foul play. At this point, the Texas Rangers were brought in and an investigation identified two persons of interest – Carl’s niece, Misty Rene Woolsey, 46, and his greatnephew and Misty’s son, Ryan Dallas Brown, 24.
According to Taylor, Misty presented herself as Carl’s wife on many occasions including church. This was the primary reason Taylor was estranged from her dad, she said.
“He was a very good person until her,” she said. Carl was a Vietnam veteran who grew up in the community of Carlton.
Taylor recounted meeting up with Misty on Sept. 23, 2021 at Walmart in Stephenville to give a box of Carl’s belongings back to her.
“She [Misty] said ‘I hope he comes out of hiding and you guys get some closure,” Taylor said.
In November 2021, Misty was arrested on first degree murder charges, second degree felony tampering with evidence with intent to impair human corpse and abuse of a corpse, a state jail felony.
Brown was arrested on second degree felony tampering with evidence with intent to impair human corpse and abuse of a corpse, a state jail felony.
Both have remained in custody at the Comanche County Jail since their arrests and were indicted on the charges Jan. 3, 2022.
According to information shared by the family and confirmed through the district attorney, Misty stated in her confession to police that she had been putting prescription drugs in his food and then suffocated him. She then asked Brown to help her relocate the body.
Partial remains were later found off County Road 435 in December 2021 and identified by an anthropologist in conjunction with the Texas DPS crime lab.
On Monday, March 27, both were in Comanche County District Court to sign plea agreements for the charges after a scheduled jury trial was canceled. Both Misty and Brown pled guilty to all charges. Misty was sentenced in accordance with the plea agreement to 30 years in prison for the murder charge, along with a $2,000 fine. She also received 20 years in prison for the tampering charge and a $2,000 fine and received 24 months in a state jail and a $2,000 fine for the abuse of a corpse charge. She will also be responsible for the reimbursement of appointed attorney fees. All sentences will run concurrently and she will not be eligible for parole until she has served at least 15 years of her sentence.
“You are waiving your right to a jury trial,” 220th Judicial District Court Judge Shaun Carpenter said. “You did not want a jury to consider the evidence.”
With the plea agreement, Misty waived her right to appeal.
“You are pleading guilty because you are guilty and no other reason, correct?” Judge Carpenter asked the defendant.
Brown also signed a plea agreement and received eight years in prison for the tampering charge and 20 months in state jail for the abuse of a corpse charge.
He will also be required to reimburse his court appointed attorney fees and with the plea agreement, he will not be eligible for an appeal.
“We didn’t want to go through the turmoil of a jury trial,” Taylor said.
During sentencing, the family gathered together in a show of support, strength and hugs as emotional victim impact statements were read by Taylor and Carl’s youngest daughter, Alma Richardson.
“Misty, you are a murderer of my dad, a liar, a cheater, a manipulator, a very selfish person. You are so full of evil that you have no remorse for what you did to our dad in August of 2020,” Richardson said. “You didn’t just take our dad ... you took someone’s father-in-law, a pawpaw, a great grandpa, a brother, a nephew, a cousin and an uncle from them.”
“You didn’t realize Sheila and I would fight for the truth but we did,” Richardson said.
Taylor also shared remarks to Misty in a victim statement.
“How dare you play God with my dad’s life,” she said. “You are a liar, you lied day and night all to fulfill some sick, twisted, evil fantasy in your mind. All the while knowing the web you weaved on that day in August of 2020. Did you honestly think that the web would never unravel...that we would never know the truth? For 15 months you lied - over and over again to countless people. You used your own biological children as pawns in your sick and twisted game. You are filled with evil! You have hurt and damaged the lives of hundreds of people, but could care less as long as you were getting what you wanted.”
Taylor also read a victim impact statement through tears to Brown.
“Our hearts really hurt for you,” she said. “I’m sorry that you were a product of her evil ways. Yes, you could have said no. But we also know how manipulative she is. God’s love is so free. Please learn about him and seek him. We forgive you.”