Page 88 of The Sleeping Girls
“And gotten away with it while Darnell rotted in prison.”
Ellie’s phone buzzed. Deputy Eastwood. “Hey, Shondra,” she said as she answered.
“On my way to the school now. But I canvassed the neighbors at the mobile home park where Ruby lived again.”
“And?” Ellie asked.
“One woman mentioned a crazy old guy named Huddie who gave her the creeps but when I visited him, he was so strung out he could barely talk. The neighbor said he stays that way. So I don’t see him as a real suspect. No way he’d be able to pull off a murder and another kidnapping.”
“Probably not,” Ellie agreed. “Anything else?”
“The lady in the trailer across from Ruby said she saw a black car driving by the mobile home park the week before Ruby disappeared. And then again, the evening Ruby went missing.”
Ellie’s pulse jumped. “Make and model of the vehicle?”
“A sedan. That’s all she knew.”
Ellie gritted her teeth. “Did she get the license plate?”
“No,” Shondra said. “She has cataracts, and her vision is limited.” A tense second passed. “I went back and asked the other neighbors if they’d seen the car but no one had.”
Ellie’s fingers felt clammy as her hold on the phone tightened. “Damn. That would have been helpful.”
“You think Ruby had a stalker?” Shondra asked.
“Maybe. In the original investigation into Anna Marie’s death, someone saw a black car driving by the Landrums’ the week she died. Could have been the same car.”
Which meant the current case was tied to Anna Marie’s murder.
NINETY-SIX
November 12, 2022
Caitlin: This is Caitlin O’Connor, Southern Lights Studios, true crime podcast: Guilty or Not Guilty. Today we’re continuing our series on the Darnell Woodruff case with an interview with a young woman who once nannied for Darnell and his siblings. Although this witness reluctantly spoke to me and only by phone, she has asked for her real name to be withheld, so for the purpose of this podcast, we will call her DeDe.
DeDe, when exactly did you work for Darnell Woodruff’s family?
DeDe: Let’s see. Darnell was turning one and Anna Marie was born. Mrs. Landrum had some postpartum depression so I helped with the kids.
Caitlin: Please describe the family.
DeDe: Mrs. Landrum had Darnell from a previous relationship which she refused to talk about. Mr. Landrum accepted that, but when his daughter was born, he seemed to resent Darnell. Later, when Heath was born, Darnell started acting out to get attention and he and the father butted heads. Then Darnell started getting into fights and trouble.
Caitlin: Would you say Darnell’s stepfather was abusive?
DeDe: That depends on your definition of abuse. He was certainly stern and didn’t spare the rod with Darnell.
Caitlin: Did he discipline Anna Marie or Heath in the same manner?
DeDe: No, just Darnell. Anna Marie was his princess. He doted on her.
Caitlin: And the mother? Did she favor the daughter as well? Or did she defend Darnell?
DeDe: She loved all of her children and defended him when Gil came down on him.
Caitlin: Tell us about Darnell. How did he feel about his sister?
DeDe: He was protective of her.