Guilty plea in pregnant woman’s death
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STEUBENVILLE -- A Darlington Road man admitted Thursday to killing a pregnant 22-year-old woman, shooting her three times in the head in May 2022.
Joshua Jerome Woodland, 31, was sentenced by Jefferson County Common Pleas Judge Joseph Bruzzese to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 29 years after pleading guilty to purposefully causing the death of Carol Jeanne Barnett with a firearm specification, and to involuntary manslaughter for the death of her unborn baby.
Bruzzese said the firearm specification carries a three-year prison sentence, to be served first, and then Woodland will begin serving his 15-years-to life sentence for killing Barnett, followed by 11 years for causing the baby's death. All are mandatory.
Woodland will get credit for the 532 days he's already spent behind bars.
Before sentencing, Prosecutor Jane Hanlin told Bruzzese it was "one of the most senseless crimes I have ever seen."
"The explanation given was that Mr. Woodland believed that the victim had laced his marijuana with something and that's what made him do this," Hanlin said. "He shot her three times in the head. She was approximately three weeks pregnant at the time."
She said Woodland used a 9 mm Smith & Wesson to kill Barnett. A 2-year-old child was in the car with them at the time of the murders.
Hanlin said blood tests showed Woodland "was, I think, over twice the legal limit in terms of alcohol intoxication." She said they found THC in his system as well, pointing out that "none of those is a defense to the crime of murder or the crime of involuntary manslaughter."
Woodland's court-appointed attorney, Steven Stickles, said his client had "taken responsibility" for his actions.
"In all my dealings with him he's shown a great deal of remorse," he said, agreeing with the prosecutor it was a senseless crime. "He himself has basically stated that using different words."
Stickles told Bruzzese his client "understands fully what he's doing here today and what he has done in the past and is taking full responsibility for that. I believe that that showing of remorse and taking responsibility is what has led to this plea negotiation.
A somber-looking Woodland himself told the judge, "I just want to get this over with."
Because the second count -- the one dealing with the death of Barnett's unborn baby during commission of another felony -- the murder -- was a lesser charge than the purposeful murder he'd been indicted for, Bruzzese told Woodland he could exercise his right to have the revised charge presented to a grand jury.
Woodland initially indicated he wanted the grand jury review "because I didn't know she was pregnant," but after consulting with his attorney told Bruzzese he had changed his mind.
"I just want to get it done today, I just want to keep going," he said, later telling the court, "I'm sorry to the family and my family, for putting them through this pain."
Hanlin said afterward it was "a horrific and senseless loss of a mother and her unborn child."
"Mr. Woodland will now spend the rest of his life in prison as a consequence of the terrible choices he made that day," she said.