A husband has been charged with murder after allegedly stabbing his wife multiple times during a Bible study group in front of other family members. Robert Castillo, 40, has been charged with second-degree murder for stabbing his wife Corinna Woodhull, 41, on Tuesday while they were both attending bible study at his sister's home on Maryland Avenue.
According to CBS Minnesota, Castillo allegedly stabbed Woodhull up to 20 times with a six-inch blade after whispering something in her ear. Witnesses allege that the mother-of-five pleaded with them not to kill her after being stabbed but Castillo continued to stab her, while the family members watched the horrific incident in shock.
Brutally Killed in Front of Others
According to the criminal complaint cited by CBS Minnesota, St. Paul police officers arrived at the apartment at around 9 p.m. in response to a stabbing report. When they came, they discovered Woodhull who had suffered serious injuries to her arms, chest, and torso.
According to the police, Castillo was being restrained on the floor by numerous people when they reached. After being treated on the scene, Woodhull was transported to Regions Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.
According to Castillo's sister, the couple had been "acting normally" and Castillo had been holding her hand and kissing her before the stabbing, according to the Pioneer Press.
His sister and brother, who were not named saw Castillo stab Woodhull with a hunting knife. Castillo's family had to step in and pull Woodhull away as he tried to grab Castillo's hair to pull him off of her, according to his sister.
By the time paramedics reached the scene around 9 pm, one of the stab wounds had punctured Woodhull's heart and she was unable to breathe.
According to the complaint, a second witness told police they thought he would have attacked more individuals if he hadn't been disarmed. His sister told officials that he always carried a knife with him to "defend himself," Pioneer Press reported.
Woodhull was transported to Regions Hospital after being found on the ground with severe injuries to her torso, chest, and arms. The mother of five was declared deceased when help arrived.
Her death was determined to be a homicide by the Ramsey County Medical Examiner's Office.
Troubled Marriage
According to CBS Minnesota, Castillo's brother told detectives that he was having a marriage issue with Woodhull. Castillo told authorities that although the couple had been legally married for the past two years, they were no longer living together.
He asked the investigators if Woodhull was "going to be okay" and, when informed that she had passed away, shook his head in shock.
Woodhull's longtime friend Erin Honken claimed that despite her attempts to leave him, Castillo persisted in trying to restart their relationship.
Castillo was taken to custody after being placed under arrest with a $5 million bond. Castillo had an arrest warrant out for him at the time of the stabbing because he skipped a pretrial hearing for attacking a police officer while incarcerated in Washington County.
In fact, Castillo has a long rap sheet with eight felonies, including assault, burglary, and gun possession. In addition, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for using a hammer to abuse his infant mother at his sister's house.
Corrina Woodhull was employed at Juel Fairbanks Recovery Services, a center for drug and alcohol abuse. The company paid tribute to Woodhull on Wednesday, writing: " We are sad to report that one of our employees, Corrina Woodhull was tragically killed last night.
"Corrina had so much light and she spread that light and positivity each and every day to our clients and staff. Corrina was a force to be reckoned with. She had so much strength and was strong minded. She had a huge heart and genuinely wanted to help others. She leaves behind a legacy here at Juel Fairbanks and she will be truly missed. Please keep her family, our clients, and staff in your prayers."
