(TARGET 8 OPEN)
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BRIAN:..IN THE FIGHT TO KEEP
CONVICTED ALPINE MANOR NURSING
HOME SERIAL KILLER CATHERINE
WOOD IN PRISON, WE'VE HEARD
FROM ATTORNEYS, HER VICTIMS'
FAMILIES AND WOOD HERSELF.BUT
WHAT ABOUT WOOD'S PARTNER? THE
WOMAN IN PRISON FOR LIFE FOR
SUFFOCATING FIVE PATIENTS?
3
SUE:..TARGET 8 INVESTIGATOR
KEN KOLKER HAS COVERED THIS
STORY SINCE IT BROKE IN THE
LATE 1980S.
3
HE SPOKE TO CONVICTED SERIAL
KILLER GWEN GRAHAM ABOUT
WOOD'S POSSIBLE RELEASE.HE'S
HERE WITH THE STORY -- NEW
TONIGHT AT 6.
3
KEN:..WE SPOKE BY PHONE FROM
THE HURON VALLEY WOMEN'S
PRISON IN YPSILANTI, WHERE
GRAHAM IS SPENDING LIFE IN
PRISON WITHOUT PAROLE FOR
SUFFOCATING FIVE ELDERLY WOMEN
MORE THAN 30 YEARS AGO.
3
GRAHAM URGED THE FAMILIES TO
KEEP FIGHTING THE STATE PAROLE
BOARD'S DECISION TO RELEASE
WOOD FROM
PRISON. GWEN GRAHAM, CONVICTED
SERIAL KILLER: "I'M TELLING
YOU, SHE'S AN EVIL PERSON.
SHE'S AN EVIL PERSON, AND
WHATEVER THEY NEED TO DO TO
KEEP HER THERE, DO IT."BUT
IT'S NOT, SHE
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SAYS, BECAUSE SHE BELIEVES
WOOD IS A SERIAL KILLER.
GRAHAM, WHO IS NOW 55, STILL
INSISTS NEITHER OF THEM KILLED
ANYBODY. GRAHAM: "AFTER ALL
THESE YEARS, I STILL DON'T
BELIEVE THAT ANYBODY WAS
MURDERED. I JUST DON'T."NO
MATTER WHAT A JURY FOUND, AND
NO MATTER WHAT APPELLATE
JUDGES HAVE RULED.GRAHAM AND
WOOD WERE BOTH NURSE'S AIDES
AT WHAT WAS THEN ALPINE MANOR
NURSING HOME IN WALKER IN THE
LATE 1980S. THEY WERE ALSO A
COUPLE. I THINK A LOT OF THE
PROBLEM THE TOWN HAD WITH ME
IS THAT I WAS OPENLY GAY."THEY
WERE CHARGED WITH KILLING FIVE
ELDERLY WOMEN SUFFERING FROM
ALZHEIMER'S OR DEMENTIA.WOOD
COOPERATED WITH POLICE,
TELLING THEM THAT GRAHAM
SUFFOCATED THE WOMEN WITH WASH
CLOTHS WHILE SHE WAS THE
LOOKOUT.SHE TOLD THEM THEY
WERE TRYING TO SPELL MURDER
WITH THEIR INITIALS.GRAHAM
INSISTS WOOD CONCOCTED THE
STORY OUT OF
VENGEANCE. SHE WAS MAD AT ME
BECAUSE I LEFT HER, I CHEATED
ON HER."IT WAS WOOD'S
TESTIMONY THAT WAS KEY TO
GRAHAM'S CONVICTION.AUTOPSIES
ON BODIES EXHUMED DURING THE
INVESTIGATION FOUND NO
EVIDENCE OF SUFFOCATION,
LIKELY, INVESTIGATORS SAID,
BECAUSE THE VICTIMS WEREN'T
STRONG ENOUGH TO FIGHT BACK.IN
EXCHANGE FOR HER COOPERATION,
WOOD A LESSER SENTENCE -- 20
TO 40
YEARS. KKO: WOULD SHE SERVE 30
YEARS IN PRISON JUST TO GET
BACK AT YOU? HER: I DON'T
THINK SHE INTENDED TO. I DON'T
THINK SHE INTENDED TO AT ALL.
I THINK THAT SHE EXPECTED TO
GET ME LOCKED UP AND THAT SHE
WAS GOING TO WALK AWAY AND GO
HOME. I DON'T THINK SHE
EXPECTED TO DO A DAY."GRAHAM
SAYS SHE THOUGHT WOOD WOULD
RECANT. I THOUGHT THE FIRST
YEAR, SHE'D GIVE IT UP, BUT
SHE DIDN'T."LAST SEPTEMBER,
THE MICHIGAN PAROLE BOARD
ORDERED WOOD RELEASED ON
PAROLE. SHE'S ALREADY SERVED
HER MINIMUM SENTENCE.HER
VICTIMS' FAMILIES APPEALED,
ARGUING THAT SHE WAS MORE
INVOLVED IN THE KILLINGS THAN
SHE'S ADMITTED, IS GAMING THE
SYSTEM AND FAKING REMORSE.THEY
BELIEVE SHE'D KILL AGAIN.AS
FOR GRAHAM, SHE SAYS SHE HAS
ONE APPEAL
LEFT. KKO: THAT'S YOUR
SENTENCE TO DIE IN PRISON.
HER: YES IT IS. YES IT IS.
KKO: DO YOU THINK CATHY WOOD
SHOULD, I MEAN IF YOU ARE?
HER: UH, YEAH. DEFINITELY. IF
SHE'S GOING TO TAKE MY LIFE.
SHE TOOK MY WHOLE LIFE FOR
SOMETHING THAT NEVER EVEN
HAPPENED."SO, FOR GRAHAM, AT
LEAST AS HER STORY GOES,
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KEEPING WOOD LOCKED UP IS
REALLY ABOUT HER OWN
VENGEANCE. SHE THOUGHT IT WAS
A GAME, AND SHE WON, AND IN
THE END, SHE'LL WIN. IF I DIE
IN HERE, AND SHE'S WALKING
AROUND FREE, SHE'LL WIN."
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KEN:..A KENT COUNTY CIRCUIT
JUDGE HAS HELD TWO HEARINGS ON
THE PAROLE BOARD'S RULING. HE
IS EXPECTED TO ISSUE A RULING
SOON ON WHETHER WOOD SHOULD BE
RELEASED.