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Miami Valley Murder Mystery: Who Killed North Woodall?

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DAYTON — An infuriating end to the life of an American hero.

Someone killed the decorated military veteran in his Dayton home – A Miami Valley Murder Mystery that’s gone unsolved for 15 years.

Cold case detectives believe they know why he was killed. Now, they are determined to find out who killed him with help from science and people.

Retired Dayton Police Cold Case Detective Doyle Burke said, “We talked to uniformed officers who said when they would down his street if he was out, he would salute them.”

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Salutes were a big part of North Woodall’s life. The Army veteran was a Green Beret and a paratrooper who made nearly 1,500 jumps and rose to the rank of Sergeant Major, earning two Silver Stars.

That is quite an achievement for a man born the grandson of a slave in Mississippi. North Woodall, Jr., is the youngest of Woodall’s six children.

“My dad was eventually self-taught, and he learned how to read and write and all that, and so to get to an E-8 is not really easy,” Woodall Jr. said.

Woodall survived three wars. “He served in World War II, the Korean War, and The Vietnam War,” said Burke.

However, he could not survive a struggle with the intruder who broke into his home.

“He’s 85 years old at the time of his death. This guy is an American hero.” Burke said.

A friend checking on Woodall, who lived alone after his wife passed away, found him lifeless on the floor the night of July 27, 2009.

“He’d been beaten. The cause of death is blunt force trauma to the head,” Burke said.

Angel Taylor and her family lived across the street from Mr. Woodall at the time he was killed. She remembers him as just a good man who was always helpful to people.

“To wake up to that, it was unbelievable,” Taylor said. She continued by saying, “He was a payee for a lot of people that were on disability, social security, things like that, so we had a lot of people that were always coming past his house and things like that to pick up money.”

Det. Burke said more than a dozen people entrusted Woodall to cash their checks and give them their money as they needed it.

“He was the banker basically for the neighborhood and it was well known and that’s probably what made him a target,” Burke said.

The evidence backs that up.

“Other than the struggle, there’s nothing disturbed. It’s just the drawer where the money would have been and his pockets where the money would have been, “Burke said. “I can’t imagine they were smart enough not to leave their DNA. This was not a well-thought-out crime.”

That DNA is now being analyzed at Ohio’s Bureau of Criminal Investigations. The Cold Case Unit also wants to hear from anyone who has information about who may have killed Woodall.

“We’re not going to convict him on what you heard. Give us a name. Call us and give us a name. That way we get the DNA, we can rule him out or rule him in,” Burke said.

The result could lead them straight to North Woodall’s killer. Something that Angel Taylor has waited 15 years to see.

“You know, he served his country very well and no one deserves to go out like that. He just did not deserve that at all,” Taylor said.

No doubt she speaks for those who knew the man as well as for those simply grateful for his service.

Anyone who has a possible name of someone involved or other information about North Woodall’s murder can call the Dayton Police Cold Case Unit at 333-7109. Or you can call Crimestoppers at 222-STOP. You can remain anonymous.

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