Police make way through murder case

By Katie Nichols (Contact) | Selma Times-Journal

Published Monday, November 17, 2008

n less than a week, police have identified and ruled out one likely

scenario in the murder of the body found Nov. 11.

Police know the body is that of Orlando Woods, 29, who was reported missing

Oct. 6.

"At first we thought someone could have hit [Woods] with a car," Lt. Art

Freine, Criminal Investigation Unit commander, said. "Forensics ruled that

out."

The Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences in Montgomery found the cause of

death to be undetermined specifically, but reported the basic cause of death

was trauma to the head.

"Head trauma could mean anything from a gunshot to blunt force trauma,"

Freine said. "It rules out a lot, but still lets us know what to look for."

The investigation unit regards this case as a homicide.

Woods was last seen leaving the Dallas County Jail. Selma police arrested

him for outstanding warrants through another law enforcement agency.

An inmate in the jail had an altercation with Woods in July.

"Mr. Woods and an inmate were involved in a shooting," Freine said. "There

is no way to tell if the inmate knew Woods was there or not."

Freine said there are a variety of possibilities to explain how Woods died.

"Right now we aren't sure if the crime scene was where Mr. Woods was found

or if he had been moved," Freine said. "We are investigating the case right

now to determine that and many other aspects."

A clothing description was not given in the missing persons report for

Woods, but he wore a dark jacket in the mug shot. Woods stood 5-feet,

8-inches and weighed 150 lbs.

If anyone remembers seeing Woods or a person with this description leaving

the jail, call police at 874-2125 or 874-2133 or Crime Stoppers at 877-3530.

Crime Stoppers pays up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest.