State v. Woods

CARLTON, Justice.

I

Defendant, Cleaster Woods, was indicted for the murder of her husband, Leinster Woods, and for conspiring with Danny Lee Nichols to kill Leinster Woods. At the guilt-innocence phase of the trial Nichols, the State’s chief witness, testified as follows under a plea arrangement:

Nichols and defendant were lovers. About two weeks before defendant’s husband was killed, defendant talked to Nichols about a life insurance policy which would pay $104,000 upon her husband’s death. Nichols stated that defendant offered him a portion of the insurance proceeds —$10,000—to find someone…