Railroaded: The Homophobic Prosecution of Brandon Woodruff for His Parents' Murders

by Phillip Crawford Jr.

Was a Texas youth convicted for a horrific crime because he's gay?

In "Railroaded: The Homophobic Prosecution of Brandon Woodruff for His Parents' Murders" author Phillip Crawford Jr. details how anti-gay bias rather than relevant evidence drove the case against a young defendant.

In October 2005 nineteen-year-old Brandon Dale Woodruff was charged with murdering his parents in a rural northeast Texas town in the heart of the Bible belt. Dennis and Norma Woodruff had been sitting together on a sofa before the television set on a Sunday evening in their double wide manufactured home in Royse City, and both were shot and stabbed multiple times in their faces. It was a bloodbath.

There was no direct evidence tying the couple's son to the gruesome crime to warrant his arrest — no eyewitnesses, no murder weapons, no bloody prints — but investigators were convinced the teen boy was living a double life who killed when his two worlds supposedly collided. Brandon was a horse wrangler and attending Abilene Christian University, and he also was a porn actor and dancing at Dallas gay clubs. There was no double life; just a boy coming out.

At trial in March 2009 the prosecution took a coming out story and turned Brandon into The Talented Mr. Ripley. Prosecutors claimed because the boy still was in the process of coming out that he was a duplicitous character which constituted evidence of guilt. Eight jurors believed "that being homosexual or gay is morally wrong," and the jury convicted him after deliberating only five hours. Brandon Woodruff was railroaded with a homophobic narrative, and is serving a life sentence without parole.

The prosecution also entailed investigative blunders, dirty tricks and questionable evidence which further deprived Brandon Woodruff of a fair trial, and even may have resulted in his wrongful conviction. Brandon Woodruff's defense counsel stated about "Railroaded" that "Mr. Crawford has done an excellent job of setting forth facts — not speculation or prejudice — that show Brandon Woodruff is innocent."

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, LGBT

161 pages, Paperback

Published May 11, 2018

About the author

Phillip Crawford Jr. is a retired attorney from the New York bar.

He attended Bates College in Lewiston, ME from which he graduated with a B.A. in English in 1985. At Bates he was President of the Gay-Straight Alliance in 1983, and spearheaded a campaign to oust military recruiters from the campus for their discriminatory policies against the LGBT community.

Following college Phillip attended George Washington University Law School where he was a Notes Editor for the Law Review. After graduating with highest honors in 1988 he clerked for Chief Judge Judith W. Rogers on the D.C. Court of Appeals, and then with Judge George H. Revercomb on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He practiced law for fifteen years in New York City including several years with the plaintiffs' class action bar, and retired after exposing his concerns about billing practices. Professor Lester Brickman characterized him in Lawyer Barons as a "whistle blower."

Crawford was interviewed for VICE about his first book The Mafia and the Gays. Culture Trip includes the book on its list of 10 Books About the Mafia You Need to Read as "a surprising but essential history of the mob's control over New York's gay club scene well into the 1980s," and Cosa Nostra News says it is "a worthy addition to your library of books about the Mafia." The History Channel website cited The Mafia and the Gays in its excellent overview of the historic role of organized crime in LGBT nightlife, and Professor Marc Stein included the title among "Suggestions for Additional Reading" in his book The Stonewall Riots: A Documentary History. Crawford further appeared as a guest on the podcasts Sinister with Josh Zeman, American Made, Crime Beat, Gangland Wire, Mob Queens and GayBarchives, and provided comment for articles about NYC gay bar history by Chelsea News and New York Daily News.

Crawford's second book Railroaded: The Homophobic Prosecution of Brandon Woodruff for His Parents' Murders has been featured by ABC 20/20, OutSmart Magazine, South Florida Gay News, and Dallas Voice.

His most recent books are Queer Joints, Wiseguys and G-Men (2019) and Jersey Queens: Darling & Delightful at the Gay Bars in the 50s & 60s (2021).

Reviews

[Russell Sanders · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve read many true crime stories in my life, and when I heard of Railroaded: The Homophobic Prosecution of Brandon Woodruff for His Parents’ Murders, I knew I wanted to read it. Author Phillip Crawford, Jr., using exhaustive interviews, tells of a young man who was arrested and convicted of killing his parents, a conviction based on virtually nothing—no evidence, no murder weapons—only faulty testimony by people with a grudge against the boy and a carefully planned character assassination designed to taint the jury pool by letting the entire community know that Brandon Woodruff, at nineteen, was a gay man who had acted in pornographic films. Woodruff’s story needs to be told, and I applaud Crawford for doing so. Crawford is a competent writer, but his style does a disservice to his message. The book is filled with quoted passages from interviews. Some of these are incorporated into sentences in a relatively smooth manner; most are clumsily done. Furthermore, Crawford has a penchant for telling you what the interviewee said and then repeating himself by using the quoted passages. And, considering that most people have a difficult time putting thoughts together when being interviewed, coupled with the fact than many of these interviewees were in their late teens, the quotes themselves are full of repeated ideas. It makes for tedious reading indeed. The book, furthermore, is extremely poorly edited. Comma errors abound. Typos are rampant. I saw no evidence that this book even has a publisher. It is as if Crawford wrote his first draft and then had it printed. Perhaps the strangest quirk was the author’s referring to the wife of Mike Lee as Miss Lee. Wouldn’t she, if she is a married woman, be Mrs. Lee? The best of true crime books, those who gain attention and do a service to their subjects—if, as here, the subject is innocent—have finely woven plots that read like good novels. This book reads like a treatment for a Dateline episode, a treatment that a good TV producer would have to finely tune to get any drama out of it at all. I usually, in my reviews, like to champion fledgling authors, for I know that writing a book is like giving birth and involves a lot of blood, sweat, and tears that result in something to be proud of. But, sorry to say, I can’t recommend Railroaded. I do, however, hope that a miracle occurs that gets Brandon Woodruff out of prison and sends the Texas Ranger, District Attorneys, and Judge that railroaded him to rot in the same jail cell Brandon is now occupying.

[Donny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.

This is the first nonfiction/not sci-fi or fantasy I read all year, in fact I rarely read outside speculative fiction, but I’m glad I read this.

Honestly what hooked me into entering for it was it was about a young man being persecuted by the law for being gay. While Brandon Woodruff wasn’t being charged for being gay, he was being charged with the murder of both his parents, the investigators and prosecutors made the case that because he was gay was good enough to prove him guilty.

Of course it’s a more complex than that but that is what it boils down to. Crawford goes into great detail into his and his immediate family’s lives, Brandon’s time coming out, the constant blunders and rights violations that are made by the investigators and DA, the smear campaign, and the unfairly stacked jury of bigots who believe “homosexuals are morally inferior.”

It’s not an easy read, learning about Brandon’s parents in detail, and then soon after reading about their gruesome murder in detail. It’s difficult as a gay man to read of this happening relatively recently. But I definitely feel better that I have read it so I can advocate better for the queer community and educate straight folk who might not realize we are still discriminated against in many aspects of our lives.

[Vanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr Crawford tells a very poignant story that I hope will help to get Brandon Woodruff freed some day. On very flimsy non-evidence a Texas court convicts this young man of murdering his parents. The evidence Mr. Crawford puts forth in a thorough fashion convinced me before the end of the book that there was no way this young man could have committed this horrible crime. Even his Grandma backs him up and it was her daughter who was murdered along with her son-in-law. As I kept reading all I could think of was the horror of being 19 and first finding out that both of your parents have been monstrously murdered. Then, on top of that the law blames you. The poor kid had no time to even properly mourn because he immediately had to defend his life. It's very clear that bias toward homosexuality was the reason this boy was convicted. This book will hold your interest as it becomes clearer and clearer that Brandon Woodruff is innocent.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find reading books like this-- disturbing, to say the least. I think Crawford has treated the Woodruff case with great care and compassion, remaining as neutral as possible in his telling. There are so many aspects of this case that just do not add up. The weirdest detail at the crime scene-- the one that very well could hold the biggest clue into what really happened (condoms and porn found in full display at the crime scene) is mentioned early on but doesn't appear to have been fully investigated. Could it's presence hold an important clue to the truth?

What is clear is that Brandon Woodruff was most definitely not given a fair trial and convicted based on jury bias rather than concrete evidence. Author Crawford lays out all the fact in detail-- you decide. I was engrossed.

I received a copy through the Goodreads Giveaway in exchange for an honest review.

[Toni Wittus · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a tragic story but one that must be told. I will be checking the news for any updates in this case.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting read

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good

This book was totally interesting and it is a book that I feel should be read by everyone. The author tells it like it is or was. A must read.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Justice System Exposed

I received this in the Goodreads Giveaways and I am so glad I did. This is a disturbingly insightful book into the criminal justice system and leaves me wondering if the "justice system" isn't the true criminal. How many times have you watched a crime drama and thought how scary it is that they come up with a scenario of what happened and then start looking for evidence to fit the theory? Well this is a real life case of that. This is a well written, well documented account of a young man that is sitting behind bars because the system decided he was the one they wanted to prosecute and evidence be damned. It is a real life horror story of just how powerful and corrupt the legal system can be. It shows us how naive we are to think that as long as you didn't do something you are accused of,you'll be ok. This story could be about any of us if we are in the wrong place at the wrong time or, as in this case, even if we are miles away. And sadly it is documented proof of how little justice there can be in the justice system if the people in charge decide you are guilty. A good book for anyone interested in how the law does or does not work when there are preconceived prejudices. This will be on my mind for a very long time.

[Laura Hundley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boy, this book had me doing research for hours. I felt that the author did an amazing job of putting all relevant information out there for the reader to make a decision based on facts and not just reasonable doubt. This poor young man will sit in jail for something he did not do because of his sexuality? It sure does seem like it. How in the hell could these jurors convict this man? I just grew more mad as I read on into the story. His own grandmother believes in his innocence. I just felt like there was way too much to not convict him. His friends mother going to the police about the body when no one knew about it yet. I mean come on. What is wrong with our justice system. I am very fired up about this one and I bet that when you read it as well, you will be also.

This was a giveaway from goodreads and the author and I would like to thank them at this time.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is base on a True Crime Murder of Dennis and Norma Woodruff in itheir home in Texas 2005 and the person who was accused of killing them their 19 year old son Brandon Woodruff, he was the last to see them that night at dinner. With no evidence of blood,or weapons Brandon was arrested for a Double Homicide of his parents. I thought this book was really good and I'm interested in the outcome of Brandon Woodruff life. I received this e-book from the author for a honest review.

[Shelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

How the justice failed a young man

Reading this story you wonder how the justice system could fail so badly. How did several people involved in this case get promoted to judgeships and state attorney general? How and why do people allow their personal beliefs to blind them to evidence? Whether you agree, disagree, or are indifferent to the LGBTQ community or lifestyle, right is right. Read this story for yourself and decide if Brandon was railroaded.

[Lesley Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written

Given that this is not my genre of choice as I tend to stick to fiction. I found it a refreshing change of pace that really stirred up my emotions as I was drawn further & further into the events as they unfolded. Definitely a good solid read.

[Richard Jespers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I won this Kindle version of Crawford’s book by way of a Goodreads giveaway. I am providing this review because I do believe it is a narrative worth reading.

This brief book is reminiscent of absorbing feature articles I’ve read in Texas Monthly—stories of true crime set in the Lone Star State. As a gay man who has lived in Texas for over fifty years, I felt drawn to this case I’d never heard of before. Woodruff is a nineteen-year-old boy charged with murdering his parents in their home. Crawford displays a fine grasp of the tentative legal situation for gays in Texas, and he sets up the facts of the case for readers to see that Brandon Woodruff is wrongly prosecuted and convicted. At the very least he should be given a fair trial. Throughout the book Crawford makes clear, among others, certain facts. A Texas Ranger from Austin is assigned the case, rather than a local or regional official. This Ranger conducts a smear campaign against Brandon because of his participation in a gay social life and for appearing in legitimate pornographic movies, “evidence” that has nothing to do with the case but which prejudices the jury. The Ranger also fails to take advantage of information that does exist, for one, cell phone records that would indicate Brandon is not anywhere near the location at the time of the murders. By such evidence alone, he could not possibly have committed the murders. While some guilty parties never show any emotion when hearing the news of loved one’s murders, reliable witnesses testify that Brandon loves his parents, particularly his father, who has a sympathetic view of his son’s homosexuality—and he is beset with grief from the beginning. Brandon’s sister, who is more temperamentally bent toward anger and violence against their parents than Brandon, is never fully investigated. What about her whereabouts on the night of the murder? Her phone records? A party or parties who might have committed the murders on her behalf? One suspect, an ex-friend of Brandon’s who is vehemently homophobic, lies to Ranger Collins and is never put on the stand at the trial. The Texas Ranger takes the easy way out all around, and Brandon Woodruff, now nearing age thirty-six, still remains in prison, a long life-term ahead of him. If readers want to help Brandon Woodruff’s cause, they can go to the website freebrandon.org to donate and/or sign a petition to be sent to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. This is a wrong that must be righted and soon. Thanks to Phillip Crawford, Jr. for documenting this case in such a decisive manner.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Phillip Crawford, Jr., has written "Railroaded: The Homophobic Prosecution of Brandon Woodruff...", which is a short book about a true crime. It's actually two crimes, though. The first crime is the double-murder of Brandon's parents, in their home. The second crime was done by the State of Texas and consists of its relentless pursuit to imprison Brandon for something he didn't do.

Crawford writes the book as an advocate for Brandon. Initially, when I picked up the book, I thought it would be more objective. However, Crawford is unable to conceal his contempt for the state, various people involved in the story, and especially Brandon's sister, Charla. Crawford also refers to Brandon as "the boy" throughout the book, which I thought was a little weird. But overall, the book is decently written.

The worst part of the book (if there can be anything worse than the murder of innocent people) is giving teens a sentence of Life Without Parole (LWOP). I have read several true crime books in which teens are given LWOP by conservative states, and this topic deserves to be part of any initiative for criminal justice reform. As far as this case is concerned, the state botched the investigation on such a monumental level, as to be breathtaking in its incompetence. Advocates for Brandon have set up freebrandon.org and I wish them the best as they seek to free Brandon from the clutches of injustice.

[Clint · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sympathetic true crime book that attempts to exonerate a convicted gay Texas teen for the 2005 double murder of his parents. Book does a decent job of casting doubt on his guilt but is poorly written, poorly edited, poorly punctuated and poorly produced. Could have a used much larger dollop of defense from the then-teen through letters or interviews. Was hoping for better, especially since I had this book on my “want” list for several years.

[BAILEY CRAIG · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to give this book a better review but I can’t for all the grammatical errors. Don’t get me wrong, I get grammar wrong all the time but when I notice it in a book it really bothers me. Other than that I hope every one of those suckers that screwed Brandon over eventually get to rot in the same place he’s in right now.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the fact that Mr Crawford could explain clearly that Brandon was not judged by a jury of his peers. The book tends to be a bit repetitive in discussing the interviews.

This is definitely a book worth reading!

[Mel Vollano · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this read like something directly from a police confession. It’s not really told as a story. The whole thing is ridiculous and I think his sister is the one that killed his parents. Homophobic nonsense sent this man to prison for life, having absolutely nothing to do with his parents murders.

[Liselotte Andereggen · Rating 2 out of 5]

An important story very poorly written.

[Corvus · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won a copy of this via goodreads giveaways. I could not bring myself to actually finish this book. The writing is poor. I'm assuming the author is a gay man and he believes that gives him a pass to shit on other marginalised groups. But really, who thinks it's a good idea to write something like, "Frankly, unless there was some chubby chaser at Rockwall High, it’s hard to believe a gay boy was knocking on Joe’s door for anything"? This is not the only one.

Also, this former lawyer actually believes "lie detector" tests detect truth and lies- something that countless studies and the inventor himself state is bullshit. Did anyone he worked with get screwed by this ignorance?

This is an important story, 2 stars instead of 1 for the author attempting this and doing the research, but this book is not the vehicle that will do this story justice.

[Eric · Rating 1 out of 5]

Uneven and sometimes puerile tone, low writing quality, mean that I stop reading 1/4 way in despite a potentially interesting topic. Not recommended. This was received from Goodreads Giveaways in exchange for a fair review, and if anything I’m surprised to learn this isn’t an advanced reader copy and has already gone therefore through the usual editing process... !!!?!?!!!