5 key details of Susan Woods' murder explored

The murder of Susan Woods in 1987 shocked the small town of Stephenville as she was found asphyxiated and brutalized in her bathtub. Susan was a friendly face in the neighborhood who had been going through a difficult divorce.

Her murder case turned cold for the years to come before advanced DNA technology and the FBI database were used to identify the real killer - Joseph Scott Hatley.

The Dateline: Secrets Uncovered episode titled The Monster at Large showcases the details of Susan Woods' murder as it airs on August 14, 2024, at 8 p.m. EST on Oxygen exclusively. The official synopsis reads,

"When Susan Woods doesn't show up for work, she is soon discovered dead in her bathtub; as police search for answers, they find a trail of victims."

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5 key details of Susan Woods' murder explored

1) Susan Woods was found dead in her bathtub on July 28, 1987

On July 28, 1987, Joe Atkins found his daughter dead in the bathtub of her white bungalow around the corner of Central Elementary. Joe Atkins had been alerted by Susan's workplace at a sandpaper factory owing to her two-day absence from work.

According to the Texas Monthly, Atkins conducted a welfare check and found the door unlocked. Susan's hands were tied behind her back while she had been drowned in her bathtub.

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2) Susan's husband was the primary suspect in the murder case

At the time of the murder, Susan Woods was undergoing a contentious divorce with her husband, Michael Woods. As Michael left Susan, he left behind a tape recording and handwritten notes that spoke vulgarly about Susan and her close ones.

Susan Woods' murder turned cold for 30 years (Image via Unsplash)

Michael Woods became the primary suspect in the case as Susan's family and friends failed to place their trust in him as well. He was a musician by profession and would leave home for long periods.

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3) The case file turned cold before it was reopened in 2006

Even though the crime scene came with ample evidence, the authorities were unable to trace it back to a killer. Per the Texas Monthly, the coffee table at Susan's home had an unfinished can of Coke along with six cigarette butts in the ashtray. The fingerprints from the crime scene could not be tested at the time of the murder.

As a result, the Susan Woods murder case turned cold for the years to come before it was reopened by Lt. Don Miller with the Stephenville Police Department in 2006.

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4) The killer, Joseph Scott Hatley, was identified using DNA technology

As the murder case was reopened, Lt. Miller drove to Austin to submit the fingerprints from the crime scene to a DPS officer in Austin in May 2006. The match came back positive for Joseph Scott Hatley, who was already present on the FBI criminal database for a 1988 robbery arrest.

Joseph Scott Hatley was identified using DNA technology (Image via Unsplash)

The officers traced Joseph Scott Hatley to Round Rock, Texas, on June 6, 2006. When he was invited for questioning, he appeared calm, which came across as a sign of warning for the detectives. The officers collected his DNA sample, which matched the DNA on the cigarette butts.

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5) Joseph Scott Hatley was released early in 2018 due to good behavior

Joseph Scott Hatley had been arrested for Susan Woods' murder and had been scheduled for a trial in 2007. However, he took a plea deal before his hearing and confessed to killing Woods. The motive behind the murder remained unclear. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison but was released after 11 years.

Hatley was sentenced to 30 years (Image via Unsplash)

Joseph Scott Hatley passed away from bladder cancer in his RV on December 9, 2021. According to ABC News, Joseph left behind disturbing writings mentioning Woods' murder and the assault of 16-year-old Shannon Myers.

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Catch all the details of Susan Woods' murder as the Dateline: Secrets Uncovered episode airs on Wednesday.