Topline: A Jacksonville woman who admitted killing a man she said groomed and molested her for years will now learn her sentence in August after a judge delayed ruling.
Published: August 3, 2026 4:04 pm ET
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Journee McGrew (via Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office)
JACKSONVILLE, FL — A 22-year-old Jacksonville woman who admitted killing a 41-year-old man with a hammer after saying he had groomed and molested her since childhood will now be sentenced Aug. 17, after a judge said she needed more time to review the testimony and evidence presented in court.
According to News4JAX, Journee McGrew pleaded guilty in December 2025 after originally facing second-degree murder and tampering charges in the July 2025 killing of Waduta Woodley at the Cross Creek Apartment Complex on Jacksonville’s Westside.
Judge Lindsay Tygart said the court had been presented with extensive materials and testimony that had to be considered before sentencing. The delay came after another hearing Friday in a case that has centered on McGrew’s claims that Woodley had sexually abused her for years, starting when she was in elementary school.
McGrew testified at an earlier sentencing hearing that she lured Woodley to her apartment by telling him she wanted to have sex, but said her plan was to gather evidence of the alleged abuse, not kill him. She told the court she was not in her right mind when the killing happened and later apologized to Woodley’s family.
Police said Woodley was found in a breezeway outside McGrew’s apartment with blunt-force injuries to his head and face. Investigators said a handwritten note reading “PEDO Touches Children” had been placed on his chest, and a search of McGrew’s apartment turned up bloody footprints, a hammer in the sink, blood-covered clothing, pink Crocs, loose notebook paper and a green highlighter.
According to the arrest report, McGrew told investigators Woodley had been sexually grooming her since she was 8 years old and had assaulted her multiple times. She said she had never reported the alleged abuse because she lived with him and feared being kicked out. News4JAX reported it found no criminal record showing Woodley had ever been charged with sexually assaulting or abusing children.
Friday’s hearing also focused heavily on McGrew’s mental health. Her mother testified that McGrew had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and PTSD, while clinical neuropsychologist Dr. Kathrin Ritter said McGrew’s judgment, impulse control, threat perception and ability to reason through consequences were significantly diminished at the time of the killing.
Prosecutors argued for a life sentence, saying McGrew made herself “judge, jury, and executioner” and posed a danger if she were not kept on medication in custody. Defense attorneys asked for a sentence that would allow her to continue treatment and eventually return to society, arguing her mental illness and trauma severely impaired her decision-making.
Woodley’s mother also addressed the court, describing the devastation of losing her only son. McGrew remains jailed while the court prepares to decide her sentence next month.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Jacksonville Woman Who Said Man Molested Her Since Childhood Awaits August Sentencing in Hammer Killing
A Jacksonville woman who admitted killing a man she said groomed and molested her for years will now learn her sentence in August after a judge delayed ruling.
By Silvia Torres
Published: August 3, 2026 4:04 pm ET
Journee McGrew (via Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office)
JACKSONVILLE, FL — A 22-year-old Jacksonville woman who admitted killing a 41-year-old man with a hammer after saying he had groomed and molested her since childhood will now be sentenced Aug. 17, after a judge said she needed more time to review the testimony and evidence presented in court.
According to News4JAX, Journee McGrew pleaded guilty in December 2025 after originally facing second-degree murder and tampering charges in the July 2025 killing of Waduta Woodley at the Cross Creek Apartment Complex on Jacksonville’s Westside.
Judge Lindsay Tygart said the court had been presented with extensive materials and testimony that had to be considered before sentencing. The delay came after another hearing Friday in a case that has centered on McGrew’s claims that Woodley had sexually abused her for years, starting when she was in elementary school.
McGrew testified at an earlier sentencing hearing that she lured Woodley to her apartment by telling him she wanted to have sex, but said her plan was to gather evidence of the alleged abuse, not kill him. She told the court she was not in her right mind when the killing happened and later apologized to Woodley’s family.
Police said Woodley was found in a breezeway outside McGrew’s apartment with blunt-force injuries to his head and face. Investigators said a handwritten note reading “PEDO Touches Children” had been placed on his chest, and a search of McGrew’s apartment turned up bloody footprints, a hammer in the sink, blood-covered clothing, pink Crocs, loose notebook paper and a green highlighter.
According to the arrest report, McGrew told investigators Woodley had been sexually grooming her since she was 8 years old and had assaulted her multiple times. She said she had never reported the alleged abuse because she lived with him and feared being kicked out. News4JAX reported it found no criminal record showing Woodley had ever been charged with sexually assaulting or abusing children.
Friday’s hearing also focused heavily on McGrew’s mental health. Her mother testified that McGrew had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and PTSD, while clinical neuropsychologist Dr. Kathrin Ritter said McGrew’s judgment, impulse control, threat perception and ability to reason through consequences were significantly diminished at the time of the killing.
Prosecutors argued for a life sentence, saying McGrew made herself “judge, jury, and executioner” and posed a danger if she were not kept on medication in custody. Defense attorneys asked for a sentence that would allow her to continue treatment and eventually return to society, arguing her mental illness and trauma severely impaired her decision-making.
Woodley’s mother also addressed the court, describing the devastation of losing her only son. McGrew remains jailed while the court prepares to decide her sentence next month.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Jacksonville Woman Who Said Man Molested Her Since Childhood Awaits August Sentencing in Hammer Killing
A Jacksonville woman who admitted killing a man she said groomed and molested her for years will now learn her sentence in August after a judge delayed ruling.
By Silvia Torres
Published: August 3, 2026 4:04 pm ET
Journee McGrew (via Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office)
JACKSONVILLE, FL — A 22-year-old Jacksonville woman who admitted killing a 41-year-old man with a hammer after saying he had groomed and molested her since childhood will now be sentenced Aug. 17, after a judge said she needed more time to review the testimony and evidence presented in court.
According to News4JAX, Journee McGrew pleaded guilty in December 2025 after originally facing second-degree murder and tampering charges in the July 2025 killing of Waduta Woodley at the Cross Creek Apartment Complex on Jacksonville’s Westside.
Judge Lindsay Tygart said the court had been presented with extensive materials and testimony that had to be considered before sentencing. The delay came after another hearing Friday in a case that has centered on McGrew’s claims that Woodley had sexually abused her for years, starting when she was in elementary school.
McGrew testified at an earlier sentencing hearing that she lured Woodley to her apartment by telling him she wanted to have sex, but said her plan was to gather evidence of the alleged abuse, not kill him. She told the court she was not in her right mind when the killing happened and later apologized to Woodley’s family.
Police said Woodley was found in a breezeway outside McGrew’s apartment with blunt-force injuries to his head and face. Investigators said a handwritten note reading “PEDO Touches Children” had been placed on his chest, and a search of McGrew’s apartment turned up bloody footprints, a hammer in the sink, blood-covered clothing, pink Crocs, loose notebook paper and a green highlighter.
According to the arrest report, McGrew told investigators Woodley had been sexually grooming her since she was 8 years old and had assaulted her multiple times. She said she had never reported the alleged abuse because she lived with him and feared being kicked out. News4JAX reported it found no criminal record showing Woodley had ever been charged with sexually assaulting or abusing children.
Friday’s hearing also focused heavily on McGrew’s mental health. Her mother testified that McGrew had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and PTSD, while clinical neuropsychologist Dr. Kathrin Ritter said McGrew’s judgment, impulse control, threat perception and ability to reason through consequences were significantly diminished at the time of the killing.
Prosecutors argued for a life sentence, saying McGrew made herself “judge, jury, and executioner” and posed a danger if she were not kept on medication in custody. Defense attorneys asked for a sentence that would allow her to continue treatment and eventually return to society, arguing her mental illness and trauma severely impaired her decision-making.
Woodley’s mother also addressed the court, describing the devastation of losing her only son. McGrew remains jailed while the court prepares to decide her sentence next month.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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