Woods' bond hearing continues

FLORENCE - Several of Tammie C. Woods' family members gasped, cried and hurried out of the courtroom during a bond hearing Wednesday when photos were displayed on a large screen showing her lifeless body in the driver's seat of her vehicle.

The emotional moment came during an afternoon bond hearing for Woods' husband, Tony Woods, 45, who is charged with capital murder in the July 13 shooting of his wife. The shooting happened as Tammie Woods, 46, drove away from Tony Woods' home on Lauderdale 2. The couple were going through a divorce, authorities said.

Lauderdale County District Court Judge Carol Medley continued the hearing for 2 p.m. Monday.

A major issue in the hearing involves whether Tony Woods, who has cancer, can receive proper medical treatment while incarcerated. He has been in the Florence-Lauderdale County Detention Center since his arrest the night of the shooting.

Woods was diagnosed May 15 with myeloma, a plasma-cell cancer in bone marrow, according to Dr. Purvi Shah, who testified via phone conference from Clearview Cancer Institute in Huntsville.

Defense attorneys Melinda Morgan Austin and Jeff Austin contend Woods cannot be adequately treated, and a jail environment increases the risk of infection. Prosecutors deny the contentions.

The hearing included testimony from Lauderdale Chief Investigator Travis Clemmons, who said he questioned Tony Woods on the night of the shooting. Clemmons said Woods claimed Tammie Woods became angry at him and “started going crazy and doing doughnuts” in the yard.

“He said he went in the house and got a gun, came back out and he fired some shots,” Clemmons said.

The investigator said Tony Woods told authorities he wasn't shooting at his wife, but at the car. Then corrected himself and said, “I mean, over the car.”

Five shots were fired, all hitting the car, mainly in the rear, Clemmons said. One entered the right passenger window, went into the driver's seat and fragmented when it struck a metal part inside the seat. The fragments entered the back of Tammie Woods while she was driving.

Photos of her body reveal numerous wounds to her back from the fragments.

Under questioning from Chief Assistant District Attorney Will Powell, Clemmons said five shell casings were found in a path from Tony Woods' home toward the highway.

Clemmons testified Tony Woods told him he and Tammie Woods had gone to the grocery store and package store, where they bought a half-case of beer, the night of the shooting. They then went home to watch movies.

Clemmons said Tony Woods initially didn't tell him they had gone to the bank to sign papers for a house refinancing. When Clemmons asked him about it, Tony Woods said he forgot to mention it.

Clemmons said Tony Woods told him Tammie Woods “blew up” at him, went outside, got in her car and started driving in circles in the yard.

Clemmons said Tony Woods told him he then went inside, grabbed a .270-caliber rifle, went back outside and fired three shots. Clemmons asked if he could have fired more than three times, and he responded he only remembers firing three times.

The chief investigator testified he later told Tony Woods that he didn't fire over the car, he fired into it. Tony Woods responded, “You're kidding.” Tony Woods then asked how Tammie Woods is doing, and Clemmons said she died. He again responded, “You're kidding.”

During cross-examination by Jeff Austin, Clemmons said Tony Woods told him, “She got close to me” when she was spinning the vehicle in the yard.

During questioning by Melinda Austin, Shah said Tony Woods takes steroid medication, a chemotherapy drug, and medication for pain, anxiety and to prevent infection. He has been referred to the Bone Marrow Transplant Division at Vanderbilt University Hospital, where he could become a candidate for a stem-cell transplant.

Doctors at Vanderbilt want to see him again in August to check his progress, Shah testified. Without treatment, Tony Woods' life expectancy is six to 12 months, Shah testified. With only oral medication, it could be two to three years. With full treatment, including a stem-cell transplant, he could live eight to 10 years.

Shah said doctors expressed concern about whether Tony Woods would be administered proper medication while incarcerated.

Under questioning by District Attorney Chris Connolly, Myra Brown, a nurse at the detention center, said she has experience with cancer patients who are incarcerated.

Brown testified she understands Tony Woods' diagnosis and treatment plan. She said family members give jail officials his medication and it is divided into bottles for each day of the week and administered properly. She said he could be transported to Vanderbilt, if the need calls for it, provided the family make arrangements ahead of time. That includes paying for two county deputies to escort him.

Brown also testified Tony Woods told her Shah told him he has brain cancer and a short time to live. Brown said she called Shah's officer, and they said that is not true.

Bernie Delinski can be reached at 256-740-5739 or bernie.delinski@TimesDaily.com.