In the early hours of a September morning, the quiet of an Oxon Hill, Maryland neighborhood was shattered by the sound of gunfire, leaving a family heartbroken and a community searching for answers. On September 11, 2021, 39-year-old Robert Hall, a Black male from Washington, D.C., was found outside on the grass in the 800 block of Maury Avenue, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Police had responded to a report of a shooting at approximately 2:10 a.m.
and pronounced him dead at the scene.
The investigation into Hall's death quickly focused on a dispute that had occurred just before the fatal shots were fired. Detectives from the Prince George's County Police Department learned that Hall had been in an altercation with a man he knew. This man was identified as 28-year-old Michael Dequane Woodruff, also a resident of Washington, D.C. As the investigation progressed, evidence mounted against Woodruff, leading authorities to believe he was responsible for Hall's death.
A warrant for Woodruff's arrest was issued, charging him with first and second-degree murder, as well as other related charges. For a time, Woodruff remained at large, and police sought the public's help in locating him. The search came to an end on Sunday, October 3, 2021, when Michael Dequane Woodruff was taken into custody. Following his arrest, he was held at the Department of Corrections without bond, facing the serious charges related to the death of Robert Hall.
