Alfred Wozniak, aged 72, was found dead in his home in Shalimar, Florida, on November 15, 2017. The circumstances surrounding his death were initially suspicious, leading to a thorough investigation by the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office. Alfred's wife, Barbara Wozniak, was arrested shortly after his body was discovered. She claimed that she had shot her husband in self-defense after he allegedly tried to choke her.
However, the investigation revealed inconsistencies in her account.
Barbara Wozniak was charged with second-degree murder and tampering with evidence. Investigators found Alfred's body hidden behind a brick wall in a closet under the stairway of their home. The body was wrapped in a tarp and duct-taped, with an autopsy revealing that Alfred had been shot in the left temple. The trajectory of the bullet did not align with Barbara's self-defense claim, raising further doubts about her story. Surveillance footage also showed Barbara purchasing materials such as a tarp, plastic sheet, and repair mortar shortly after the alleged incident.
Despite the serious charges, Barbara Wozniak eventually entered a no-contest plea to tampering with evidence. The murder charge was dropped after experts evaluated her claims of being a battered woman. Both the defense and state experts found that Barbara exhibited characteristics consistent with a history of abuse. Her children and other witnesses supported her allegations of long-term physical, emotional, and sexual abuse by Alfred. As a result, the state concluded that it could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the shooting was not in self-defense. Barbara was sentenced to five years of probation for tampering with evidence.
