Meridian Thomas Woodson, a 28-year-old woman, died on May 28, 2026, after she was shot inside her apartment in Elmwood, Louisiana. Authorities identified her as the victim in a domestic violence-related murder-suicide that unfolded at the Palmetto Creek apartment complex in the 5100 block of Citrus Boulevard. She was a mother of two young daughters, ages 4 and 7, and her death left family members, friends, and the surrounding community grieving a woman they described as deeply caring, faithful,
and devoted to the people around her.
The shooting happened on a Thursday morning. Deputies with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office responded to the apartment complex and found Meridian dead inside the residence. Investigators later said her ex-husband, Kody Woodson, 30, was the person suspected of shooting her. After the shooting, he was found in a nearby parking lot suffering from what authorities described as an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was initially reported to be in critical condition, but later died, turning the case into a murder-suicide investigation.
The tragedy came after a long and bitter period between Meridian and Kody Woodson. Online reports described the couple as recently divorced and said they had been involved in a custody dispute over their two daughters. Court records cited in news coverage described serious allegations made during that dispute, including Meridian accusing Kody of abuse and threatening behavior involving a firearm. Kody reportedly denied many of those allegations and made accusations of his own against Meridian. A custody hearing had been scheduled for June 18, 2026, just weeks after the shooting.
Because Kody Woodson died from the self-inflicted gunshot wound, there were no reported arrests, criminal charges, trial proceedings, or convictions connected to Meridian's killing. Authorities continued treating the incident as an active investigation, but the named suspect in the shooting was her ex-husband. The case was widely framed by investigators and domestic violence advocates as part of a broader pattern of intimate-partner violence, with advocates speaking out afterward about the danger victims can face during separations, divorces, and custody disputes.
In the days after Meridian's death, family and friends turned their attention to her two daughters, who were left without their mother. A fundraising effort was created to support the children, and loved ones remembered Meridian as someone whose kindness and compassion touched many lives. What began as an ordinary morning inside an Elmwood apartment became a devastating end to a custody battle and a painful reminder of how quickly domestic conflict can become fatal.
