For 23 years, Arlis Edward Wooten never gave up on his son. A 68-year-old World War II Navy veteran and grocery store manager from Azle, Texas, Arlis was a father who believed in second chances. His son, Charles Edward Wooten, was serving consecutive life sentences for two brutal murders committed in 1969. Despite the horrific nature of his son's crimes, Arlis tirelessly advocated for his release, writing letters and insisting on his son's innocence and rehabilitation. His persistent efforts eventually paid off, and in May 1992, Charles was paroled after more than two decades behind bars.
Upon his release, Charles moved into his father's apartment in Azle. Arlis helped him find work as a carpet cleaner and leather craftsman, and for a time, it seemed as though Charles was adjusting to life outside of prison. He had even earned a master's degree and become a skilled leatherworker while incarcerated.
But the hope that Arlis had held onto for so long would be tragically and violently extinguished just over a year later. The relationship between father and son deteriorated, leading to a fatal argument on July 29, 1993.
Inside their shared home, Charles shot his father in the head. In an attempt to conceal the crime, he then committed an act of unspeakable brutality, dismembering his father's body with a hacksaw. He placed the remains in the trunk of his father's car, drove to a remote field in northeast Parker County, and set them on fire. A few days later, after another of Arlis's sons reported him missing, authorities began a search. On August 2, they discovered the charred and scattered limbs in the mesquite scrubland.
The investigation quickly centered on Charles. A witness had reported seeing a man putting what looked like a body into a car trunk near the Wooten apartment, a lead that was initially dismissed. Charles was arrested on August 3, 1993. Investigators noted his complete lack of emotion when brought to the scene where his father's remains were found. While prosecutors suspected the motive might have been a life insurance policy, they lacked sufficient evidence to prove it in court.
Charles Edward Wooten, a serial killer responsible for at least three murders, had now killed the man who had fought so hard to set him free. Two other individuals were initially held on charges of tampering with evidence, but it was Charles who was charged with the murder. He initially claimed his father was alive and had moved to Mexico.
In June 1995, to avoid a potential death sentence, Charles Wooten pleaded guilty to the capital murder of his father. He was given another life sentence, with the possibility of parole after 35 years. This outcome was a deep disappointment to other members of the Wooten family, who had hoped for the death penalty for the man who had not only taken their father's life but had betrayed his unwavering love in the most horrific way imaginable. Charles Wooten remains incarcerated and will first become eligible for parole in 2028.
