In a tragic turn of events stemming from a dispute over a borrowed vehicle, 37-year-old Stefanie Coulson was found dead in her home on the east side of Indianapolis on March 27, 2017. A female, her friends made the grim discovery, finding her lifeless in her bedroom. The subsequent autopsy would reveal a brutal end; Coulson had sustained multiple gunshot wounds to her head and neck, in addition to being stabbed over 30 times in her face, neck, and arms.
Her death was officially ruled a homicide.
The investigation into the violent crime quickly pointed to Karl Woodall. Court documents indicated that Woodall had become enraged on the night of the murder when he discovered Coulson and a friend had taken his Honda Odyssey van to go dumpster diving while he was asleep. Witnesses reported that he had made threats, stating that someone would die if the van was not returned within a short timeframe. When Coulson returned with the vehicle, a heated argument broke out. Woodall was heard threatening another individual at the scene, telling them to leave or they would end up dead like Coulson. Soon after, gunshots were heard.
Evidence collected from the crime scene directly implicated Woodall in the murder. His fingerprint was found on a fired cartridge in Coulson's bedroom, and his DNA was discovered on a Styrofoam cup inside the residence. Woodall was apprehended by police three days later while he was driving his van. In addition to the murder of Stefanie Coulson, Woodall was also facing another murder charge from a separate 2017 case.
In March 2019, a jury found Karl Woodall guilty of the murder of Stefanie Coulson. The following month, he was sentenced to 63 years in prison for the crime. During the trial, further details of the night emerged, revealing that Woodall had asked another individual to kill Coulson before he carried out the act himself in a rage. The court noted that Coulson had trusted Woodall and had opened her home to him as a friend. The tragic case highlighted the devastating consequences of a seemingly minor dispute escalating into fatal violence.
