Eighteen years ago Steve Woodruff was convicted for the murder of Riverside Police Detective Charles “Doug” Jacobs III and sentenced to death, but his charges didn’t stick.
Though his guilty verdict was upheld by the state Supreme Court in 2018, his death verdict was reversed “because justices said a prospective juror was improperly dismissed.” However, after going before a new jury, Woodruff was sentenced to death for a second time, according to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office.
Jacobs and Woodruff fatally crossed paths while the detective was responding to a loud music complaint at a home in downtown Riverside on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2001.
The 30-year-old detective was ambushed and fatally shot in the face by Woodruff, who lived in the home where the attack happened, according to a memorial page following Jacobs’ death.
In addition to the charges surrounding Jacobs’ death, Woodruff was convicted of attempted murder of officer Ben Baker, who initially responded to the complaint and called for backup, according to the Mercury News.
Jacobs, a six-year veteran of the force at the time, was survived by his wife, their six-month-old daughter and his 10-year-old stepson.
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