UPDATE: We have more details on the criminal record of Phillip Dewoody, under arrest in connection with the disappearance and death of a Ville Platte woman and also is a person of interest in an Opelousas kidnapping.
Opelousas Police have confirmed to KATC that Dewoody is a person of interest in the recent kidnapping of an Opelousas woman. No charges have been filed against him yet, police say.
We'll have more details later today about these cases on KATC TV3.
Meanwhile, we've obtained additional information about his criminal record.
Dewoody's record shows he has twice been in prison, and both times was arrested within a few months of his release. In the early 1980s, he was sentenced to prison for an armed robbery. He was released early, and within two months was arrested again - accused of armed robbery again. It was after that arrest that he escaped from prison, kidnapping a female guard in the process. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced in that case, and released early in June 2019. Just a few months later, he's under arrest again, accused again of kidnapping a woman.
Records show Dewoody was released early by the state Parole Board in June 2019, after having been sentenced to more than 100 years for the armed robbery and escape charges he pleaded guilty to in the 1990s.
He was first eligible for parole in 2013, a Department of Corrections spokesman tells KATC.
"Specifically, Act 790 made those persons sentenced to 30 years or more, who have served at least 20 years, and reached the age of 45, eligible for parole consideration before the Parole Board," the spokesman told us.
The Parole Board denied his requests for parole on May 7, 2014 and on March 7, 2016. During a third hearing before the Board on June 10, 2019, the Board granted his parole. Since his release last June, DeWoody had reported monthly to his parole officer, held a job, and had a residence, all conditions of his parole, the spokesman said.
The DOC spokesman tells us that DeWoody was serving a 117 year, 2 month, 12 day sentence for crimes that began in 1984, including:
· Dec. 7, 1984 - Armed Robbery conviction (Caddo Parish) (offense date - 9-25-1984) – 15 year sentence
· April 24, 1985 - Simple Burglary conviction (Bossier Parish) (offense date - 9-25-1984) – 2 years 6 month sentence, served consecutive to the 15 year Armed Robbery sentence.
· June 14, 1993 – Released on goodtime parole for the 1984 Armed Robbery and 1985 Simple Burglary convictions
· On December 7, 1993, DeWoody was convicted of the following crimes and his goodtime parole was revoked due to the new crimes:
o Second Degree Kidnapping (Lincoln Parish) (offense date - 10-20-93) – 40 year sentence served concurrent with the 8 year, 2 month, 12 day remaining sentence for the goodtime parole revocation for the 1984 and 1985 convictions
o Aggravated Escape (Lincoln Parish) (offense date - 10-20-93) – 10 year sentence served consecutive to the parole revocation sentence, but concurrent with the 40 year Second Degree Kidnapping sentence
o 2 counts of Armed Robbery (offense date - 8-3-93) (Lincoln Parish) – 99 years each for each count, served concurrent with each other and concurrent with the 40 year Second Degree Kidnapping sentence, but consecutive to the 10 year Aggravated Escape sentence and the time remaining on the parole revocation (grand total 117 years, 2 months, and 12 days.
To read our story about Dewoody's criminal history, click here.
