JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Court TV) — A Florida woman took the witness stand on Thursday as she attempted to explain what led her to kill a man with a hammer last year.
Journee McGrew testified at her sentencing hearing on April 30, 2026. (WJXT)
Journee McGrew, 22, pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder and one count of tampering with evidence in the death of Waduta Woodley, 41.
Woodley’s blood-covered body was found in the stairwell at a Jacksonville apartment complex in July 2025. Officers said a note, written in green highlighter, was found on the victim’s chest reading, “PEDO Touches Children.” At her sentencing hearing on Thursday, McGrew admitted to luring Woodley to her home before attacking him.
McGrew said she first met Woodley when she was about 8 years old; he was dating her older sister. Testifying in court, McGrew said that Woodley immediately began grooming her and then began molesting her when she turned 13. She said that she was afraid to reveal what was happening at the time because Woodley lived with her family. “I didn’t want us to be homeless if I told people what he was doing,” she said. “And my sister had a whole life with him. I didn’t want to ruin her life.”
As a young adult, McGrew was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and PTSD, but said she stopped taking her medications in March 2025 because of insurance problems. “At first I felt normal, but then I started feeling paranoid again, thinking cars were following me and talking to God,” McGrew said. “If I see a car, specifically like a Charger, that’s like God.”
MORE | Woman murdered man with hammer, left note in green highlighter: Police
McGrew said that when she called Woodley to come to her apartment in July 2025, she said that she wanted to have sex with him. While she denied any intention to actually have sex with him, she also denied any premeditated plan to attack him. But once he was in her home, she said, she became frightened of the victim. “I was scared because he kept saying things, like, ‘It’s like you want me to rape you,’ So I didn’t know what he was going to do,” she said in court. Then, she saw a Charger out the window and thought that meant she was doing the right thing, she said.
“I really wasn’t in my right mind,” McGrew said. “I’m not violent.”
McGrew admitted to grabbing a sledgehammer and repeatedly beating the victim, even as he tried to back away. She said she acted in a moment of panic and paranoia before leaving the note and abandoning the body outside her apartment. She then said she took a shower and changed her clothes. When she eventually called 911, she never told dispatchers that anyone was hurt or required medical assistance.
Prosecutors pushed back on McGrew’s account, noting that no charges were ever filed against the victim and that the defendant has a history of making unsubstantiated accusations. McGrew admitted from the witness stand that she previously accused her husband, a cousin, a brother and another man of molesting her without any evidence.
“I am sorry about what I did,” McGrew said when her attorney asked if she had any message to share. “I know how much I impacted your family and also mine. I’m really sorry for what happened.”
The sentencing hearing is scheduled to continue at a future date with additional witnesses to be presented by the defense.
