On May 7, Larvey Woods was sentenced to life in prison for the July 2023 murder of Essie Meadows in Troy. 

Woods entered a guilty plea to the charge of Murder earlier and appeared in the Circuit Court of Pike County, in front of Judge Jeff Kelley, on May 7 for sentencing. 

According to 12th Judicial Circuit District Attorney James Tarbox, the evidence showed that Woods – 78-years-old at the time – was responsible for the killing of Meadows, 59, on July 26, 2023. The pair had previously been in a relationship and Woods had recently been arrested for a misdemeanor Domestic Violence charge in which Meadows was the victim. 

On July 26, 2023, Woods lay in wait for Meadows at her residence. As she was approaching carrying food, Woods ambushed her and shot her multiple times with a pistol, according to Tarbox. Meadows was pronounced deceased at the scene. 

Multiple family members of Meadows provided the court with victim impact statements during the sentencing hearing. Those family members described to the court that Meadows was a “loving sister, mother and grandmother.” Woods had two prior violent felony convictions in Pike County and the State of Alabama asked the court to sentence Woods as a habitual felony offender.

Following the presentation of testimony and evidence, Kelley sentenced Woods to Life in Prison. 

“I appreciate the work of ADA (Ternisha) Jones in this matter,” Tarbox said. “It is never easy working on matters like this, but she always rises to the challenge to meet the needs of the case and to ensure our victim’s family members are taken care of to the best of our ability.” 

“I appreciate the sentence imposed in this case. While Defendant Woods is elderly and has some health ailments, the State argued that the facts should dictate the sentence in a case like this involving a dangerous defendant and the Court agreed.”

Woods will remain in Pike County Jail while he awaits transport to the Alabama Department of Corrections.