Thomas’ body is found

Joyce Thomas’ body has been found along I-49, between Opelousas and Sunset, according to State Police. Thomas, a 72-year-old Ville Platte senior who was deaf and mute, had been missing since Wednesday of last week. It is believed she was kidnapped and murdered by 53-year-old Phillip DeWoody, who has a long criminal record dating back to 1984.
Thomas went missing from her apartment on Chataignier Street in Ville Platte on Wednesday, and a surveillance photo showed DeWoody at her apartment. Police confirmed DeWoody is the man in the photo, and he has admitted it was him, however he did not confess to kidnapping Thomas or causing her death.
While under arrest for the disappearance of Thomas, DeWoody has also been booked on charges of second degree kidnapping of an Opelousas woman believed to be in her late 50s. That woman supposedly told detectives where to look for Thomas because that is where DeWoody took her after he allegedly kidnapped and assaulted her. The Opelousas woman was abducted on February 22 while walking to a store near her home. She told detectives DeWoody pulled his vehicle next to her, forced her inside, and drove outside Opelousas city limits and sexually assaulted her. She said he then drove her home where she immediately called the police.
Opelousas P.D. narrowed in on DeWoody, but discovered he was already in custody of State Police due to Thomas’ disappearance. Detectives presented a photo lineup to the Opelousas woman who identified DeWoody as the man who abducted her. It was at this time she led detectives to the property between Opelousas and Sunset. A search began, and Thomas’ body was found.
Aside from Thomas and the Opelousas woman, another woman may have fallen victim to DeWoody. A Point Blue family suspects he may have had something to do with the death of their loved one. The Hudson family said their relative, Rebecca Frechette, started dating DeWoody in October of last year after meeting him on Facebook. He moved in with Frechette, and she became ill within a few weeks and was taken to the hospital in November. She died after turning septic. The family now wants an autopsy conducted on Frechette.
In addition to his adult criminal record dating from 1984, DeWoody has a juvenile criminal record that includes homicide. When he was 12 years old, he murdered a 13-year-old girl.
Past crimes of DeWoody include armed robbery, burglary, and a 1993 prison escape with a second-degree kidnapping charge of a Lincoln Parish prison guard at knife point. In total, he was serving a 117 year sentence. He applied for parole which was denied in 2014 and 2016, but parole was granted in June of last year. Since his parole, DeWoody had met all the conditions of his release, such as holding a job, checking in with his parole officer, and maintaining a residence.
According to the Parole Board, Act 790 allows a prisoner to be considered for parole if they are sentenced for 30 years or more and have served at least 20 years, and reached the age of 45. DeWoody met that criteria. The audio and a transcript of his 2019 parole hearing was released. At that hearing, DeWoody said he had been making strides to rehabilitation and said he only got into trouble at prison one time, and that was because he was defending himself against sexual advances. He admitted he was gay and had to be removed from certain people who wished to harm him. The Parole Board took into account DeWoody’s rehabilitation efforts, Act 790, and a statement from assistant Warden Kenneth Booty who said, “ [He’s been] locked up a longtime and the only trouble he’s got into, like he said, protecting himself.”
DeWoody served time 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 good time parole for the 1984 Armed Robbery and 1985 Simple Burglary convictions
· On December 7, 1993, DeWoody was convicted of the following crimes and his good time parole was revoked due to the new crimes:
- 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 good time parole revocation for the 1984 and 1985 convictions
- 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
- 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.
St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby Guidroz said Phillip DeWoody “is a violent repeat offender, and I think the parole board should take a different look at people who come up for parole with records like this.”
DeWoody was booked for aggravated kidnapping in Evangeline Parish on March 2. He is being held at Elayn Hunt Correctional Center in St. Gabriel, Louisiana, awaiting charges in St. Landry for crimes against Thomas and the Opelousas victim.