Man convicted in grisly murder of Paso Robles woman in 2018
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - A man charged in the 2018 death of a Paso Robles woman could face life in prison after he was convicted murdering her during an attempted rape.
According to the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's Office, Carlo Alberto Fuentes Flores was found guilty of murdering Nancy Woodrum in May 2018. He was also found to have killed Woodrum while raping or attempting to rape her.
Woodrum went missing on May 5, 2018. Her disappearance sparked public outrage and months-long search for her.
In November 2018, investigators arrested Fuentes Flores in connection to Woodrum's disappearance. DNA evidence recovered from the scene of the crime matched the samples collected from Fuentes Flores following his arrest.
According to the DA's office, he had been hired to paint Woodrum’s deck in the weeks leading up to her disappearance. On Dec. 18, 2018, following weeks of interviews, he led investigators to her remains in a secluded spot off Highway 58 in a rural area of San Luis Obispo County.
“This conviction will not bring Nancy Woodrum back, nor will it lessen the grief of her loved ones,” said San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow. “This is however a critical step towards achieving an appropriate punishment for the predator who is responsible for her brutal murder."
Fuentes Flores will appear in court again on Feb. 24 for his sentencing. Dow's office said the "lawful" sentencing would be for him to serve life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The case was investigated by the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office with assistance from the DA's Bureau of Investigations team.
