The real-life brutal murder of Catherine Woods, a beautiful exotic dancer, in November of 2005, fed tabloid headlines. 48 Hours
correspondents La Rosa and Moriarty serve up a true crime account of her story and that of Paul Cortez, who was convicted of the crime the following year. Dubbed the “Stripper Beauty,” Catherine was 18 when she moved to Manhattan from Columbus, Ohio (where her father directs the Ohio State University's marching band). Her dreams of Broadway were tested by a rape. On returning to New York, she soon had an Ohio pal, David Haughn, living with her on the Upper East Side, but began dating others, including Cortez, then 24, an educated band musician and yoga enthusiast who disapproved of Catherine's dancing topless for hefty take-home cash. La Rosa and Moriarty deliver a compelling account of her horrifying murder and the subsequent investigation and trial. Their version of events allows readers to draw their own conclusions as to whether justice was served. (Apr.)
