Charles Harrelson: Woody's Hitman Dad

Charles Voyde Harrelson was an American hitman and organized crime assassin who murdered Federal Judge John H. Wood Jr. Harrelson was also the father of actor Woody Harrelson, popular for the TV series Cheers and movies like Natural Born Killers and White Men Can’t Jump.

Woody was born on his father’s birthday. He says his father was in and out of prison a lot when he was a child, finally leaving him and his mother and siblings for good in 1968. He never looked back. Woody attempted to help his father and reconcile their relationship without luck. Woody heard his father’s name again in 1981 on the radio after the murder of Judge Wood.

A Life of Crime

Charles Harrelson lived a life of crime from an early age. As an adult, he sold encyclopedias by day and committed robberies by night, first landing himself in prison in the 1960s. It was at this time that Harrelson admitted to dozens of murders.

He was tried for the May 28, 1968 murder of Alan Harry Berg. though acquitted by a jury in 1970. He was also tried for the murder-for-hire murder of Sam Degelia Jr. in Hearne, Texas. Harrelson was paid $2,000 for the hit. The jury deadlocked at the first trial, though another man, Peter Scamardo was found guilty of being his accomplice and sentenced to seven years of probation. Harrelson was retired in 1973 and sentenced to 15-years in prison. He was paroled in 1978 after serving just five years of the sentence.

Back at it Again

It did not take Harrelson long to tread back to his old ways after his parole. On May 29, 1979, U.S. District Judge John H. Wood Jr. was shot dead in the parking lot outside of his townhouse in San Antonio, Texas. Both Harrelson and his then-wife JoAnn were arrested for the murder.

Harrelson was convicted of the murder. Drug dealer Jamiel Chagra of El Paso hired him to murder the judge -who was known for handing down harsh sentences- the same day he was scheduled to go on trial.

He claimed that he was not involved with Woods' murder. Instead, he said, he claimed credit so he could receive the money Chagra offered for the murder. He was sentenced to two life terms after Joe Chagra-Jamiel’s brother testified against him as part of a plea bargain sentencing him to just 10-years in prison for his help in the murder-for-hire plot. Investigators recorded conversations between Harrelson and Chagra that implicated Harrelson. He did not testify against Jamiel, who was later acquitted of the crime. JoAnn was sentenced to a total of 25 years behind bars.

Chagra changed his story in 2003, recanting statements implication Harrelson in the murder. He named another man in the murder of Judge Wood. Woody Harrelson then unsuccessfully attempted to have the conviction overturned. Chagra passed away from throat cancer in 2008.

Harrelson was apprehended for the judge’s murder in September after a six-hour standoff with police. High on cocaine, Harrelson threatened to commit suicide. He confessed to killing Judge Wood and said he killed President John F. Kennedy, which Harrelson later said showed his mental state at the time of the confession.

Woody Reaches Out to Dad

It was in 1981 after he heard his father had been arrested for killing the judge, that a 20-year-old Woody tried to get in touch with his dad. Woody told reporters at the time that he tried to reconcile and get him a new trial. He said he spent a few million dollars hiring lawyers for his father but their relationship never took off -nor did his father get out of prison.

Attempted Prison Escape

Harrelson and two other inmates, Michael Rivers and Gary Settle, attempted to escape from the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary but they surrendered after guards witnessed the attempted escape and fired warning shots at them. Harrelson was transported to Supermax ADX Florence in Colorado. He has said through letters that he enjoys life at ADX and that the “silence is wonderful.”

Harrelson died from a heart attack on March 15, 2007. He was 68-years old.

Resources/Further Information:

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/feb/17/woody-harrelson-my-father-contract-killer-rampart

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/woody-harrelsons-father-is-arrested-for-murder

https://www.summitdaily.com/news/actor-woody-harrelsons-dad-dies-was-convicted-of-killing-judge/

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/woody-harrelsons-father-kill-judge/