Man Sentenced for Killing Wife During Saint Paul Bible Study
Robert Castillo, 41, was sentenced to more than 33 years in prison for stabbing his wife 20 times during a Bible study session in March 2023.
In addition to the prison sentence, Castillo was ordered Sept 13. to pay $7,500 in restitution to the victim's family by Dec. 2024.
Authorities say the stabbing happened on March 21, 2023, at a Bible study gathering held at Castillo's sister's home in Saint Paul.
Castillo suddenly attacked his wife, Corrina Woodhull, 41, without warning, inflicting fatal stab wounds to her chest and abdomen. Woodhull was pronounced dead at the hospital due to the severity of her injuries.
After the stabbing, officers interviewed Castillo’s brother, who also attended the bible study. He told officers that Castillo and Woodhull were married but were separated at the time. The bible study had been underway for about an hour and a half, the brother said, and it appeared Castillo and his wife were getting along that night.
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Officers also spoke with Castillo’s sister, who lived at the home. She said they host a bible study there every Tuesday night. Castillo and Woodhull were sitting on a living room couch and at one point, Castillo whispered something into her ear, to which Woodhull shook her head, “no.”
Castillo then pulled out a knife and stabbed the victim repeatedly. The witness estimated that Castillo stabbed the victim “20 times or more,” with family members intervening and eventually able to pull Castillo off the woman. Officers recovered a knife from inside the residence that matched one Castillo was known to carry, the documents said.
The Ramsey County Medical Examiner conducted an autopsy and determined the victim’s cause of death was multiple sharp-force injuries. According to the report, one stab wound penetrated the left side of her chest and her heart. The medical examiner noted additional injuries to her face, chest and upper extremities.
According to court records, Castillo had an active arrest warrant at the time of the stabbing. That warrant was for failure to appear at a hearing on a previous 4th-degree assault charge, stemming from an alleged assault of a Corrections Officer at the Stillwater prison when Castillo was in custody.
Castillo had eight prior felony convictions including one for 1st-degree assault, in which Castillo was convicted of repeatedly stabbing his roommate in the back, head and neck with a knife. A 2nd-degree assault case also detailed Castillo’s alleged assault of a woman with a hammer, leaving her with a broken arm.
Castillo was was under intensive supervised release (ISR) at the time of the stabbing. According to the Department of Corrections, those on ISR are typically supervised by a team of four to five agents and are subject to random visits multiple times weekly, electronic monitoring, drug testing and mandatory employment or schooling.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, The Hotline is available 24/7/365. Call: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), Chat: thehotline.org or Text: "START" to 88788> See more of our latest coverage