Paso Robles man sentenced to life in prison for murder of hairstylist
A man who was found guilty of killing a Paso Robles hairstylist — whose May 2018 disappearance sparked a months-long missing persons investigation — was sentenced to life in prison without parole Thursday, the San Luis Obispo District Attorney’s Office announced in a news release.
Carlos Fuentes Flores, 45, was found guilty of the murder of Nancy Woodrum by Judge Timothy Covello in January. He waived his right to a jury trial, the release said. Covello also found the murder was committed during the commission of rape and residential burglary, a special circumstance. The special circumstance finding required Flores to be sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Woodrum went missing from her home in May 2018, sparking a six-month missing persons investigation. Flores was identified as a suspect in November 2018 and confessed to the crime after a lengthy interview with investigators. He led investigators to Woodrum’s body in a secluded area off Highway 58 in a rural eastern part of the county.
Woodrum owned the Strand Salon in downtown Paso Robles with her daughter and is remembered as “strong and independent.”
The District Attorney’s Office announced in October 2019 that Flores would not face the death penalty if found guilty of the murder.
“Life in prison without the possibility of parole is an appropriate and just punishment for the brutal abuse and murder of Nancy Woodrum,” District Attorney Dan Dow said in the release. “Our hearts remain with the Woodrum family and her loved ones who will always suffer the pain of her loss.”
The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case with the District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation. Deputy District Attorney Christopher Peuvrelle prosecuted the case.
This story was originally published February 24, 2022 at 5:36 PM.
