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Serial

The Last 12 Weeks - Ep. 4

June 18, 2026 • 30m

Summary

⏱️ 9 min read

Overview

This episode of The Last 12 Weeks focuses on death row inmate David Wood, scheduled for execution in 22 days. The podcast examines his character by presenting two contrasting perspectives: testimony from Christy, a rape victim from his past, and an interview with David himself on death row. The episode grapples with fundamental questions about who David Wood is and what he's capable of, as his lawyers argue he's innocent of the desert murders while acknowledging his prior rape convictions.

Christy's Story: The 1986 Rape

Christy, now in her late 50s, recounts being raped by David Wood when she was 13 years old in a park in El Paso. She describes how Wood grabbed her while she was cutting through a park to make curfew, initially claiming she'd damaged his truck windshield before leading her to a drainage ditch and assaulting her. Years later, she testified at his capital murder trial to help secure the death penalty, viewing it as an opportunity to reclaim power over her attacker.

  • Christy was 13 when David Wood raped her in a park; she reported it to police and identified him through photo composites
  • Wood had been accused of another rape less than two weeks before Christy's assault; he pled guilty to both and served only 7 of 20 years
  • Prosecutors asked Christy to testify at Wood's capital murder trial to help ensure he received the death penalty
  • The assault profoundly affected Christy's parenting style—she became extremely protective, never allowing her daughters to walk alone or ride bikes
" I stared him down the entire time I testified. And he didn't look up at me. I think he looked up at me once. But I would not take my gaze off of him because I wanted him to know that I was in control. It was very much about me having the power back. "
" It's almost like he robbed you of a lot of things, including the ability to have some chill. Some chill with your kids. "

The Geography of Guilt

Christy gives the reporters a tour of her old El Paso neighborhood, demonstrating the close proximity between key locations: her childhood home, the park where she was raped, the middle school some missing girls attended, and where bodies were found. For Christy, this geography makes an irrefutable argument—a serial rapist is released from prison, stays in the same neighborhood, and girls immediately start disappearing. She finds no room for doubt about Wood's guilt.

  • The entire tour of crime scenes takes only about ten minutes to drive, showing how tightly clustered everything is in the neighborhood
  • Christy argues the proximity proves Wood's guilt: he was a serial rapist in the area where girls disappeared right after his release
  • Christy dismisses defense arguments about lack of DNA testing, saying the geography and circumstances are conclusive
" At what point do we start saying that the justice system served their duty and why does he still have a voice when the victims don't? There's no ounce of me that feels he's innocent. "

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