Prosecutors requested life in prison, while the defense urged a sentence that could eventually allow treatment outside custody.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A judge postponed the sentencing of a Jacksonville woman who pleaded guilty to killing a 41-year-old man she said had sexually abused her for years, saying she needed more time to review extensive evidence and testimony.
Journee McGrew, 22, is now expected to be sentenced Aug. 17 in the death of Waduta Londrell Woodley. Circuit Judge Lindsay Tygart delayed her decision Friday after hearing arguments about the killing, McGrew’s mental health and the effect of the case on both families. Prosecutors asked for a life sentence. The defense sought a punishment that could give McGrew a future chance to leave custody and continue treatment.
McGrew pleaded guilty in December 2025 after initially entering not-guilty pleas to second-degree murder and tampering with evidence. Jacksonville police arrested her after Woodley was found dead outside her apartment at the Cross Creek complex on the city’s Westside on July 2, 2025. Police said he had suffered multiple blunt-force injuries.
Tygart said the court had received a large amount of evidence and testimony that required further review. The judge said that review would include material presented during Friday’s hearing as well as information from earlier proceedings. The delay leaves the central question of punishment unresolved more than a year after Woodley’s death.
The state argued that McGrew deliberately took the law into her own hands. A prosecutor said she acted as “judge, jury, and executioner” rather than reporting her allegations to law enforcement. The state also raised concerns about public safety, arguing that McGrew’s psychiatric conditions require consistent medication and close supervision.
Prosecutors said McGrew had described becoming violent when experiencing paranoia or delusions. They argued that community release could create a risk if she stopped taking medication. The state also noted that McGrew did not tell her mother about the alleged abuse until 2024 and that no police report was made.
The defense asked Tygart to weigh McGrew’s mental illnesses and her account of childhood sexual abuse as mitigating circumstances. A clinical neuropsychologist who helped treat McGrew testified that her judgment, impulse control, threat perception and ability to reason through consequences were significantly reduced at the time of the killing.
McGrew’s mother, Jennifer Owens, told the court that her daughter had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Owens also read statements from family members who described McGrew as caring, vulnerable and focused before the killing on goals that included becoming a dental assistant.
In a statement read in court, McGrew’s brother Victor McGrew said he knew his sister had struggled with her mental health and had been taken advantage of. He said he was not trying to excuse what she did but asked the court to consider the difficulties she had faced.
McGrew previously testified that she had known Woodley since childhood and that he began molesting her when she was in elementary school. She said she did not initially report the alleged abuse because she had lived with him and feared losing her home. News4JAX reported that its review of Woodley’s criminal history found no offenses related to sexual abuse of children. The allegations against him were not tested in a criminal proceeding.
According to the arrest report, McGrew invited Woodley to her apartment before the killing. She told investigators that she wanted to gather evidence of his alleged conduct and did not plan to kill him. She admitted striking him with a hammer and later apologized to his family, saying she understood that her actions had affected both households.
Woodley’s mother told the court that the killing had caused lasting pain for her family. She described the sudden loss of her only son and said relatives were struggling to cope. Her remarks were among the victim-impact statements Tygart must consider before imposing sentence.
The judge did not announce what sentencing range she is considering. McGrew will remain in custody while the court reviews the record ahead of the Aug. 17 hearing.
Author note: Last updated Aug. 1, 2026.