The drawn-out legal saga of death row inmate David Leonard Wood just got even slower. At a procedural hearing Tuesday, a visiting judge gave lawyers 90 more days to gather evidence, a schedule that effectively punts any in-person hearings in El Paso to September at the earliest. Wood, 68, appeared by video from Texas' death row and stayed silent throughout the session.
Judge Grants 14 Depositions, Starts 90 Day Discovery Clock
Visiting Judge Dick Alcalá approved the defense request to take 14 depositions and set a 90-day discovery period, a timetable that means hearings in El Paso cannot start until at least September, according to KVIA. The defense also asked for additional DNA testing, and Alcalá said he would issue a ruling on that later.
The hearing itself took place virtually rather than in an El Paso courtroom. Alcalá told attorneys he does not plan to have Wood transported from death row to El Paso when the evidentiary hearings eventually begin.
Case Background And Appellate Remand
Wood was convicted of capital murder in 1992 in connection with the deaths of six girls and young women whose bodies were discovered buried in the northeast El Paso desert in 1987, according to The Texas Tribune. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has twice stepped in to halt his scheduled executions and, in 2025, sent the case back to a trial judge to further develop multiple claims.
That appellate decision requires the lower court to build a detailed factual record before it can hold a full hearing on the merits of Wood's challenges. Defense attorneys point to that mandate as the reason they say they need more depositions and additional forensic review now.
Wood Appeared By Video From Polunsky Unit
Wood joined Tuesday's proceedings remotely, appearing on screen from the state's death row facility in Livingston, KVIA reported. The Allan B. Polunsky Unit, which holds male death row prisoners for Texas, lists its address as 3872 FM 350 South near Livingston on the Texas Department of Criminal Justice website.
According to coverage of the hearing, Wood did not speak or address the court while his lawyers and prosecutors worked through scheduling and discovery issues.
What Comes Next
Under Alcalá's schedule, lawyers on both sides will spend the next three months taking depositions to create the factual record the appeals court said was missing when it sent the case back. That work will help determine how the court handles the defense motions that are still pending, including the request for more DNA testing.
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals halted Wood's most recent execution date in March 2025 and returned the case to the trial court for additional fact-finding, which has left both the timing and the scope of future hearings up in the air, according to The Texas Tribune. Until Alcalá reviews the new depositions and rules on the outstanding motions, no formal hearing dates will be set.
