Where is Louise Woodward now? The story behind ITV's The Trial of Louise Woodward
11 November 2021, 18:20 | Updated: 11 November 2021, 18:41
The Trial of Louise Woodward airs on ITV this week, documenting the harrowing trial of the au-pair who was accused of murdering a nine-month-old child.
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*** TRIGGER WARNING: UPSETTING CONTENT INVOLVING INFANT FATALITY ***
This week sees ITV tackle one of the most shocking and emotive subjects in its latest true crime documentary.
The Trial of Louise Woodward will document one of the biggest US court cases to involve a British defendant in recent history, following the trial of a19-year-old au-pair accused of murdering a nine-month-old child in her care while on a gap year.
The upcoming one-hour special will look back at the 1997 murder trial and the controversy surrounding its key character.
Find out more about the story and what happened to Louise Woodward below.
The Trial of Louise Woodward airs on ITV on Thursday 11 November at 9pm and on the ITV Hub.
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*** TRIGGER WARNING: UPSETTING CONTENT INVOLVING INFANT FATALITY ***
Who is Louise Woodward?
Louise Woodward was a 19-year-old British woman who was accused of the murder of nine-month old Matthew Eappen while working as an au-pair in Massachusetts in 1997.
She began working for the infant's parents Deborah and Sunil Eappen in late 1996, but on 4 February 1997, Matthew was taken to hospital after Woodward noticed he wasn't breathing.
She was arrested for battery of a child and the authorities alleged she'd admitted to shaking Matthew and throwing him on a pile of towels. Woodward denied this. On 19 February 1997, Matthew's life support machine was turned off after he suffered a major brain haemorrhage. It was decided that Woodward would face the charge of first-degree murder.
Woodward protested her innocence throughout the trial, but a police officer took to the stand to say she had admitted that she'd been a little rough with the child.
On 30 October 1997, the jury found her guilty of second degree murder after 26 hours of deliberation. This charge came with a mandatory life sentence and a minimum of 15 years in prison, but Woodward's legal team filed for an appeal soon after.
At a post-conviction relief hearing on 10 November 1997, Woodward's sentence was reduced to 279 days served and her conviction was changed to involuntary manslaughter.
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Where is Louise Woodward now?
After her release from prison, Woodward came back to the UK and took part in a controversial interview with Martin Bashir for Panorama. Woodward took no fee for the interview and she continued to protest her innocence.
In 1997, Matthew's parents, Deborah and Sunil Eappen filed a civil lawsuit against Woodford for wrongful death, so she would be prevented from earning any profits from telling her story. After being unable to pay for legal representation, Woodward lost the lawsuit by default.
Undoubtedly influenced by her own experiences with the legal system, Woodward went on to study law at London South Bank University and graduated with a 2:2 (Hons) degree.
She started a contract with a law firm in Oldham, but in 2005 it is believed that Woodward left the legal profession to become a ballroom and latin dance teacher.
In 2013, Woodward married a truck hire company boss and as of 2015 she was said to still be married with a young daughter.
The Trial of Louise Woodward airs on ITV on Thursday 11 November at 9pm and on the ITV Hub.
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