The Misery Machine - The Case of Alex Woodworth

Starting point is 00:00:00 Alexander Lehman, Sidney Woodworth, also known as Alex to his family and friends, was a New Year baby, born on January 1st, 1994 in St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin. He was the eldest child of parents John and Kimberly Woodworth. He had a younger brother named Jordan and two little sisters, Sarah and Nicole, as well as a large extended family who loved him. Alex was an intelligent young man with a bright future. He graduated from Osceola High School in 2012 with, excellent grades and went on to earn a bachelor's degree in philosophy and biology at the University

Starting point is 00:00:35 of Wisconsin-Oclair in 2017. When he wasn't studying, Alex worked as a barista at Racy Delane's coffee lounge in downtown O'Clair and as a tutor on his college campus. He also taught a few philosophy classes at a local high school. Alex's favorite pastime was reading, and he ran a philosophy reading club at college. His other interests included origami, insects, dogs, and music, particularly David Bowie and the Cranberries. Alex and I have that last one in common. Alex aspired to become a philosophy professor at the University of Oregon and had received an offer to study a master's in philosophy at the college. One of his college tutors described him as an intelligent, witty, caring, and very accomplished young man and one of the brightest and most

Starting point is 00:01:23 promising minds of his generation. Ezra McCann List was born on October 6, 1997, and Stanley Wisconsin to 14-year-old single mother, Rosalina Gunnelson. Ezra's father was not a part of her life, but however, she was close with her mother's boyfriend, Joshane, Carlin, who adopted her at the age of four after marrying Rosalina. A couple divorced eight years later, but Ezra and Josh Shane remained in contact. Emily and friends described Ezra as full of surprises and someone who sought attention. On Instagram, she wrote in her bio, I Am the Fox, a tricky one. As Ezra entered high school, she began to experiment with different pronouns and gender identities

Starting point is 00:02:04 and eventually identifying as male and legally changing her name. Her surname is a direct reference to Christopher McCanness, whose life is the subject of the book and film Into the Wild. Ezra called herself a freedom fighter and a feminist and made multiple social media posts regarding her beliefs. Ezra was also an animal lover, caring for dogs, cats, chickens, and turtles. She attended college briefly but dropped out and moved to the city of O'Clair in Wisconsin, where she worked as an amateur artist, often graffitiing her own car with her drawings. Photography was another passion that Ezra had, and she had a hobby of breaking into abandoned buildings to photograph them.

Starting point is 00:02:44 In the summer of 2017, she started dating 34-year-old Jason Mengel, a National Guard medic 14 years her senior. The couple lived together and contemplated marriage at one point, even referring to each other as husband and wife. Ezra and Jason were regulars at Racie Delane's coffee lounge. There, they befriended 24-year-old Alex Woodworth, one of the shop's friendly baristas. When asked to describe Alex, Jason said he was, the nicest guy and definitely one of those deep thinkers. In early 2018, Ezra claimed she approached Alex while he was writing in his journal and asked what he was writing about. He replied saying the subject was cannibalism. Intrigued, she explained, she explained

Starting point is 00:03:26 expressed a desire to be more than friends with him. Alex began to teach Ezra about cannibalism in a philosophical sense, akin to how new lovers metaphorically consume each other. The two started slowly, holding hands at first, then hugging and sharing a few kisses, before finally becoming intimate with one another behind Jason's back when he left O'Clair for two weeks of military training. During this time, Ezra also had an affair with Jason's best friend, John Hanson.

Starting point is 00:03:55 Shortly after, she called Jason and claimed that John had assaulted her while she was drunk. Jason filed a report on her behalf in March of 2018. Ezra continued her infidelity even after Jason's return from the military. However, he soon discovered her secret relationship with Alex. Jason confronted Alex at his workplace, but he denied having slept with Ezra saying, You're my friend, you know I love you. How could you think that? According to reports, Alex had a big heart and was manipulated by Ezra into keeping quiet about their affair.

Starting point is 00:04:32 As a result, Jason subsequently ended his relationship with Ezra. Allegedly, she had fire in her eyes and was furious with Alex, who she believed had caused the breakup by telling Jason about their secret relationship. Around the same time, Alex was interviewed by police and told them Ezra said she willingly had an intimate affair with John. His statement caused the police to drop her case, which only intensified the anger Ezra felt towards Alex. Jason later described how Ezra's emotions began to crumble after he broke up with her, saying, Her world was falling apart around her. She had created Ezra. She had created this intricate network of lies, and they were falling apart.

Starting point is 00:05:15 There was nothing left behind it. In a desperate attempt to win Jason back, Ezra claimed that the, as she described them, manipulative and vindictive men in her life had tried to take her away from him and that their influence was the reason she had cheated, not her own actions. Jason, unconvinced, kicked Ezra out of his apartment and she moved back to Stanley to live with her family, reverting back to her birth name. On March 22nd, 2018, Ezra surprised her ex-boyfriend Jason by showing up unexpectedly at Racy's. She had reclaimed the name Ezra McCanneless at this point,

Starting point is 00:05:52 and she said she was taking her life back. Despite having sent Jason over 600 text messages the night before, she claimed she had not come to see him, but to show Alex some journal entries she had written. In reality, she hoped to manipulate Alex into admitting he had lied about their affair, so Jason would consider taking her back. Ezra was recorded on the coffee shop security camera, visibly agitated after her plan to win Jason back had failed.

Starting point is 00:06:19 Alex had left work and headed back to his home. Ezra went after him in her car, and Jason followed her on his bike, the only concerned for Alex's safety. Upon arriving at Alex's house, Jason saw Ezra's car in the driveway. He paced back and forth debating whether to go inside or not. He finally decided to. He described Alex and Ezra's expressions as masks,

Starting point is 00:06:42 as if something was happening, but they wanted everyone to believe everything was fine. Jason also said the tension was so strong, wrong he could taste it. To diffuse the situation, he suggested Alex and Ezra talk in a public place. They agreed and left the house, but that exact moment, two police cars pulled up. A neighbor had called the police after seeing Jason following Ezra on his bike and pacing outside the house. The dash cam footage showed an officer speaking with Alex who was standing next to Ezra's car with her in the driver's seat. Jason can be heard explaining his concerns about

Starting point is 00:07:14 Ezra to the officer. He said, she gave me a vibe today, man. I don't know. It doesn't feel right. Something feels wrong. However, the officer did not perceive anything unusual and left after telling Ezra to have a good day. After the police had gone, Jason spoke with Alex one last time before driving off with Ezra. Ezra then drove Alex out of O'Clair to a remote driveway approximately two-tenths of a mile from County Highway E in the town of Springbrook. There, she began to stab Alex repeatedly in the head, neck, and groin, inflicting at least 16 wounds on him. Terrified, Alex managed to open the car door and tried to escape, but he was too weak to run away.

Starting point is 00:07:55 The stabbing continued. In a desperate move, Alex grabbed Ezra's scarf and tied it around his neck, trying to stop the bleeding. Once she knew Alex was dead, Ezra smashed his phone to stop the police from tracking him, carved the word, boy, into her left forearm, and cut her clothes to make it look like she had been attacked. She discarded the bloody knife, which she had taken from her father's house into a nearby ditch. and began walking along the road, even removing her shoes to stop herself from leaving footprints behind. Eventually, Ezra reached a dairy farm. She knocked on the door, covered in blood, had bruises, and she was shoeless. The farmer named Don Sipple answered, and Ezra told him to call a doctor

Starting point is 00:08:37 as she had been assaulted. Don brought her inside and gave her a blanket while he called 911. When the police arrived at the farmhouse, they recorded Ezra on their dash cam video saying, I'm so scared. She began hyperactored. She began hyperactorses. ventilating and asked to see her ex-boyfriend Jason before being taken to a local hospital for treatment. While there, she told the police she was scared of Alex and could not recall the details of the incident saying, I'm trying so hard, I'm trying to get the things to come to me, but it's like it just keeps getting blocked out, blocked out. Detectives went to Alex's home and attempted to track his cell phone, but it had been switched off. They then contacted Alex's

Starting point is 00:09:16 parents who were in disbelief that their sensible son would be in involved in any sort of trouble. On the following day, March 23rd, detectives returned to the dairy farm in search of clues for their missing persons investigation. While driving to the farm, they noticed a trail of muddy footprints and followed it, eventually spotting a car in the distance.

Starting point is 00:09:36 They used a pair of binoculars to get a closer look and saw a human body hanging out of the back of the driver's seat. Detectives immediately thought they had found Alex. He was soon identified and pronounced dead at the scene, by the Dunn County Medical Examiner. The Wisconsin State Crime Lab was called to assist with the evidence collection. The scene was so gruesome that Andrea Knottoff, the District Attorney for Dunn County, later remarked,

Starting point is 00:10:03 I've been a prosecutor since 2001, and I've never seen anything this violence. The detectives then visited the hospital where Ezra was being treated and informed her of Alex's death, discovery of his body in her car, and of a nearby knife in a ditch. Despite previously claiming not to remember anything, her memory suddenly returned. She said that Alex had carved the word boy into her left forearm with the knife.

Starting point is 00:10:30 Impressed for a reason, Ezra explained that during high school, she'd questioned her gender identity, and Alex would often call her boy, even though she no longer identified as a male. The detectives weren't convinced by Ezra's story, noting, It didn't make sense that Alex is right-handed, and he's sitting basically where you are, and he reaches over. and carves boy perfectly so she would see it. When confronted about the plausibility of her story, Ezra admitted that she was actually the one that carved the word into her arm. Ezra continued her account of the events,

Starting point is 00:11:03 recalling that she and Alex were in the back of the car when he started to attack her. She said, He started cutting my pants open and stuff and I didn't know what to do. It was really scary. He just kept trying to attack me and I didn't know what to do. I was so scared. It was the scariest thing I've ever experienced. to my life. To defend herself from being assaulted, Ezra said she grabbed the knife by its jagged

Starting point is 00:11:25 blade, wrenched it away from Alex, and began stabbing him, recounting that she was stabbing and I quote, Anywhere and everywhere I could. Detectives did not believe her story, noting that the wounds don't match. If you're grabbing a knife like she said she did, you pull your hand across it, your hand is going to be flayed open. At this point, it was clear to investigators that Ezra was lying to come. cover up a cold-blooded murder. Forensic investigators from the Wisconsin State Crime Lab reviewed the crime scene and were confused as to why there was not more blood in the car, especially since Ezra had claimed

Starting point is 00:12:02 they were both in the back seat when she stabbed him in self-defense. The blood evidence actually showed that he was stabbed outside of the vehicle. Ezra also had no defensive wounds, which you should have if you're grabbing a knife from somebody. After two weeks of police investigations, Ezra was finally arrested in charge with first-degree intentional homicide. She was held at the Dunn County Sheriff's Office on a $250,000 bond. The only conditions of that bond were that she could not leave Dunn or Chippewa counties. She pled not guilty by reason of insanity, but withdrew her plea on February 6, 2019,

Starting point is 00:12:43 claiming that she killed Alex and self-defense after he attacked her. first. The trial commenced on October 15, 2019. Ezra appeared meek, timid in wearing a pink blazer. She seemed like an unlikely killer. Jason took the witness stand and testified against his

Starting point is 00:13:01 ex-girlfriend. He later commented, On the day I was testifying, I was kind of shocked when I walked into the room. She's giving me these looks, adjusting herself, like being overly, you know, attuned to me. At one point, Ezra took

Starting point is 00:13:17 off her blazer, revealing a green sweater Jason had once gifted to her, which he said made him feel uneasy during the trial. Mr. Mengel, can you please state your full name and spell both your first and last name for the court reporter, please? Jason, L-E-M-E-N-G-E-L. Jason Lee Mengel? Yes, Roger. Where do you work?

Starting point is 00:13:41 Ezra's attorney, Deja Vishni, had her take the stand where she appeared to enjoy the attention. even smiling and joking at times. Her childhood friend Julia Post remarked on her bizarre courtroom behavior saying, I thought it was really interesting how she lit up when asked to spell her name. She was kind of smiling like, yep, this is me. I get to talk about myself now. When asked about her intimate encounters with Alex, Ezra claimed they started out normal but quickly escalated into BDSM,

Starting point is 00:14:13 with Alex acting out his sadistic fantasies on her. She continued saying Alex liked to use knives and blindfolds on her during intimacy. However, the prosecution refuted her claim stating, there was absolutely no evidence that Alex was involved in BDSM whatsoever. Alex's parents present in the courtroom were upset and disgusted by Ezra's portrayal of their son, with John Woodworth commenting, it's one thing to lose your child. It's another to have his name drag through the mud like this.

Starting point is 00:14:44 Ezra then detailed the events that occurred in her car on March 22nd, 2018. She claimed that after asking Alex if they could remain friends, her car got stuck in the mud. Ezra testified that Alex then forced himself onto her in a straddle position and began cutting her pants with a knife. Even saying she could field the knife start to graze and cut into my skin. When Asa was going through her mind at this point, Ezra said, she thought, he's going to do what he wants. He's going to take anything he wants. I'm afraid he's going to kill me.

Starting point is 00:15:16 She then goes on to say, I decide to knee him in the groin and he drops the knife at that point. Instantly, I grabbed the knife. I start stabbing him anywhere and everywhere I could. Completely contradicting the story she previously told investigators about grabbing the blade of the knife from Alex. Ezra said she was terrified the whole time and was trying to get away, but Alex kept grabbing her and after struggling,

Starting point is 00:15:38 the two wound up outside the car and Alex pulled her tightly to his body he's still trying to assault her, in her words, even though he had been stabbed repeatedly in the head, neck, and groin. Ezra said she finally got away by stabbing him one last time in the side of his torso, and then her memory went blank. Prosecution thought Ezra's version of events was ridiculous, saying, if you're actually attacked, you stab someone once or twice, and you run and get help. The district attorney said Ezra knew exactly what she was doing during those hours from when

Starting point is 00:16:09 she left Alex's house until arriving. on Don Sipple's doorstep. She believes Ezra purposely drove Alex to a remote area with the intention of killing him as she had taken the knife from her father's house. This knife was later found in a ditch near the dairy farmer's home. The DA also noted, Ezra took all the time she needed to methodically stage that crime scene while Alex lay wounded. She had cut her own clothes and carved boy into her arm, deliberately trying to stage an attack.

Starting point is 00:16:42 Ezra's defense lawyers argued that her misleading of investigators was not intentional and that the trauma she had endured severely impacted her memory. After many months in the courthouse, the jury finally found Ezra McAnliss guilty of first-degree intentional homicide. Before the verdict was announced, the DA remarked on Ezra's lack of remorse saying, There's no remorse there, and this was supposed to be someone she cared about and loved. Mr. McAnalis, please rise. We, the jury, find the defendant, Ezra J. McCandless, guilty of first-degree intentional homicide as charged in the information. And the answer to the special verdict question is, yes, use the dangerous weapon.

Starting point is 00:17:28 And you may be seated. All right, ladies and gentlemen, is this your verdict? On February 7, 2020, Ezra attended her sentencing hearing and was sentenced to life in prison with the eligibility for parole after 50 years. Ezra showed some remorse as she apologized to Alex's family, saying, I want to say how sorry I am that they have lost their son. But sorry doesn't cut it in my mind. I loved Alex very much, and I also feel a great loss, and I am so sorry.

Starting point is 00:17:57 The judge expressed doubt about the sincerity of her apology. Despite losing his son, John Woodworth said his faith in Christ has enabled him to forgive Ezra, noting, I've been forgiven, so I forgave her. It's just that simple. Kate is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die. He also wished for his son to be remembered not as a victim, but as someone who loved everyone. Everyone loved Alex, you know, because he was always there to help. Alex wanted everyone to smile.

Starting point is 00:18:29 Following the trial, Ezra was transferred to Taitchita Correctional Institution in Fondalak, Wisconsin, to serve her life sentence. In 2023, she and her lawyers tried to get a new trial, claiming, ineffective counsel in that the jury received incomplete and incorrect instructions on evidence. However, a Dunn County judge denied the requests, saying enough evidence had already been presented during the trial. Although she has been jailed for life, Ezra has an unnamed person running her Instagram and Facebook pages on her behalf. She uses it to sell artwork she is made in jail and to write about police brutality in the state

Starting point is 00:19:07 of the U.S. justice system. One post made on July 29th, 2020 reads, It is in the knowledge of the genuine conditions of our life that we must draw our strength to live and our reason for acting, the ethics of ambiguity. She continued, I am not in a fight for a promise or guarantee of being heard. There are no guarantees in something like this. My living reality is the fact I could never get this chance, that I may never know freedom. Reality has become a venomous snake, its bite seeps into my limbs, fingertips become numb, bile raises in my throat, soon breathing becomes constricted as weight crushes my chest, paralysis, laying awake at night wondering if the pain is worth only a chance, panic, grief, nostalgia, analyzing every risk and then doing it again over and over until you've exhausted yourself into another restless sleep. life with only a possibility of parole at 50 years.

Starting point is 00:20:07 They have killed me without having to pull the trigger, hands appearing clean. Again, that word possibility. My life now rests on malnourished possibilities. This is debilitating. This is my reality, the reality of all who love me. I have knowledge that unfortunately this breed of ominous panic has spread everywhere. I am shown through the news, articles, phone calls. All of the media reflects the similar fear and desperation I become familiar with.

Starting point is 00:20:35 The free have become full of fear. The risks keep rising. Restless voices. Sleep-deprived circles under anxious eyes. They plead, when will it end? How long until I see those I cherish and love? How many cry? Hands gasping their quivering mouth, shoulders bobbing with each painful realization.

Starting point is 00:20:54 Fitful night swallowed by insomnia and claustrophobic questions. What are our chances? Will this ever get better? I see my anxiety reflected in countless numbers, the free becoming prisoners in their own ways. The pandemic will end eventually. Society will recover as it has before. Will the free realize the similarities shared with their incarcerated? Will society reflect on the human condition we as prisoners face without hope of a vaccination to free us? Will you all remember the loss in panic? Families ripped apart, forced isolation. There is no vaccine being developed for the systematic oppression

Starting point is 00:21:28 of the people within a broken judicial system. We are forced to fight tooth and claw and great odds stacked against anything we strive to accomplish. We are labeled, ignored, ignorantly judged. This is the time to look at us with mutual understanding. This is our time to question the system itself. We fear being forgotten. We fear our pandemic of mass incarceration will not end.

Starting point is 00:21:50 I ask you to stop and question our justice system. I ask you not to forget us as the doors open once again for you all. Question your preconceived. judgments about us forced to live within the system. You must try to humanize those thrown away. We are the ones who truly understand all of your panic, fear, claustrophobia, and longing to no guarantees. This is time to wake up. I would never wish my burdens and pains unto others. I feel only compassion for all affected by these dark uncertain times. My only wish and hope is that now that the free share are weight, you will all know it's time for a change. Stay safe, become compassionate,

Starting point is 00:22:27 and remember that you are not alone, E.I.M. Now, whether you agree with Ezra or not, her word vomit missed a key point here. None of us asked to be locked in our homes for days or weeks at a time during the pandemic, nor did we do anything to deserve it. Ezra, however, killed a man in cold blood because she thought he spilled the beans on their affair and after he was dead, she selfishly dragged his name through the mud. reviewing her Facebook uncovered more nonsense, such as a picture of two bologna sandwiches and what appeared to be pea soup with a caption, I swear to goodness I didn't sign up for this. Are you sure about that, Ezra?

Starting point is 00:23:11 In another post, she claims that the prison will not serve bananas to female inmates for reasons, but in another post she claims she traded two bananas for some stickers. Which is it, Ezra? It's also unclear how she's been able to take these pictures from inside, but it's probably time for the guards to shake down herself. Alex's memorial service took place on March 31, 2018 at Osceola Community Church in Osceola, Wisconsin. His final resting place is in the Peace Lutheran Cemetery. His headstone reads, Alexander L.S. Woodworth, January 1, 1994, to March 22nd.

Starting point is 00:23:54 2019. It has an image of Alex and a tree engraved on it. After the burial, a tribute book was created in the memory of Alex's life. The book begins with a quote by Malik Faisal. Life brings tears, smiles and memories. The tears dry. The smiles fade. But the memories last forever.

The Misery Machine - The Case of Alex Woodworth

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