July 31, 2026 • 8 mins
Woody Harrelson has been outrageously successful as an actor. But the story of his father is even more unbelievable. A charming hustler and gambler, Charles Harrelson was also an armed robber, a hitman and convicted killer, and he claimed to be involved in the assassination of President Kennedy.
Feel free to DM me if you have a story you'd like me to cover . . On Facebook it's Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
You know, one of the interesting things about life is
that we all have a backstory. It may not always
have a shocking twist, but if it's got a tragic
or even violent narrative, then the question is how do
you process it and move on with your own life successfully.
I'm Patty Steele, a guy who murders a federal judge,
claims to have been involved in the assassination of President Kennedy.
(00:22):
And oh, by the way, is the father of a
movie superstar. How does his kid deal with that? That's
next on the backstory. We're back with a backstory. Some
Hollywood stars have pretty fascinating family stories, but not many
have a family history as wild as Woody Harrelson's. Now
(00:45):
Here's the Thing. Before Woody became one of our biggest
TV and movie stars with roles in Cheers, Natural Born Killers,
The People Versus Larry Flint, and True Detective, his father
was making headlines of his own or a very different reason.
His name was Charles Voyd Harrelson, and he made a
living as a gambler, a hustler, and a contract killer.
(01:08):
A hit man convicted of killing a federal judge. His
story involves drug cartel's hired killers, FBI investigations, courtroom drama,
and a son who had to reconcile his own fame
with the notoriety of his dad's past. Charles Harrelson was
born in Texas in nineteen thirty eight. At twenty one,
(01:30):
he was convicted of armed robbery, but he got out
after serving less than a year. His criminal career, though,
was just getting started. He drifted into gambling and eventually
murder for hire. He later claimed he was involved in
dozens of murders in those early years. In nineteen seventy three,
he was convicted of the murder for higher death of
(01:51):
Texas grain dealer Sam Degilia. He was sentenced to fifteen years,
but released after just five. By this time, it was
a late nineteen sive seventies, and Charles went back to
a life of gambling and organized crime. Now at the time,
he was married to the third of his four wives,
and he was also sleeping with her daughter, as well
(02:11):
as his best friend's wife and a Dallas heiress, all
at the same time. Then he was linked to a
case that stunned the nation. It's the morning of May
twenty ninth, nineteen seventy nine, US District Judge John H.
Wood Junior, steps outside his home in San Antonio, Texas,
still leave for work. The judge is well known by
(02:32):
the nickname Maximum John, since he has a rep for
handing down really tough sentences, especially in federal drug cases.
He walks toward his car. Suddenly a shot rings out.
A sniper has fired a single rifle shot, hitting Judge
Wood in the back. He dies almost instantly. This is
(02:52):
the first assassination of a federal judge in the United
States in almost a century, and the first in the
twentieth century. The murder totally shocks the legal community. If
a federal judge could be gunned down in his own driveway,
nobody in the justice system is safe. Of course, the
FBI launches one of the most comprehensive investigations in its history.
(03:15):
Hundreds of agents chase leads, and conduct thousands of interviews.
Investigators eventually come to believe that Judge Wood was targeted
because he was about to preside over the trial of
a powerful drug trafficker, Jamil Jimmy Chadra. Prosecutor say Charles
Harrelson was paid two hundred and fifty thousand dollars to
(03:36):
kill the Judge, who was a classic contract hit, but
then came one of the strangest parts of the case.
In nineteen eighty, while running from the cops in West Texas,
he gets involved in a six hour arms standoff with them.
Apparently high on cocaine, he makes some bizarre statements. First,
he claims responsibility for murdering Judge would but then he
(04:00):
also claims he'd been involved in the nineteen sixty three
assassination of President John Kennedy that got him headlines around
the world. Now as expected, Charles denied all this for years,
saying he was high when he made the confession. Harrelson's
murder trial begins in nineteen eighty two and it lasts
for three months. Ninety Four witnesses testify as prosecutors present
(04:24):
evidence that the killing was carefully planned and carried out
for cash. The defense challenges witnesses credibility, but in the
end the jury disagrees with him. Charles Harrelson is convicted
of conspiring to murder Judge Wood, and he gets two
life sentences plus an additional five year sentence. He appeals,
(04:45):
but his conviction is later upheld, showing his complete lack
of empathy. For his victims, of which he claimed there
were dozens over the years. Charles admits to shooting the
judge and saying he looks at the human head as
nothing more than a water melon with hair. Oo yikes.
As far as his claim about involvement in the JFK assassination,
(05:06):
that never went anywhere. Investigators came up with no evidence,
and most write it off to a drug fueled confession
to get attention. But others point out that Charles Harrelson
had a relationship through the world of organized crime with
Jack Ruby, the nightclub owner who shot and killed JFK's assassin,
Lee Harvey Oswald, and in a nineteen eighty two TV interview,
(05:30):
Charles said, do you believe Lee Harvey Oswald killed President
Kennedy alone without any aid from a rogue agency of
the US government, or at least a portion of that agency.
I believe you are very naive if you do. Little
sidebar here, it's kind of interesting that Woody's mother's maiden
name was also Oswald. Now here's the thing. While all
(05:53):
of this is unfolding, Charles Harrelson's sun, Woody is beginning
his own life. He's in his early twenty and despite
the fact that his dad had walked out on the
family when Woody was eight. This new turn of events
complicates his dreams, but he keeps going. Just a few
years later, Woody Harrelson becomes famous as bartender Woody Boyd
(06:14):
on the huge TV sitcom Cheers. The contrast is crazy.
One Harrelson is becoming one of America's biggest actors, the
other is serving life in a federal lock up on
murder charges. For decades, wood he didn't talk much about
his father. When he did, he described really complicated emotions.
In an interview in nineteen eighty eight, Woody said he
(06:37):
visited his father pretty regularly in federal prison, but was
still confused about him. He said, my dad is one
of the most articulate, well read, charming people I've ever known.
Still I'm just now gauging whether he merits my loyalty
or friendship. I look at him as someone who could
be a friend more than someone who was a father.
(06:57):
But he was a friend who controlled Woody in his
abundant charm what He's supported some of his dad's legal appeals,
saying everybody has a right to challenge a conviction, and
he's not even sure his dad is guilty. In fact,
in a nineteen ninety seven interview, what he told Barbara
Walters that he knew for a fact that his dad
was actually a CIA operative. At any rate, his father's
(07:21):
appeals were never successful. After a nineteen ninety five escape attempt,
Charles Harrelson was transferred to a supermax prison in Colorado,
where he died in two thousand and seven. He was
sixty eight. What hey, Harrelson's life has been a one
to eighty from his dad's, but it still impacts him emotionally.
(07:41):
There's a telling line from Woody's character in Natural Born Killers.
He said, we all have demons inside us, as just
a matter of how we deal with them. Hope you
like the Backstory with Patty Steele. Please leave a review.
I would love it if you'd subscribe or follow for
free to get new episodes delivered automatically, and feel free
(08:02):
to dm me if you have a story you'd like
me to cover. On Facebook, It's Patty Steele and on
Instagram Real Patty Steele. I'm Patty Steele. The Backstory is
a production of iHeartMedia, Premiere Networks, the Elvis Durant Group,
and Steel Trap Productions. Our producer is Mike Pieseglia. Our
(08:25):
writer is Jake Kushner. New episodes are out every Tuesday
and Friday, and feel free to reach out to me
with comments and story suggestions on Instagram at Reel Patty
Steele and on Facebook at Patty Steele. Thanks for listening
to the Backstory with Patty Steele, the pieces of history
you didn't know you needed to know.
You know, one of the interesting things about life is
that we all have a backstory. It may not always
have a shocking twist, but if it's got a tragic
or even violent narrative, then the question is how do
you process it and move on with your own life successfully.
I'm Patty Steele, a guy who murders a federal judge,
claims to have been involved in the assassination of President Kennedy.
(00:22):
And oh, by the way, is the father of a
movie superstar. How does his kid deal with that? That's
next on the backstory. We're back with a backstory. Some
Hollywood stars have pretty fascinating family stories, but not many
have a family history as wild as Woody Harrelson's. Now
(00:45):
Here's the Thing. Before Woody became one of our biggest
TV and movie stars with roles in Cheers, Natural Born Killers,
The People Versus Larry Flint, and True Detective, his father
was making headlines of his own or a very different reason.
His name was Charles Voyd Harrelson, and he made a
living as a gambler, a hustler, and a contract killer.
(01:08):
A hit man convicted of killing a federal judge. His
story involves drug cartel's hired killers, FBI investigations, courtroom drama,
and a son who had to reconcile his own fame
with the notoriety of his dad's past. Charles Harrelson was
born in Texas in nineteen thirty eight. At twenty one,
(01:30):
he was convicted of armed robbery, but he got out
after serving less than a year. His criminal career, though,
was just getting started. He drifted into gambling and eventually
murder for hire. He later claimed he was involved in
dozens of murders in those early years. In nineteen seventy three,
he was convicted of the murder for higher death of
(01:51):
Texas grain dealer Sam Degilia. He was sentenced to fifteen years,
but released after just five. By this time, it was
a late nineteen sive seventies, and Charles went back to
a life of gambling and organized crime. Now at the time,
he was married to the third of his four wives,
and he was also sleeping with her daughter, as well
(02:11):
as his best friend's wife and a Dallas heiress, all
at the same time. Then he was linked to a
case that stunned the nation. It's the morning of May
twenty ninth, nineteen seventy nine, US District Judge John H.
Wood Junior, steps outside his home in San Antonio, Texas,
still leave for work. The judge is well known by
(02:32):
the nickname Maximum John, since he has a rep for
handing down really tough sentences, especially in federal drug cases.
He walks toward his car. Suddenly a shot rings out.
A sniper has fired a single rifle shot, hitting Judge
Wood in the back. He dies almost instantly. This is
(02:52):
the first assassination of a federal judge in the United
States in almost a century, and the first in the
twentieth century. The murder totally shocks the legal community. If
a federal judge could be gunned down in his own driveway,
nobody in the justice system is safe. Of course, the
FBI launches one of the most comprehensive investigations in its history.
(03:15):
Hundreds of agents chase leads, and conduct thousands of interviews.
Investigators eventually come to believe that Judge Wood was targeted
because he was about to preside over the trial of
a powerful drug trafficker, Jamil Jimmy Chadra. Prosecutor say Charles
Harrelson was paid two hundred and fifty thousand dollars to
(03:36):
kill the Judge, who was a classic contract hit, but
then came one of the strangest parts of the case.
In nineteen eighty, while running from the cops in West Texas,
he gets involved in a six hour arms standoff with them.
Apparently high on cocaine, he makes some bizarre statements. First,
he claims responsibility for murdering Judge would but then he
(04:00):
also claims he'd been involved in the nineteen sixty three
assassination of President John Kennedy that got him headlines around
the world. Now as expected, Charles denied all this for years,
saying he was high when he made the confession. Harrelson's
murder trial begins in nineteen eighty two and it lasts
for three months. Ninety Four witnesses testify as prosecutors present
(04:24):
evidence that the killing was carefully planned and carried out
for cash. The defense challenges witnesses credibility, but in the
end the jury disagrees with him. Charles Harrelson is convicted
of conspiring to murder Judge Wood, and he gets two
life sentences plus an additional five year sentence. He appeals,
(04:45):
but his conviction is later upheld, showing his complete lack
of empathy. For his victims, of which he claimed there
were dozens over the years. Charles admits to shooting the
judge and saying he looks at the human head as
nothing more than a water melon with hair. Oo yikes.
As far as his claim about involvement in the JFK assassination,
(05:06):
that never went anywhere. Investigators came up with no evidence,
and most write it off to a drug fueled confession
to get attention. But others point out that Charles Harrelson
had a relationship through the world of organized crime with
Jack Ruby, the nightclub owner who shot and killed JFK's assassin,
Lee Harvey Oswald, and in a nineteen eighty two TV interview,
(05:30):
Charles said, do you believe Lee Harvey Oswald killed President
Kennedy alone without any aid from a rogue agency of
the US government, or at least a portion of that agency.
I believe you are very naive if you do. Little
sidebar here, it's kind of interesting that Woody's mother's maiden
name was also Oswald. Now here's the thing. While all
(05:53):
of this is unfolding, Charles Harrelson's sun, Woody is beginning
his own life. He's in his early twenty and despite
the fact that his dad had walked out on the
family when Woody was eight. This new turn of events
complicates his dreams, but he keeps going. Just a few
years later, Woody Harrelson becomes famous as bartender Woody Boyd
(06:14):
on the huge TV sitcom Cheers. The contrast is crazy.
One Harrelson is becoming one of America's biggest actors, the
other is serving life in a federal lock up on
murder charges. For decades, wood he didn't talk much about
his father. When he did, he described really complicated emotions.
In an interview in nineteen eighty eight, Woody said he
(06:37):
visited his father pretty regularly in federal prison, but was
still confused about him. He said, my dad is one
of the most articulate, well read, charming people I've ever known.
Still I'm just now gauging whether he merits my loyalty
or friendship. I look at him as someone who could
be a friend more than someone who was a father.
(06:57):
But he was a friend who controlled Woody in his
abundant charm what He's supported some of his dad's legal appeals,
saying everybody has a right to challenge a conviction, and
he's not even sure his dad is guilty. In fact,
in a nineteen ninety seven interview, what he told Barbara
Walters that he knew for a fact that his dad
was actually a CIA operative. At any rate, his father's
(07:21):
appeals were never successful. After a nineteen ninety five escape attempt,
Charles Harrelson was transferred to a supermax prison in Colorado,
where he died in two thousand and seven. He was
sixty eight. What hey, Harrelson's life has been a one
to eighty from his dad's, but it still impacts him emotionally.
(07:41):
There's a telling line from Woody's character in Natural Born Killers.
He said, we all have demons inside us, as just
a matter of how we deal with them. Hope you
like the Backstory with Patty Steele. Please leave a review.
I would love it if you'd subscribe or follow for
free to get new episodes delivered automatically, and feel free
(08:02):
to dm me if you have a story you'd like
me to cover. On Facebook, It's Patty Steele and on
Instagram Real Patty Steele. I'm Patty Steele. The Backstory is
a production of iHeartMedia, Premiere Networks, the Elvis Durant Group,
and Steel Trap Productions. Our producer is Mike Pieseglia. Our
(08:25):
writer is Jake Kushner. New episodes are out every Tuesday
and Friday, and feel free to reach out to me
with comments and story suggestions on Instagram at Reel Patty
Steele and on Facebook at Patty Steele. Thanks for listening
to the Backstory with Patty Steele, the pieces of history
you didn't know you needed to know.
Host
Patty Steele
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