Cause of death released for woman found dead after Petersburg abduction

CHESTERFIELD, VA (WWBT) - A woman found dead after an alleged abduction in Petersburg died from sharp and blunt force injuries of the head and neck, the Medical Examiner's Office said Friday.

The Medical Examiner's Office also says that Minnie Woodard's manner of death was homicide.

Woodard was found dead in Chesterfield last week near a store that police say Kristopher Thomas Jones tried to rob after abducting Woodard's husband, Alfred, in Petersburg on Jan. 18.

Jones was in court Friday on charges of abduction by force/intimidation; attempted robbery; stealing property; and carjacking. He was assigned a public defender and will be held without bond until a March 31 court hearing.

He has not been charged in Minnie Woodard's death, or the death of his girlfriend Janice Lugo, who was found dead the evening of the abduction. Lugo's cause and manner of death have not yet been determined, according to the Medical Examiner's office.

Jones was captured in Norfolk on Jan. 19. Investigators say information from Jones lead to the discovery of Woodard's body.

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