Restaurateur convicted of attempted murder of girlfriend's miscarried baby
02/05/2016 5:02 pm PST
For most people the news of a baby on the way is a happy occasion. But when it comes to high-profile restaurant owner Joshua Woodward, that news came as a shock. And what he did next would land him behind bars and facing serious prison time.
Gail Greaves began an affair with Woodward, a high-profile restaurateur from a wealthy Chicago family, with an empire that includes the storied Churchill Downs Racetrack. As a partner then with celebrity chef Govind Armstrong, operating high-end establishments in Los Angeles, Miami and New York, Woodward ran in prominent circles.
What Greaves didn't know was that during their affair, Woodward was engaged to Miami writer Suzy Buckley.
When Greaves became pregnant, Woodward pleaded for her to abort.
At 39, Greaves felt it was her last chance to have a child. She refused to have an abortion and told Woodward he was off the hook financially for the baby.
Woodward was desperate and embarked on a sinister mission. If Greaves wouldn't abort, he would make it happen himself.
It begins with the Internet, and a nefarious search: "Evil ways to terminate a pregnancy," and there he found misoprostol, a dangerous drug used in hospitals to induce labor. Woodward tried to get Greaves to orally ingest the drug.
When the plan failed, Woodward tried administering the drug vaginally during foreplay.
The first attempt during sex failed. He wasn't giving up. He tried the same thing the next night.
Woodward left abruptly and told Greaves he had a plane to catch. Gail Greaves, 13 weeks pregnant, experienced induced labor, and did lose her pregnancy. She was devastated and suspicious. She noticed the white powder on her underwear and called police. Detectives told her to keep quiet so they could set him up.
Woodward was later caught red-handed, with more misoprostol in his pocket, which he immediately discarded when contacted by law enforcement. He was immediately taken into custody and charged with four counts of attempted murder on a fetus.
At first Woodward maintained his innocence, but the evidence told a different story.
Woodward, anticipating an unsympathetic jury, took a plea deal.
