In movies such as Natural Born Killers, Woody Harrelson looks every inch the violent loon.
But while his proclivity for murder is pure fiction, for his dad it was fact.
Today, Hollywood superstar Woody, 60, leads a charmed life in Hawaii with his wife Laura Louie. The couple have three children, Deni, 29, Zoe, 25, and Makani, 15. He is said to be worth an eye-watering $70.
But life wasn't always so sunny. His early childhood was spent in Texas, where his dad Charles Voyde Harrelson was a hitman.
He even once claimed he assassinated US President John F. Kennedy.
An encyclopedia salesman and professional gambler, Charles Harrelson seemingly turned to a life of crime in the early 1960s, when he was convicted of armed robbery. He later told how he was involved in dozens of murders during that period.
At that time, Charles was married to Diane Oswald, a secretary, and the young couple lived in Texas. They had three sons. One of those, Woodrow Tracy Harrelson, now better known as Woody, was born in 1961.
Now a revered star of the silver screen, he's since told how his dad "wasn't around much" and that his parents "separated young".
The reason for his absence was simple – he was in prison.
According to Woody, his dad left the family home in 1968. It was around this time that he was accused of murdering a man called Alan Harry Berg. He stood trial and was acquitted in 1970 by a jury in Angleton, Texas.
He was then accused of the 1968 murder-for-hire killing of Sam Deglia, a grain dealer. During the trial, the court heard Charles Harrelson was paid $2,000 to kill Mr Deglia. It ended with a deadlocked jury.
A retrial took place in 1973 and he was convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Speaking to the Guardian in 2012, Woody recalled how he discovered his dad's chilling "job".
He said: "I was 11 or 12 when I heard his name mentioned on a car radio. I was in the car waiting for a lady who was picking me up from school, helping my mum, and anyway I was listening to the radio and it was talking about Charles V Harrelson and his trial for murder and blah blah blah blah and I’m sitting there thinking there can’t be another Charles V Harrelson. I mean, that’s my dad! It was a wild realisation. Then the woman got in the car and saw my face and realised something was up. She was a very kind lady.”
Charles was released from prison for good behaviour after serving five years, but it didn't take long for him to kill again.
In 1979, while on parole, he shot dead federal Judge John H. Wood in a contract killing. Judge Wood, dubbed Maximum John on account of his harsh sentences, was the first federal judge to be assassinated in the 20th century.
The story goes that Judge Wood was shot in the back as he bent down to check his car's flat tyre outside his house. Witnesses reported seeing a gold-coloured car speeding from the scene.
Charles was apparently hired to kill the judge by drug dealer Jamiel Chagra, who was set to appear before him in court.
He was apprehended in 1980 after police received reports that he was firing a gun at imaginary FBI agents while high on cocaine.
In another chilling twist, he told officers during the six-hour standoff that he had assassinated JFK back in 1963.
He later took it back, saying in a TV interview: "At the same time I said I had killed the judge, I said I had killed Kennedy, which might give you an idea to the state of my mind at the time."
He added that the statements were "an effort to elongate my life".
Chagra, though, went on to claim Charles had drawn maps showing where he was hiding during the JFK assassination.
The FBI have since "discounted any involvement by Harrelson" in JFK's murder.
He was, however, convicted of killing Judge Wood. An anonymous tip and a recording of a conversation between Chagra and his brother during a prison visit secured a murder charge against Charles.
He claimed in court that he did not kill Judge Wood but took credit to secure a hefty payment from Chagra. Nevertheless, he was convicted and sentenced to two life terms. His wife, Jo-Ann was also jailed for her part in the assassination.
By this time, Woody's acting career was just about to take off.
In 1981, he tried to get in touch with him. A few years later, in 1988, by which point he was a household name thanks to his role in Cheers, he said of his dad: "My father 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."
In 1995, there was yet more drama when Charles, along with two other inmates, attempted to escape from prison using a makeshift rope. A warning shot was fired and they surrendered.
Woody told the Guardian he "spent a couple of million" trying to get his dad a new trial after Chagra recanted his previous statements in 2003, claiming someone else had shot Judge Wood.
The movie star said he was "just being a son trying to help his dad".
Charles Harrelson died on March 15, 2007, at the age of 69 from a heart attack in his cell.
On his relationship with his dad, Woody said: “Yeah, we got along pretty good. When you can’t hang out and go to a pub, you know what I mean, it’s hard.”
To this day, conspiracy theorists maintain that Charles was involved in the assassination of JFK, with some believing he was the youngest of the 'three tramps' who were pictured under police escort shortly after the killing.
Source: Read Full Article
