The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office is investigating a murder-suicide in Elmwood.
The murder happened at an apartment complex in Elmwood in the 5100 block of Citrus Boulevard around 10 a.m. Thursday.
Investigators said 28-year-old Meridian Woodson was found shot to death inside an apartment.
Deputies said her ex-husband, identified in court documents as Kody Woodson, 30, shot her and later died by suicide.
Court records obtained by WDSU reveal years of abuse allegations, custody battles, and court intervention involving the couple’s two young daughters, leading up to the deadly shooting.
The filings show the former couple was involved in a contentious divorce and custody battle in 2024.
In her petition for divorce, Meridian Woodson accused Kody Woodson of repeated abuse during their marriage.
Meridian claimed that in January 2024, after she told Kody she wanted a divorce, he became upset, and they fought at her apartment.
A few weeks later, she accused him of an incident where she described him in a “jealous rage.”
According to the petition, he “grabbed her phone from her hand” and “grabbed her by the arm and threw her to the ground.”
The filing also described an alleged incident involving a firearm.
Meridian claimed she heard “the distinctive sound of a gun being cocked” before finding Kody with a gun inside the apartment.
Another section of the filing claimed Kody told Meridian during an argument, “You’re making me hurt you, you always make me hurt you.”
Kody Woodson denied many of those allegations in his own court filing and accused Meridian of violent behavior during their marriage.
In his answer and counterclaim, Kody alleged Meridian had a history of “choking, slapping, scratching, biting,” and attacking him during arguments.
He referenced a Feb. 27, 2024, incident where Meridian was arrested after a violent argument in front of their children.
Meridian claimed in her court filing that she was acting in self-defense and that the evidence Kody provided to police was taken out of context.
Online court records show that both parents requested the other to complete domestic violence intervention classes as part of the custody proceedings.
The filings show both sought sole custody of their daughters while accusing the other of being the aggressor.
The online court filings do not go past 2025, and there are no documented civil or criminal instances between the two since their divorce was finalized in May of last year.
According to court records, a temporary sole custody was given and a hearing was scheduled for June 18, 2026.
READ MORE:Court records show years-long abuse allegations in Elmwood murder-suicide
