Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Murder Suspect's Diary "Burns Your Brains Insane"
By
Jen Chung
Published Feb 7, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Feb 7, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Fifty pages of murder suspect Paul Cortez's diary were read aloud by prosecutors. Cortez, who is on trial for the murder of ex-girlfriend Catherine Woods, had kept diaries as a teenager and had been writing in jail as well. Manhattan ADA Paul Casolaro read entries in a monotone, like:
"Don't look back/ She's still not there/ The swan is gone/ She's in the air/I'm not the same/ I just can't bear/ The time you stole/My soul/Oh no/This isn't real/She's still not here/ Release the wheel/Your thoughts ware/ Now pray & kneel/ For the electric chair/ Burns you brains insane"
"I wanted her to stop [stripping] so that she would heal and love me without boundary or pain. But she would never stop. It's like trying to stop the river's downward path in the summertime with your bare hands - No, you must wait 'til the winter, when nature's freeze grips that sultry flow to stillness."
Some of Cortez's music lyrics were read, like "Hellhounds wanna pounce and rip you apart with a scream. Betcha get violated, grippin' on the killin' machine" (which he sang a few days before Woods' murder). Cortez's lawyer Dawn Florio told the NY Times, "Rock stars don’t write about tulips and butterflies," implying that the lyrics and diaries were overall fairly innocuous (even if they are weird in our book). The Times also offered a little interpretation:
In some of the journals, Mr. Cortez called Ms. Woods his “soul mate,” and reflected both his disapproval of her work and the pain of being rejected by her.
“Beautiful Catherine, love of my life — how can I make you understand,” one entry began. “This erotic subjection to lusty men hurts you more than you know.” He added: “I just need you to quit the sex-for-money life for good, as well as your ex,” referring to an old boyfriend with whom she was still living. “Then our relationship can grow for real.”
Some defense witnesses testified on Cortez's behalf. One friend said that his writing could have been an acting exercise (Cortez was an aspiring singer and actor, as well as personal trainer) and the sketches of swords were similar to comics they had admired.
Cortez may take the stand at the end of the week. Yesterday, a prosecution witness and personal training client of Cortez said she was shocked when he told a friend on his cell, "Hi, I'm in the Food Emporium. I'm with a beautiful, blond, 36-year-old professional woman. And we're going to buy strawberries and put them all over her body and lick them off." They were at the grocery store together, but the client said she was not romantically interested in him.
Tagged
Catherine Woods
comics
crime
food
food emporium
love
manhattan
money
murder
Music
ny times
Paul Cortez
rock
sex
the times
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Rain in NYC and NJ will end weeks-long stretch of beautiful weather
Starting Thursday, the vibes are expected to shift.
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Nov 4, 2026 at 1:47 p.m. ET
Strand Bookstore admits it took a pandemic loan despite being ineligible
The bookstore will pay nearly $1.5 million for flouting a federal law that prohibited businesses controlled by members of Congress or their spouses from receiving second-round PPP funding.
By
Sonia Rao
News
Strand Bookstore admits it took a pandemic loan despite being ineligible
The bookstore will pay nearly $1.5 million for flouting a federal law that prohibited businesses controlled by members of Congress or their spouses from receiving second-round PPP funding.
By
Sonia Rao
Incumbents booted from Jersey City school board after years of dysfunction
By
Michael Sol Warren
Early Addition: We're not getting Trump's $5,000 checks but we are getting Rep. Anthony Constantino
By
James Ramsay
Brooklyn's Hakeem Jeffries is poised to lead a Democratic House. Will his party follow?
By
Brigid Bergin
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .