Bristol County man convicted of murdering 22-year-old girlfriend granted parole with conditions

A Bristol County man who was convicted of murdering his girlfriend has been granted parole with conditions.

According to the Parole Board, on March 21, 1991, 22-year-old Julie Harlow of Whitman informed her boyfriend, 25-year-old Steven Woodworth of Easton, that she was ending their relationship. Unwilling to accept the breakup, Woodworth convinced Harlow to take a ride with him and talk. He then then picked Harlow up in Whitman at around 9:00 p.m. and the pair drove around discussing their relationship. 

Once Woodworth realized that Harlow was not going to change her mind about ending the relationship, he shot her numerous times, then spent hours driving around southeastern Massachusetts with her body next to him. The drive ended at about 5:30 the next morning, when Woodworth pulled into the driveway of his parents’ Easton home, drank paint thinner, and shot himself in the chest. Woodworth’s father heard the gunshot from inside his home and went outside to investigate. Upon discovering his son in the truck with Harlow’s body, he called the police. Harlow was pronounced dead at the scene. Woodworth, however, was transported to the hospital and survived his self-inflicted injuries. 

On March 19, 1992, in Bristol Superior Court, Woodworth pleaded guilty to the second-degree murder of Harlow and was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole. Parole was denied following an initial hearing in 2006 and review hearings in 2011, 2015, 2018, and 2021. On June 4, 2024, Steven Woodworth appeared before the Board for another review hearing. On October 22,2024, the Board released their decision.

Woodworth has served 33 years of a life sentence for the murder of Harlow. According to the Board, since the last hearing, Woodworth has invested significantly in rehabilitative programming, including the programs recommended by the Board. Specifically, he has completed programs in family violence, 68 RTU programs, five cycles of family relationships and communications. He has also been medication compliant and has a low risk LSCMI score. The Board also notes that Woodworth has had a positive adjustment, with only two disciplinary reports in 33 years. The Board considered the expert opinion of Dr. Dicataldo and strong family support that Woodworth has in the community. The Board also considered the opposition testimony of four members of the victims’ family and Bristol County Assistant District Attorney Canan Yesilcimen. The Board concluded by unanimous decision that Woodworth has demonstrated a level of rehabilitation that would make his release compatible with the welfare of society. 

Special conditions of his parole include: Long-term residential program or CRJ; waive work for program; curfew: must be home between 10PM and 6 AM at parole officer’s discretion; electronic monitoring at parole officer’s discretion; must take prescribed medication; supervise for drugs with testing in accordance with agency policy; supervise for liquor abstinence with testing in accordance with agency policy; report to assigned MA parole office on day of release; no contact with victim’s family; must have substance abuse evaluation and comply with recommended treatment plan; weekly counseling for domestic relations and anxiety disorder; and mandatory Emerge or Common Purpose at his request.