HOT SPRINGS -- The attempted murder trial of a Hot Springs man arrested earlier this year after allegedly shooting his ex-girlfriend in the face has been canceled to allow for a mental evaluation of the man.
Cody Wes Woolems, 46, is charged with criminal attempt to commit first-degree murder, punishable by up to 30 years in prison, and committing a terroristic act and first-degree domestic battery, each punishable by up to 20 years. Prosecutors are also seeking a felony firearm enhancement that could add an additional 15 years to his sentence.
Woolems was arrested Jan. 30 and initially held on zero bond. He pleaded innocent to the charges April 27 and was released on a $150,000 bond on June 15 with his trial set for Dec. 15.
A motion for a mental evaluation was filed Oct. 5 by his attorney, Brian Johnson, and the evaluation is scheduled for Dec. 18. Judge John Homer Wright on Tuesday vacated the trial date and scheduled a hearing to determine Woolems' fitness to proceed for Feb. 1, 2021.
According to the probable cause affidavit, shortly after 2:30 a.m. Jan. 30 the Garland County Communications Center received a 911 call from a residence in the 200 block of Durham Loop where a woman, Jacquline Scallion, 43, had fled to from a house across the street after she was reportedly shot.
Neighbors assisted Scallion until sheriff's deputies and emergency personnel arrived, the affidavit said. She was transported to CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs and later transferred to University of Arkansas Medical Sciences in Little Rock for "treatment of multiple gunshots inflicted upon her."
Before being transported, Scallion reportedly told deputies Woolems, her ex-boyfriend whom she was still living with, had shot her and was still inside their residence, according to an affidavit.
Deputies made contact with Woolems inside the residence, but after he "refused to come out" the sheriff's department's crisis negotiation team began communicating with him and was "successful in the aiding of his surrender" less than an hour later, the sheriff's office said.
Woolems was taken into custody and transported to the sheriff's office for questioning, the affidavit said. He confirmed he and Scallion had been living together for several months as boyfriend and girlfriend, but did not go into details about what happened that morning, claiming he could not remember.
Investigators tried to interview Scallion on Feb. 3 at UAMS, where she was being treated for injuries to her face, neck, shoulder and left hand, the affidavit said. She completed a written statement at that time, and on March 5 she came into the sheriff's office for a formal interview.
She stated she had known Woolems "most of her life" and the two had both recently divorced, and their friendship progressed into a romantic relationship in the beginning of October 2019, according to the affidavit. In the first part of December, they rented the Durham Loop residence together, but in January Woolems ended the relationship.
Scallion said she came home from work Jan. 29 and discovered Woolems had disconnected the garage door, the doors were all locked and the door code had been changed so she could not get inside, the affidavit said.
She was on the phone with her mother when Woolems opened the door and said, "What the (expletive) do you want, (expletive)?" the affidavit said. He eventually let Scallion inside and she went to bed while Woolems stayed up drinking alcohol.
Scallion said she was awakened around 1:30 a.m. to the sound of gunshots, according to the affidavit. She got up and hid in the closet and could hear bullets hitting the walls around her as Woolems yelled, "Let me in (expletive)!"
She refused to unlock her bedroom door, but Woolems forced his way inside, according to the affidavit. She asked him, "Have you lost your freaking mind?" and Woolems allegedly said, "You're going to die (expletive). You're gonna die tonight!"
Scallion said she asked him what she had done and warned him "the cops" would probably come because of all the gunshots, the affidavit said. Standing at the door with the gun in his hand, Woolems reportedly said, "I'll shoot them too." He came into the room and the two began fighting over the gun, and Scallion was struck on top of the head with the gun during the struggle.
Woolems hit her again, knocking her onto the bed and then shot the wall and struck her in the head again with his hand, according to the affidavit. Scallion said she told him if he struck her again, "We're fixin' to go. Do or die, me and you."
Woolems advanced toward her pointing the gun at her as she rolled across the bed and got between the bed and the wall "trying to get away," according to the affidavit. She said she pleaded with Woolems to let her call her mother and children "so she could tell them bye."
Scallion said she felt a bullet hit her hand and she told Woolems, "Oh my God, you shot me," the affidavit said. "Woolems replied "something to the effect" of "I'm fixin' to do" and she asked him what he meant and he allegedly shot her in the face.
The affidavit notes Woolems tried firing again but there were no more rounds in the clip. He walked out of the bedroom to another part of the house where he began loading the gun again.
Scallion ran to the neighbor's house for help and they called 911, the report states.