COLUMBUS — Two individuals have been arrested on witness tampering and obstruction charges in connection with an ongoing investigation by the Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team (JNET) in Bartholomew County, authorities said.
The arrests come just days before a high-profile jury trial was scheduled to begin.
According to the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, investigators launched a probe into allegations of interference with pending court proceedings and attempts to improperly influence a witness.
Investigators determined that Zablin J. Woodruff, who was already out of jail on bond awaiting trial for multiple felony counts—including robbery, kidnapping, criminal confinement, aggravated battery, and armed robbery—attempted to improperly influence a witness involved in the case.
Woodruff has been booked on new preliminary charges of obstruction of justice, bribery, and invasion of privacy.
A second individual, Tracy Smith, who was allegedly present during the tampering incident, was also taken into custody. Smith faces preliminary charges of obstruction of justice and resisting law enforcement.
Background on the 2023 Case
The underlying criminal proceedings stem from a brutal June 2023 incident in which a 19-year-old Columbus man was lured under false pretenses, driven to an abandoned barn on the east side of Bartholomew County, and severely assaulted.
According to probable-cause affidavits from the initial investigation, the victim was subjected to a horrific attack by multiple masked individuals who used a knife, scissors, a handgun, and a caustic liquid. The victim managed to escape, seek help at nearby residences, and ultimately received emergency medical care.
Woodruff was one of four co-defendants charged in connection with the 2023 attack. While other co-defendants have since entered guilty pleas or faced sentencing, Woodruff’s case was moving toward a jury trial in Bartholomew Superior Court 1.
The latest arrests were handled by JNET, a multi-agency collaborative partnership comprising the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office, the Columbus Police Department, and the Bartholomew County Prosecutor’s Office.
Those facing criminal charges are innocent until proven guilty through a fair and due legal process. Accusations alone do not imply guilt; the judicial system will evaluate the presented evidence to reach a verdict.
