William & Ann Woodward's House (Former)

William Woodward was the heir to the Hanover National Bank fortune (later Manufacturer's Hanover), the Belair Estate and stud farm and legacy, and a leading figure in racing circles before he was shot to death by his wife, Ann Woodward, in what Life magazine called the "Shooting of the Century".

Ann Woodward was an American socialite, showgirl, model, and radio actress. In 1940, while working as a nightclub dancer and radio actress, she was voted "The Most Beautiful Girl in Radio".

After attending a dinner party for the Duchess of Windsor on October 30, 1955, Woodward and his wife returned to their home in Oyster Bay, New York. Both were nervous about reports of a prowler roaming nearby estates, including their own. The Woodwards, both avid hunters, each went to their separate bedrooms that evening with loaded shotguns.

A few hours later, Ann heard a noise on the roof and went into a darkened hallway with her gun, where she saw a shadowy figure standing in front of Woodward's bedroom door. Believing the figure to be a prowler, Ann fired the gun, killing her husband. Upon arriving at the home, police found Ann holding her husband's body and sobbing. She immediately confessed that she had shot her husband because she thought he was a burglar.

Police later arrested a man named Paul Wirths, who admitted that he had attempted to break into the Woodwards' house on the night of the shooting. Wirths claimed that he had been scared by the sound of gunshots and then left. Woodward's mother Elsie, however, believed that the shooting had been deliberate but publicly supported her daughter-in-law in order to avoid further scandal. There was speculation that Elsie had paid Wirths to say he had attempted to break into the home in an effort to exonerate Ann.

Three weeks after the shooting, Ann testified before a grand jury and maintained that the shooting was an accident and that she thought her husband was an intruder. The grand jury determined that no crime had been committed.