'I'm a crip ... we don't bleed': Jury finds Woodbridge man guilty of murdering woman in woods

A Prince William County jury this week found a Woodbridge man guilty of murder in the July 2022 shooting death of a woman in a wooded area off U.S. 1.

Isaiah McGriff, 27, will face sentencing this summer for second-degree murder and use of a firearm in a felony.

The shooting happened on July 1, 2022 after McGriff and the victim -- 46-year-old Claudia Morataya of no fixed address -- argued during a gathering outside a 7-Eleven near U.S. 1 and Marys Way.

The investigation found that the two and several others were "drinking and socializing prior to the shooting," Prince William County Commonwealth's Attorney Amy Ashworth's office said in a release.

"At one point, the victim and the defendant became engaged in a verbal dispute, and the victim threw a beer bottle at the defendant's head," the release said.

"The defendant was heard saying 'I'm crip, bitch, we don't bleed.' The defendant was later seen shooting the victim in the woods nearby," according to the release.

The firearm used was recovered at an apartment nearby.

"The defendant was known to stay at that apartment and his license and other documents were found there," the release said.

During an interview with detectives, McGriff denied being anywhere near the 7-Eleven that night, but he was recorded about 15 minutes after the murder on a doorbell camera at the same apartment building where the gun was found, the release said.

McGriff will be sentenced by a Prince William County Circuit Court judge on July 25.

“This was a very technical and difficult case that took a lot of investigation on the part of the police detectives who obtained much of the circumstantial evidence that allowed us to proceed to trial," Ashworth said in the release. "I am extremely grateful that we were able to obtain justice for Claudia’s senseless murder and am proud of the work of everyone involved, most importantly the two prosecutors who took this challenging case on and ultimately succeeded.”