Oxnard Man Sentenced For Fatal Stabbing Of 67-Year-Old Woman

Wednesday June 07, 2023

     Update--An Oxnard man was sentenced Wednesday to 16-years-to-life in prison for the fatal stabbing of a 67-year-old woman in a seemingly random and unprovoked attack more than three years ago.

     26-year-old James Beam had earlier pleaded guilty to Second Degree Murder in the death of Sibyl Woodbury of Oxnard.

     She was found around 2 AM on April 9, 2020 outside of a shopping center in the 200 block of West Pleasant Valley Road between "C" Street and Saviers Road.

     She was pronounced dead at the scene from what turned out to be a small stab wound to her torso.

     Oxnard major crimes detectives did not have much to go on given the time of the attack and the fact that both victim and suspect were transients but within a week they were able to identify Beam, locate him, and arrest him.

     At one point during the legal process, his psychological state was called into question but he was ultimately determined by the court to be mentally competent to face criminal charges.

     In addition to pleading guilty to Second Degree Murder, Beam also admitted using a deadly weapon.