Content warning: rape, sexual assault, and physical assault.
Former Magic: the Gathering pro Conley Woods was arrested early Sunday morning and accused of sexually assaulting a woman in her home in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Woods was held in the Santa Fe County jail “on suspicion of criminal sexual penetration, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon” and false imprisonment. He was released on Tuesday evening.
Conley Woods was charged on 7/14/19 and released on 7/16/19
According to the Santa Fe New Mexican, who has access to the police report, the victim told police that “she had been dozing in a chair when she woke up to see Woods approaching with a shirt covering his nose and mouth . . . The woman said Woods didn’t respond when she asked what he was doing and that he had ‘a frightening look in his eyes’ and ‘wasn’t himself,’ according to the police report.”
Again, proceed with caution. The descriptions below go in to detail about rape, sexual assault, and physical assault.
The victim said that “Woods yanked her out of the chair, and when she tried to get her phone to call police, he grabbed her from behind” and “forced her into the guest bedroom, put her in a choke-hold using his left arm and grabbed her groin.”
“According to the report,” the Santa Fe New Mexican continues, the victim said that “when she managed to use her phone, [Woods] tried to take it away and cover her mouth as she yelled to the dispatcher, but that she made a deal with Woods that she would hang up if he would get away from her. When he backed away, she told police, she was able to grab a knife from the kitchen to protect herself.”
Later, “Woods wrestled the knife away from her and turned it toward her in a threatening way, police reported.”
When the police arrived on the scene, their report says that Woods was “‘perspiring heavily,’ had blood smears along his left arm and T-shirt, and had a fresh cut along his right index finger.” Police also said the Woods claimed “that he was simply ‘role playing’ with the victim because she had a ‘rape fantasy.'”
Woods claimed that he “did not know what was going on” when police questioned him. According to police, Woods also said that he and the victim “had been friends since they were teenagers and that after going out to dinner that night they had been listening to music and dancing before going outside to play with her dog.”
Conley Woods at a Star City Games event.
Conley Woods is a former professional Magic player best known for his reputation building rogue decks and for his stints as a writer for both Channel Fireball and Daily MTG. Woods has played in over twenty Pro Tours, finishing in the Top 8 twice. He also has one Grand Prix title to his, name along with four World Championship appearances, including the 2011 World Championship in San Francisco where Woods finished in third place.
Recently Woods has been regularly streaming Magic: the Gathering Online and was a Game Designer for Dire Wolf Digital, the Denver-based studio that makes the digital card game Eternal. On Reddit Thursday afternoon, Dire Wolf Digital said that they believe “in consent and equality. We were shocked and saddened by this week’s news involving Conley Woods, and wish to express our unconditional support for his alleged victim.” They also announced that they had “terminated our working relationship with Mr. Woods effective immediately.”
Hipsters of the Coast reached out to Santa Fe police for access to the police report but has not received a response.
We will continue to update this story as it develops.
7/18/19: Updated with Dire Wolf Digital’s statement.
9/5/19: Conley Woods received a lifetime ban from Magic on August 21, 2019.