© by DON ALLEN |
Nine-year-ol Jason Steele VerDow was a “new boy"'In the. Cape Col
Fla., neighborhood, having moved in with his family two weeks ago, but: heen
was readily accepted and well-liked by other youngsters. A third-gradefi
is
in
Jason was a sports buff and his dad was superintendent at the Executlvaay
Golf Club, Already, people were predicting that Jason migh
big In a number of sports, Including golf wee
DETECTIVE MAGAZINE,
MAY,. 19786
peqnoosoeye.fagrua..“TIT yotzepead mumzsty. §EI905
S27). epTa0Ts
arid
Bega: a
Ea ae
z 15
‘h Se
On Friday morning. March 5, 1976, , Phe ee ‘otters 3 lhe) the’ fronds: ies ‘of any other elves, Nott
Jason was gathered witha group of other. “aside und a ile boy's nude, cold body went to the murder us.fo nc
youngsters about 8 o'clock at the Pon-.’ came into View: Although thoroughly Lt, Butler sent -Rycknian Hea
della Road school bus stop. A pimply- ~ concealed from the highway where the helicopter-for werlal photos; tind t
faced teenager, about 18, with brown . school bus traveled, it was less than {09 round up all the children mal
straggly hair, approached the youngsters yards from where the school.bus hyd possible witnesses who-hnd been.at
an Began aking sem lonacen( stopped tht very rong:
questions of the Boys, like thelr names 1y was Ina sont of kneeling
and whege they lived. sions” brown later tested, The"
Savon, trendy and outgoing youth. Boggs were all you cou sei vasa
responded good-naturedly, The teenager "if someone picked him up in the middle
told Jason, “I want to show you some- and set him this way, heud down and sor
thing, Jason. Come with me.” The two of on his knees in a crawling position.”
“school bus stop the: previous oh
The youngsters were interviewed ani
from thelr accounts, Lid. Gordon Shy
made composites with an Identi-Kit
Inevitably; varlations in the child
recollections of the.man resulted in sev
eral composites. Nevertheless, Lt Bug
crossed the street and disappeared in a
nearby wooded a
“The bus arrived afew minutes laterand
Jason had not returned. Nor was he home
by 7:26 that evening when his parents
reported him missing, A routine missing -
person report was filed with the deser
tion of about four feet tall, 60 pounds’
brown hair and eyes, wearing blue dun:
Pi, Ron Ryekinan, the frst detective’; ler, who hail been chet of poles In Mi
‘on the scene, roped off the area and « dleport, N.Yi_:before” moving’ lori
“ringed it wit offices to prevent tue dapat Neate at
yn, He requested assistance from the door-to-door Ingulryaf the neighbo
LSO Crime Scene Unit, Before anything ¢ hood. These, gre also disteibutedio
ne dlaubed: boned pues ake media and. afnl-point, ull
Lt, Peter Bochngvich and Deputy Abe 3 pale BEN
Mite ‘of the Mobile sa ime Lab. ‘40°60 ‘then were: Working. oF th
‘lve
Breas anlhafoond on igh
lead the Pade Pine Island-Del Pre
etl f
‘handling It all:over nnd. no fi
Swere’obiainable, But Deputy Melt
daybreak.
nick was one of the searchers thal morn- "skull crushed, Six thin lines, like wire 22 reported 4 noryous young man tryifig
ing, 1t was familiar terrain to him, On fparks, were on the throat, three on euch 3: hileh a ride about 10:30, a,m2.tNe doyle
several occasions, Mednick had chased side, The face. was bloodied, One tm Jason missed the bus, The restauranleugie
narcotics suspects through the thick une was up over the little boy's head. ‘und a friend were ended for Malaka
derbrush Deputy Mednick eure aross alter was twlsted up behind his boy ie * Del Prado and had stopped for the.
two sets of footprints, one large and one the right side, ‘ Pine.Jsland road jntersection, The ft
small, and, later on, some knee prints, A Lt, Bochriovich accompanied the" hiker, very nervous and in a huiry.«cane
number of broken limbs and scuff marks - child's body to the morgue at Lee Memor-.” running up to their pick-up, ur
ed some sort of struggle had taken. ial Hospital in Ft, Myers and took more.on the window, and asked for.a lif.
pletures there during tons The med Matlacha, They gestured for Bit ‘ore
Pesca Patrolman Richard B. Brovn Fal exa into the Backs In.the truck bed, Whey
Joined Mednick, tracking the footprints the head, |
towards a clump of palmettos, "There's. well as evidence of strangulation which
something ender that bush” Mednick wast uinme cause of death, behfndy Theo Tuen described 16)
shouted, and the two halted dead in their * Cape Coral Sgt, James M. Litter Hog inhieras hating re
It looks... it looks like an drew sketches ofthe crime scene,and the eee ‘with very bad aené
‘ : rea, was combed forthe le boy's sg see witnesses contin nae
2c County Deputy Stephen Med>_ been nueagely bioggconed hs ae ond reer iy Cape Cora devon ag Ges
‘the young inan'ran btck’to the next
‘I rejoice every time i heer el little, boy
ithe killer: wrote
mind committing my dirty. sexual | u
murders on little boys.’ ;
ee
‘ag
Ayekman,
rge of the Rot ae mest Digh Brown oonter) and
hts. .
otha men who ha epot >
gees ‘gn already burned-out shack
E we ae nndoned road near where the
ch rani
a crises ims a
at thelr home
2
met ‘ating the ticket
slost hime then hurried back to his car to
“ photie police,-"it looked a ee ‘compor-
ice.
ae sMeaitdher ne
bee
ite ine
they Were hniling groceries, Howeyet i er tia
ee cai
of ise
been a inst]
oo es cae
Ren rh 81876 Sabki}slniensive hint of the wooded area as,
Hl ka tion ny Mec ul H ie Ned off, Meanwhile, calls continuo
al yu Epoured ito te slags All were pain
base snaps mie of ining ak enka, Wh es conto
A small black’ dog: Photos:of numeri -kman und Sgt, Gary Kep-
[sates vat ao Tana At pea ute bask and frie over he geod
oin about seven wer wide Intenso obtln time estimates of how long it
Anke to get from the bus stop aren
y; March 8; tothe site where the body was found, at
Coral police recelve slow swalk, a fast walk, running,
a ie Beene
set reported that a few days,
betaine murder ond two, compan
Tig purged OIC Int the woot Schind a, supermarket,
‘The youngster refused. He'told police the
‘man had been sucking a “'slurpy"* and he
‘had seen him toss the wax cup in a pond
prouchedatabout pm at 711 streon
“ondella and Orange Grove the same day
Jason disappeared, The man wanted him
{ocomainto the woousandiook for water
oy. hd ‘refused and the man
i Iaformntbn lesa to uplute 9tthe
murderer, und six investigators were
Butler,
7 Ryekman had Sve Con) Is wat ©
‘suspect, The young man admitted he had
molested little boys, four or five of them
‘up north, But he never hurt them, be ine
sisted. Violence was not his thing, Furthy
cermore, he sald, he would not have tured
(continued on page 45) s.
ad,
Petes -
Blaying of nine-year-old fell under Juris:
Geton of Peloe Chet ames fi, Whit
Death Row In Ralford Prison, whe
suspect writes lotters begging to be
executed. A trusty Is shown playing
‘cards with one of the condemn
oh Jason! out from
there at the’
Ae Coode's par
Meshes
SE:
jovi to Florida authorities, there was
Hoo! buss deed sound legal: base for holding
Hin was the way he ht bat Goode, but due to bureaueralle foulsup i,
“fore He would find boys a laryland, that was not learned in Florida
ih ore i
Aira the woses th hy Until too late, On Friday, March 12, the
lu
into ana}? Goods drove thelr’son to St, Petersburg
i 3 where the cuught the train buck to Mary
Goole wasinet by his wo older sisters,
police larned Jaier, and spent the
weekend with’ them in. suburban Baiti-
see
:
hospital attendant was notifying police,
‘A few hours later and about 15 miles
‘awa in the North Baltimore suburb of
awson, a 10-year-old newsboy disup-
f¢ Ws last seen sorting his pap=
front of x diner restaurant preparat-
lellvering them, «=
lich-with Maryland police and they
sot Once agalne:
Police phoned Goode's father, “But
does not drive." he protested,
eye heard of an abduction on
Peace nga
kd he ores iret
‘that treé doy
called sy
rents told Chief White't
{i
t fora fe
ftusedsiylng: delay would
clr! Inwyer's arrangement.
their son was innocent, that
ing w ‘onl Pines! The first time he was hospitulized was
Aime of Jason Alsappeats after he had been caught in his room with
fit ‘diatye a child, He was violence prone, ntl-
‘that if he had anything to's “social, and had w predeliction for
i
~ But hospital authorities had refused 10
give Chief White this medical record, Ac-
Maryland law enforcement,
oF.
ds
1g Coral-Chief White had been in’
and talked ‘with
Just want to tell you Lam on my: -*#|
ns
way to my mother's {n Florida," »-
joode arrived in Fort Myers at nbout 2°
am, on Februsry 11, His father sald he.
corresponded with the hospital after ar-
tiving and gave his ddidross in Florida, He
tecelved two salary cheeks at the Mate
acha Drive address for work done al the
hospltal white a patlent, The Goodes"
Maryland attomey was in contact with
the hospital making arrangements for
thelr son's readmission.
“If the aw authorities here had known:
Freddie walked off and violated his
parole like that, we would have had suffi.
lent grounds to hold him on that alone,”
Chef White told Florida newsmen, "But
tie law enforcement authorities were not
aware that he walked out. It seéms there
was a breakdown n communications,
+ elther between the hospital and the law
agencies, or between the probation and
parole office and law enforcement agen+
‘There was even a Warrant {ued for”
‘Goode on February-20, Actually, there
‘were several-warrants outstanding,
against hint He had walked out of the
‘hospital before and returned. The hospi-
tal claiied that-the:parole‘officer had
been notified'the day after Goade left,
‘and stressed that he was a voluntary pa
tient. But police did-not learn about it
until 10 days later and assumed Goode.
‘was stil in the hospital as before and all
“warrants could be served when he was
finally released.” cs
AAs Jaw agencies in the’ Baltimore
‘Washington area hunted Goode and the
newsboy, Chief White had at last
gathered evidence sufficient to issue his
‘own warrant for Goode on charges not of
the VerBow murder, but on five counts of
lewd assault si¢mming from incidents ,
that occurred March 3 and 4, 1976, Th
©
* 2i-year-old Maryland mental hospital ex-
capee had become, however, the prime
‘Suspect In the rape-torture’shiying of
young Jason,
Following ‘ip the report of the
Michigan boy's encounter on Si, James
City beach, police went door-ioxtoor in
that community, This search produced
<two charges against Goode. Jn both
cases, 10-year-old boys coming from the
‘beach had been hired into the Woods and
assaulted, i
‘Then, on March 15, the same day the
Maryland newsboy ‘disappeared, Chief
White recelved a fetter from a woman
who lived tear the: Goodes. Her elght-
year-old son had been accosted. The boy
‘was alone, riding his bike, when the man
approached him on the Tond and pe
suaced him to go into the woods. The bo
compiled,
“He tried to get nasty with me," th
youngster told police, .
+ (Continued on next page)
4
* Goods was bo
‘wooded afet neat Tyson's Comer. About
$130 pum, pole were'shown the nue
body of the little boy, covered with leaves:
nnd brush.As Jasbn,-Kenny had. been)
esetuata ha eaMihe
oked fahren
ay
Vers}
hi
and
peak te Ake
oid boy” walking back’ and forth
“igi: {roti Jail to the courthouse," finally des
felred Circuit Court Judge Sohn Shearer,
8s Unt! he
ene newsmen
'm tited of seeing him waving to the
Wiole world on TV every time we bring
«him into the courthouse. {Il ey the
torays Involved for a hearing some time
4. when the TV cameras aren't outside waite
Ing for hin :
« When Goode sald he would refuse to be
‘examined by psychlatists.to determine
ug his’ competency to stand trial, Judge
7% Shearer was equally firm; “We will sit
‘here two or three yeafs uni we get those
4, examinations done,” the Judge declared,
c4 Goode was examined and declared com=
Petent, ate
On November 23,-1976, hobbling Ik
with teg-chains, Goode demanded the
= Naht to fire his courteappolnted attorney
And defond himself. His request: was
ranted, but a public defender was as-
Signed (6 assist him,es = 2
{Ine deposition taped in thie Lee County
£ hil on November 10, Goode confessed fo
,, the murder of Jason VerDow, detailing
ally mblesting young boys. 1 want
A chance to express:to society how I feel
‘about what I've done, I want to prove |
‘am the murderer,"*
© The judge told reporters he had granted
the press conference because Goode is
“entitled to freedom of speech just like
you and me."*
When Goode's newsboy captive of
nine days (ook the witness stand for the
prosecution, Geode tossed him # candy
bar, As the youngster left the courtroom
the defendant cried out, “1 love you
Byel"* Then to the judge, “I love that
boy." ”
In the taped confession played for the
lury, Goode said, “I wanted to get me
ie his age and take him into the waods.,
T told him 1 wanted him to take me to see
his mother. That was an excuse for get-
sting him away from the bus stop, He went
= with me Voluntarily. made him prom:
“Ise nog to scream. 1 showed him i razor
blade and told him I wanted to be his
“friend, 1'was explaining sex to 1
Asked him to take off hls clothe:
When he molested the boy, Jason puke
{hing be learned from ArthurGoode?
Tot doingast have seen and heard m
do, merely so outraged by the atroci
{at he has done that possibly reason
Judgment are blunted? | believe not.
"IF organized society is t0 exist
the compassion and love we all espot
there comes a point when... we ean
longer help, we can no longer rebat
fate... all we ean do is exterminate,
“In this past case, that is my opin
‘nl tha is my order and the only ans
know that will once and for all guaran
society... thal he will never again k
torture, of harm another hun
‘As you! said in the teal, Arth
:maybe | don’t know who we blame, G
forgive you for those desires oF son
thing in your environment that has mi
you have them. Whoever fs to blame
‘beyond the power of this cout.
“You have violated the laws, you he
had your wial, and 1 am convinced |
punishment fs just and proper.
{ruhfly, may God have merey on y
soul!” °
A State Supreme Court review Is
tomatic witha death sentence in Flori
ioyth Plorldages i €xtetly how It was committed and how he
waerbn bis stom
hiq’neck, He was erying, { switng him
‘back to Matlacha, His two-hoor , Around about 30 seconds, | threw him on
Matement colncided perfectly with the the ground and put the belt around
Physleal evidence and other information. neck again and yanked him up.
the police had obtained, ee put him on the ground and put my
‘with the iuieie8 of Jason VerDow, Ke? ie GOoode also wrote long letters to his’: belt around his neck and took his bell and
Dawson, and the [-yentold boy he hal) ltin's mother, deserting the sex acig bea thebell out tim liold neareeecy
= “agstuilted With pravious October. Vithy murdet, ‘These were intercepted was going to murder him. He's in such
segs B et i ont onde ‘of firstdeare
lary at Raiford, Goode has wi
ten dozens of letters to the judge, tot
state attorney. to the governor, None e
press remorse, All beg for execution,
some he writes he has murdered seve
ehilldren for thls and would kill again
reed.
have absolutely no remorse whi
soever for any of the boys | murdered
{heir parents either.” snid one letter
the governor, "1 don't desire. 10 ev
change my mind committing my dit
Aion top OF hin Kennysstareds
“FguenlccThen he just didn rove. Sie
in Gooile's Wallet poll found ail
,by:dason’s father and turned over to-” pain he can't do ‘anything, He was face
cS intirdei ‘and: recom . g ae down. I pushed his face down with my.
right hand, put my knee on the back of his
head for leverage and pulled the belt with
my left hand. Then 1 put my ear to his
8 Polee,
. mendedithat state's: maxlmlm penalties ue “Freddie Goode was brought to trial in
“tas ‘fife: Imprisoriment., At hls. sentencing. gf! the ‘Lee Courty Courthouse at Fort
: ‘ September 1975, Goode pulled pas Myérs in March, 1977, The first time his
tlomney’
z:fime was'mentioned after a Jury was
ju broadly, his arms raised above his hend,
hhend. 1 knew he was dead."
Goode was convicted ani! the jury re-
‘commended the death penalty. In sen-
sexual murders on litte boys. 1 am ful
sed nov kousng thelr (se) dead
eause 1. A,
NL, murdered them f
fun!
nl
Ehsigi seated, the defendant stood up, grinning’
o Spread wide In the victory” gesture of. tencin; }, Judge Shearer said: “L rejoice every time I hear a little by
Spc Pllae-Nghters or some, Justenominated «Why should 1 invoke the awesome Belting murdered! | have the desire
i Pollticlans,: id “punishment of death? Could not some- continue doing my thing iff could,"
{insistence over sireiots objections of
hls own, liwyet, State Attorney Joseph
DA ed
inner in alt its chil
‘Alone point.
{The tela. was n élrcus, an ugly Roman - ~ -
~ A Wild Week For Rapists In Tacoma
Messandro played the taped confess © Sr 1 . *
inission to wit
Bas
ne
e-Citelis. On the second day, it Goode's
HOF homosexual ak
Pe, 2
(continued from page 39)
“4 tater it ‘Henning, an 18-year-old soldier who was
had raped and killed her. 11 had know
1 from Fort Lewis,
what was going on, | would have dfive
‘away und left them there."*
‘Ava preliminary hearing, Justice an
Mare were ordered held without priviteg
onus phoned Ne f
sc cand Were
VER.» a oped
RICA‘: saat i
tidn* comment
x
Ns wanted
Present all
sani the death
hati,
raaThe
DISCO
gr
sidered innocent ofall charges and st
: prea rients made against them und thelr gul
AME or innocence ean be established by af
Oi (rial, me
ssbb
— Aether Goode = (Sree St Ties FL }
4[s) 24 - Shane: Quote Ake in proses ——Canfscinse:
“hi brew 1 ith payee be ocean pectom
Ceqene = Lo fees ther bith pryer be
wht, to bose get of ony Gowns long” =
Ce specie )
* Le Conpid ox Miah. Competent fr t op tevin:
rams
Lin nol Competes by Cotwp ‘We one's
Comeytetele come - | Om anf ers whet |v
bs wy bape TY ~ *
Z
Held hus [act prea Penfevencet. id fhe
T
Camden deed af Beith pestis He
‘Shae lo) yee
dade he eal toda te) Cheer Sack
alana one on "ohne “2 the wnt —*
aL fared. Bhar bee. Bec lisse on
i) Le shufes fonp renkok —bewk Un lua) ppl es
eer Sars Cee leew Stele of grety
batter broceeti, coe slaw, we
L Ahead Col Monnte L Zz pts 4} mde
y zZ i S x LO prem é od Chee
feged Greyee - ee. at. he
Ceeluse ..- L world lie f invite som
aa On jez tea Cream
Beat “Gn Asurd Lit... Wel prc Seconopet he
Aims ane) Prot. a ae ee
canes : tenet Meg ae be Brazecs f bot ke ‘Hu
betde__yloxtert bins de Seed af [at
= _ ho bone bebe wt Cam no Lara gat tehohtet ...
whe
oe Che pecemads A} USSC fe Lhe bo te Sat vecny thet
Fin steel: weg. ~ tabheXs pile ang Ck, * =
Gorda fo FT * | lore prtbieity | Wout oh
1 ton get ~ — sft fad at.
¢ 77
id
‘don, Debits) 26 mannts badene vee'eneg Death...
t 7
Bs. tot) thaws: Lam gaidty § | wleact fo
7
- [oho R ans rs
T 7
putt - Duvins fr d : Conde saitieugeten
‘ J |
to dans Sk2 Tew, lap 2
Cig hen 9. wae * _[sfapr)
: 3las{a9 a ee
heh, oy ve hohtibet A &. AU we Can do
?
ty Bilicansel Wie Ae tl a an wg cn bull
Phasad. ont harem noth havea beds z
f
iz
aa
specs him * ae Seem on perth hy 4
Ceftde tof the bod decus «J Lt hi &
Cave 4. wk.
7
: whys e Grech cam “/ love Comes, Cru af Massed tao
- Bur befove hss Mawes, "82 Lrewheon wt, he ged:
“[E news ulutked to be ected. _
th Clays reler
PIES i 2/28/82
a ‘ a ,
pena a
+ eeade__wina___] cask __sstes Spee to ree vee _
: a press Cmbevenee — thet n/t spe —,
t Y ; : 7 7
prcmty ons. hovas vt { nd ( vidnet tgp en tines. sit
caffe
a white pethen got POV. Yoon 6 Sao _§ oe
ies Pow #4 ‘83 “Gye pare _& bored Haas he
a clewte = Bar A G. fe aK Cmte feat Creator -
He bie) 0 He bog 2 ke hts Ja_fer thet
a ,
nee NEC Bie pomeesed ith Cdn.
ott fold fe gaie
ar a
b__the ESCs Lube os
R
a quale: 3/83 Sagoo AEG.
pret. qeKs Hfipoie C4 Covyets 4) bthus
weet ovane mh lect S oeavc "s+
Aso _hartagaos Ww Cee.
|
a a a
: (2) is 97 = Prviscam Conforms wis Coprer ing AFEs med...
x
AL bel aftefa7r, APE herve fo __hetd 0
Paras tried to
awd a 7
Stas ea ¢ 1 wank fo yoreve fe
sattiey boda hem oon’ whe, poco ib. * —
i
becdom 57 Speech
S henaex : He hus te Vapae tafe fe £
a y WA G7 ¢
AS. LarpA_ FPL ale “
f
_ AEE = orssni dD biks atts mm aves hona, weetrerees “
Slane ---
Se
Lové picketed He Rowen Coty Cthevae 3fi/e%
4 fee Goade 2 trtrin Wao Stay, )...
le pre Curtin Sos é pasard pr bibeca _
se
She Mee fF Elue Petrisle Geant 57 Lo. txec'd
iled, post five 2 on sendy
OTS, irthnr srederick
sr
[recess “sblateha,
March 5, 1976
gason Steele Jertow
Sexual assault (
om_oricinal appeal Teoort: "Gn the morn: of 3-8-1976, a W-year-old ch:
. toast
th other ¢
ed them and beqan a conv-rsation, Jefe!
iidren near Bis hone, a youns en, idertifie
anit oventualiy left
vuSESstop Sith vason and walked into 2 wooded Area
n school, xt day Jasonts nude Bad bez sen body, 2
M shen Jasort Talled CO FAtur
inast concealed under w:
7
‘ron a mental hospitale as,
he
pou; pe and killed Sug Se tn, Sefendant_sinitied tothe surriver
" ‘ "that he had rurdered Jason « He was tried in a aa convicted of murder, meceivine a life
“a 3 Sentence. Tsfendant save a_statenent in which he denanded his return to Floridz =o that he could
te convicted of Jason's murder and executed, Toon his return to Florida, defendark zave a full c
Zession ts the state attorney. it his trial he aga a_detailed confession 2nd expressed
aes nicted and
executed, r $0 the trial dePendant was sepres@ntes EF FE
ned counsel, 4 motion suzgesting insanity was tied
| 0
heard by the court, Four osycniatrists
ied. ALL of then B aspeed that defendant su:
i
& Rental disorder, sap
mses (Dr, testifyin:
a
ts
Ba &
5
me Ol
Teorge, Parnardy
dere) exoifter this (s sanity)
3
ry
ed counsel and relieved hin ef all.
-Conrh arrointed couse! in turd
ther masonic except to fully advise and assist
wer the eviderc, i information , th
else that would be of assistance to the court appoin
ged and gtétee tt i 18d vent
ith hin voluntarily. He stated, ¢
2 victin for the fun of it, so to speak?
o feeling of venorse toward the vietine: :
ely proud
"also I had
2csol
oxkes of defense and
ited counseleseoThe defendant also tes-
ity to such chazzes,
parole on a fi
sy 3 n oode hiatric history dati>
- i fe had & z Mental i
a snit everal times, t+ 12 he had bean th
Y % S: age of “ur he had been molesting younrer boys.
flass,' after taking into a sech ded poaden
2
he First in he was hospi a
e after he had Deen caught in his roar
was violence prone, anti-social and had a predéliction Zor pedophilia and sadzens
ital he nad sexually ulted otner Satibnts several tines,” ad esea] TSH NOspitarl on
sorusry 10, 1975, arriving MIKEY OOY at Fort Yyers 7 Flasy on Fi After netmrn to
Seyyband mg Verbow murder, had ahductrti atsysar= Soy nr Heyes
ae ;, #ith him until zerest. Had then, on Zarch 20, abaucted 4 Meyear-ol8 Kenneth Alle= Daxson from
7 : churehy—asy sap 7 dered-hint rey
nessed the rape ord killing,
so been raped and Strancled (Goode led DORE
of first dezree murder ir
% 365 SBUTHERN (2) 381; KERRE Cert, den, 99 SUPREME COURT 2h19; 03 SOUTHERN (2) 931,
Re:
II.-
LIE.
CASE- BRIEF
Goode, Arthur F., III, Doc# 058781
DOB: 3-28-54
LEGAL DATA:
375-76 ~ Jason Verdow, an 8-year-old schoolboy, wes lured
from a school bus stop into the woods near his house, was
repeatedly sexually abused, and strangled.to death.
3-6-76 - About 8:00 a.m,, victim's body was discovered in the
woods,
10-10-76 - Arthur Goode gave a taped confession of this offense.
10-11-76 - Grand Jury, Lee County, indicted subject for Murder
in the First Degree,
3-15-77 - Trial by jury commenced in the Circuit Court, Lee
County, before the Honorable John H. Shearer, Jr. Stave repre-
sented by Joseph P. D'Alessandro, State Attorney, and Darryl
Casanueva, Assistant State Attorney. Defense represented by
Joseph A. Simpson and Robert K, Good, Assistance Public Defenders,
3-17-79 -- Jury returned verdict.of guilty of Murder in the Pirst
Degree, . .
3-17-79 - Court adjudged. subject guilty of Murder in the First
Degree.
3718079 ~ Jury advised and recommended that the death penalty
be imposed, :
3-22-79 ~ Court imposed the death penalty.
CIRCUMSTANCES OF OFFENSE:
On 3-5-70, just before 8:00 a.m., 2 group of children were
waiting for their school bus near their house, Subject
approched the group and asked each child his or her name. He
then lured Jason Verdow, 8 years old, into the woods. The
other children got on the school bus when it arrived and did not
report the incident,
Once in the woods, subject forced the child to disrobe, after
which he was repeatedly abused sexually, Finally subject
strangled him to death,
The trial transcript is not clear under what circumstances sub-
ject was taken into custody,
At his trial, the Court allowed him to assist in his defense.
Over the strenuous objections of his counsel, subject took the
stand and gave a detailed report of how he lured the child into
the woods, abused him and killed him, then hid the body ina
palmetto patch.
CODEFENDANTS:
None
i
1
|
Goode
By FRANK DAVIES
Herald Stcfj Wrizer
Arthur Goode relished his role as
-every pareni’s worst nightmare —
_ from the first day of his trial to-the
last day of his life. =
On the eve of his execution, the
murderous child molester again
demonstrated his ability to provoke
porters he was proud he had tor-
tured and killed two young boys.
His performance should have sur-
prised no one who witnessed h
trial in March 1977. For four day:
Goode turned a staid Fort Myers
courtroom into shock theater, after
Lee County Circuit Judge John
Shearer allowed the then-23-year-
outrage and disgust, as he told re- old former mental patient to stage
| Victim’s father forgives
son’s doomed murderer _
SONNIER /From 1A ue a
said, “I feel fine. I’m just a witness.” :
‘The fathers stood with their arms’ crossed, remaining
expressionless during the execution, which took about one min-
ute. 7 lie oe = . eaten -
~ “Mir: LeBlanc, I can understand the way you feel,” Sonnier
said in his final statement in the death chamber. “I have no ha-
tred in my heart. As I leave this world, I ask God to forgive my
brother for what he has done, and me for what I have done. I ask
to have your forgiveness.” 7 -
LeBlanc nodded and said, “Yes.”
a Bourque made no comment. -
‘As Sonnier was strapped into the electric chair at 12:03
am., he looked at Sister Helen Prejean, his spiritual adviser and
a witness, and said, “I love you.” She responded, “I love you, |
too.” ce : ee :
A white puff of smoke rose in the death chamber as one of a
series of electrical shocks shook Sonnier and an electrode on his
jeft leg caused a large blister..He was pronounced dead at 12:15
am. yee . Tee, :
“Sonnier and his younger brother, Eddie, then 17, abducted
the teenagers, drove them to a remote area, raped Bourque while
her fiance was handcuffed to a tree and then shot the teenagers,
investigators said: ~~: A ae 2 “e
. Elmo was convicted of. shooting the victims and was sen-° ;
tenced to die. Eddie was given a life prison sentence. Defense at--
- torney William Quigley asked for a stay. based on Eddie Sonni
er’s claim that he pulled the trigger... 2 - * . gieetst
A state district judge, a federal district judge and the Louisi-
ana Supreme Court rejected the argument Wednesday as did the
5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals/in-New. Orleans and the Su-
preme Court. Gov. Edwin Edwards declined to intervene. i
Sonnier, who was served steak for his final meal, spent the
day “in pretty good spirits” and seemed “resigned to the fact” he
was going to die, said Warden Ross Maggio. i:
Tt was the state’s third execution in four months. Louisiana
electrocuted Robert Wayne Williams in December and Johnny ©
Taylor Jr. Feb. 29. -~ a - :
‘A second execution took place shortly after 7 a.m. in.
. Starke. Fla.. where Arthur Frederick Goode Ill was electrocuted
enjoyed his role ot fiend :
his own defense with the advice of
an appointed attorney.
at the courtroom,
a chiatrists
about his sanity. ¢esc
detail how he killed nine-year-old
Jason VerDow and mused about
how he wanted to experiment with
cannibalism. After his fe
i
|
1
H
he begged for his own execution
aad sternly ‘lectured the jurors
about their responsibility to protect |
their children “from’ cold-blooded J
maurderers like me.” &
- in Lee County, acknowledged at the}
trial that he received
“a great dealt
of scorn from my brothers on the!
bengn and the bar” for allowing |
Goote to conduct HIS own defense.!
Shearer told the jurors that the Case:
“possibly demanded more from you ;
than from any jury to date.” _ {
‘After the triel, two jurors said!
they had felt physically ill during
Goode’s summation. One day after)
convicting Goode, the jurors took}
20 minutes to recommend the death |
penalty. ~ i
Sentencing the- murderer to;
death, Shearer said: “We can no:
longer help or rehabilitate. Arthur”
Goode. All we can do is extinguish!
him. He will never again Kill, maim:
‘or harm another human being.” 3
The focal point of the trial was
the legal and psychiatric battle over
Goode'’s sanity. At one bench con-
ference, Shearer told him, “I don’t
have the intelligence to tell you”
what makes you tick — I just:
don’t” - i!
A battery of psychiatrists and
lawyers tried. While Goode urged.
that he was sane and should be put:
to death, his appointed attorneyi
used an insanity defense and plead-
ed for life: “He's a little man who's;
trying to be self-important, and}
that’s why he’s trying to shock you.
Three psychiatrists testified that
Goode knew right from wrong at
the time of the crime — and that
finding has beea upheld by several
courts — but they disagreed about
the meaning and . sincerity of!
In Copyright