- Suspect: Thomas Goodridge, 72
- Victim: Anna Goodridge, 76
- Charges: First-degree murder
- Status: Sentenced after no contest plea to second-degree murder; sentenced capped at 8 years
- Sentence: 8 years
- Date of incident: April 22, 2017
- Investigative agency: Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office
- Location: 5 Alexi Place, Placitas
- Relation to victim: Husband
- Magistrate case number: M-45-FR-2017-00272
- District case number: D-1329-CR-201700168
- Plea/sentencing judge: Louis McDonald
Summary
On April 22, 2017, Thomas Goodridge, 72, allegedly listened to a voice in his head that told him to kill his wife, Anna Goodridge, 76, because they were both going to be attacked in their Placitas home.
He allegedly took a rock from the front of their house and bludgeoned her in the head while she slept. He then washed his hands, combed his hair, brushed his teeth and then called police to say what he had done.
He allegedly told Sandoval County Sheriff’s Deputies they had been married for 46 years and was diagnosed as being bi-polar and had been taking his medication, but he was overcome with a fear that they were going to be attacked and he wanted to spare his wife as much pain as he could. He was arrested on an open count of murder.
On May 4, 2017, he was indicted on a charge of first-degree murder and on May 2, 2019, he pleaded no contest to one count of second-degree murder. A plea deal capped his sentence at eight years, which he was sentenced to on July 30, 2019.
On July 30, 2019, District Court Judge Louis McDonald sentenced Thomas Goodridge, 74, to eight years in prison.
The incident
On April 22, 2017, Thomas Goodridge called 911 to allegedly say that he had killed his 76-year-old wife, Anna Goodridge.
Sandoval County Sheriff’s Deputy John Colvin and Sgt. Robert Marshal were first dispatched to the call, Sgt. Victor Rodriguez wrote in a statement of probable cause for Thomas Goodridge’s arrest.
“Upon arrival, Deputy Colvin detained Thomas Goodridge who had walked out of the residence,” Rodriguez wrote. “Thomas Goodridge made a statement about him murdering his wife, Anna Goodridge. Sergeant Marshal made entry into the residence. Inside the master bedroom, Sergeant Marshal located Anna Goodridge lying on the bed. Anna Goodridge had sustained severe trauma to her head and she was deceased.”
Next to the bed, Marshal saw a piece of rock splattered with blood. Colvin read Thomas Goodridge his Miranda rights, including his right to remain silent, and the latter agreed to talk.
“Thomas Goodridge told Deputy Colvin that he used a rock located near the front door of the residence,” Rodriguez wrote.
The rest of the rock was located at the front of the house, covered in blood, and matched the rock shard.
Rodriguez interviewed Thomas Goodridge a second time at the sheriff’s office.
“Thomas Goodridge informed us that he woke up around 1 a.m. fearing that he and his wife, Anna Goodridge were going to be attacked,” Rodriguez wrote. “Thomas Goodridge stated he and his wife, Anna Goodridge were asleep when he awoke. In the interview, Thomas Goodridge stated he had been hearing voices and he has been experiencing this fear of being attacked for months.”
Thomas Goodridge allegedly said he did not want his wife to suffer any pain.
“Thomas Goodridge stated, ‘I thought I would take her out of her misery, so that’s what I did,'” Rodriguez wrote.
He allegedly told the detectives he stopped hitting her with the rock when he thought she was head.
“Thomas Goodridge stated before he called the police he placed the rock back at the same location where he grabbed it,” Rodriguez wrote. “Thomas Goodridge stated while he waited for the Deputies to arrive on scene, he brushed his teeth and combed his hair.”
He said they had been married for 43 years and described his wife as “the best.” Although he is bi-polar, he allegedly told Rodriguez he had been taking his medication and when he went to bed, he felt normal.
“Thomas Goodridge stated the voices that he had been hearing told him, ‘That we both were going to be harmed, and if I did not want her to be harmed I would have to take her life,'” Rodriguez wrote. “Thomas Goodridge stated he has continued to hear these voices even though he is on medication and seeing a psychiatrist.”
He was charged on an open count of murder.
Although he claimed to be taking his medication, when deputies served a search warrant on his house, they found a “significant amount” of medication that was prescribed to Thomas Goodridge, but that it appeared he had not been taking, prosecutor Mathew Wadsworth wrote in a motion to have Thomas Goodridge held in jail until trial.
Below is the statement of probable cause Rodriguez wrote for Thomas Goodridge’s arrest.
Statement of Probable Cause for arrest of Thomas Goodridge
Plea and sentence
On July 30, 2019, District Court Judge Louis McDonald sentenced Thomas Goodridge, 74, to eight years in prison for killing his wife with a rock on April 22, 2017, according to court documents.
McDonald previously, on May 2, accepted a no contest plea from Goodridge that capped his maximum sentence at eight years and set a minimum of four years. That plea mandated that the rest of his sentence be suspended, in this case seven years, and he be placed on supervised probation for five years after he is released from prison. The judgement and sentence also states that he will be placed on parole for two years.
Second-degree murder carries a maximum sentence of 15 years and it is a serious violent offense which means he must serve 85 percent of his sentence before he can be released, compared to the 50 percent required for crimes that are not considered to be serious violent offenses.
According to the judgement, Goodridge received credit of 828 days for time served while he was in jail awaiting trial, just over two years.
See the case documents on Google Drive.
