Murder Suspect Appears in Court, Dealt with Legal Troubles Before

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- A suspect who has been charged with first degree murder made his first appearance in court Friday morning.

Lawrence Goodine made a brief appearance in the Hamilton County Courthouse 

He is charged with first degree murder, Aggravated Kidnapping, and Tampering with Evidence in the death of a 48 year old woman on Carr Street.

Chattanooga Police had found her unconscious, and she was later pronounced dead on the scene.

An affidavit we obtained from the Hamilton County Courthouse says that Goodine had told investigators he had taken the victim to a gas station, and then home.

Goodine had mentioned according to the affidavit that there was an active order of protection against him in relation to the victim.

He later stated that later that night, he found her unconscious and called 911.

He told the investigators according to the affidavit that he believed she had overdosed on narcotics.

However, an autopsy by the Hamilton County Medical Examiner’s Office according to police found that the victim had died by strangulation, and her death was ruled a homicide.

Additionally, the Medical examiner in the affidavit says they did not find any narcotics in the victim during the autopsy.

This led to the arrest of Goodine in Cumberland County, Tennessee.

The prosecution in this case said they were ready for a preliminary hearing.

However, the defense said they needed more time.

Defense attorney Gerald Webb said, “This is a first degree murder charge. I need to have to pour over the information I have  and have a through discussion with Mr. Goodine as it relates to representation”

This is far from the first time Goodine has found himself in legal hot water.

According to our archives, Goodine was tried in a criminal case in 2008 after accusations that he had abused his role as a Chattanooga Police Officer surfaced.

Numerous complaints were levied that he had used traffic stops to shake down people he arrested.

During Goodine’s trial, one complainant, Homer Buchanan, had testified, “He took me into a police car, and pulled off, and then he searched me.”

An attorney asked, “Did he take anything out of your pockets?”

Buchanan responded, “My money, my keys, my cell phone.”

Goodine had been charged with official oppression, theft, extortion and aggravated perjury charges.  

He was acquitted of those charges in 2008, a ruling not everyone agreed with at the time.

The prosecutor in that case, former Hamilton County District Attorney, Neil Pinkston, said, “The state felt they presented a clear case of the actions of Mr. Goodine as he was a Chattanooga Police (officer) based on an excellent, through, and objective investigation by the intelligence division.”

Jurors at the time disagreed.

One juror, Judy Reynolds, said, “They had a very weak case.”

Another juror, said, “They didn’t prove it.”

Reynolds said, “No they didn’t prove it, though we know it should’ve been a different verdict.”

Goodine afterwards was denied reinstatement as a Chattanooga Police Officer by then Chief Freeman Cooper.

He then unsuccessfully sued the department to be allowed back onto the force.

Goodine was ruled ineligible for a bond at this time.

His preliminary hearing was scheduled for next month.