by Christopher Zoukis

A retired police officer from Hercules, California has been sentenced to 28 years in prison for attempting to murder his estranged wife in a 2015 drive-by shooting.

John Goodner was accused of stalking and harassing his estranged wife for months leading up to his attempt to murder her. Goodner had been following the victim and even secretly used a homemade tracking device to monitor her car. When she sought a restraining order, Goodner allegedly threatened, “I’ll kill you first.”A retired police officer from Hercules, California has been sentenced to 28 years in prison for attempting to murder his estranged wife in a 2015 drive-by shooting.

He did his best to make good on his threat. Video cameras captured him driving by the victim’s home just days later and firing several shots into her bedroom wall as she slept. When police showed up at Goodner’s residence, they noticed that his truck was still warm and arrested him for attempted murder.

Goodner faced a minimum of 25 years and a maximum of 30 years for the conviction. Prosecutor Chris Sansoe was satisfied with the verdict and sentence, saying “I am pleased because this sentence re-enforces the position that no one is above the law.” He will have to serve at least 85% of his sentence before he is eligible for release for good behavior.

Dick Manoukian, Goodner’s defense attorney, said that the State hadn’t proved the crime and that his client would appeal.

“While a lot of his conduct was inexcusable, I do not believe the evidence supported that he ever had an intent to kill or harm her,” said Manoukian. “That’s the part that’s most troubling; I think when you take the emotion out of it, I think when you take the fact that he’s a former police officer out of it and look objectively, I do not believe the evidence supports the conclusion that the only possible intent he had was to kill.” 

Source: www.eastbaytimes.com

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