Ronald Goodwin
Ronald Goodwin has pled guilty to second-degree murder in the death of his 72-year-old mother.
On May 6th, 2012, paramedics found Jackie Goodwin lying lifeless on top of a pile of trash in her Cherry Road home. According to the Shelby County District Attorney General’s office (SCDAG), insects and feces covered her body. A large ulcer was on her back that penetrated to her spine.
The culprit behind Jackie’s death is her 56-year-old son, Ronald Goodwin. Instead of providing his elderly mother with proper care, Ronald reportedly neglected her and withdrew thousands of dollars from her bank account.
On the morning of May 6th, Ronald notified 911 dispatchers that his mother had become non-responsive, according to the SCDAG’s office. It was later determined by a medical examiner she had been dead for at least 18 hours when she was discovered. She died from dehydration and malnutrition.
The utilities at Jackie’s home were off, and there was no sign that her prescribed medications had ever been purchased.
Following his mom’s death, Ronald fled Memphis and was later apprehended by U.S. Marshals in Arkansas.
Today, Ronald was sentenced to 20 years in prison without parole for his mom’s death. He also pled guilty to two counts of theft of property over $1,000 for withdrawing thousands of dollars from her bank account for his personal use instead of using it for his mother’s care. He was given concurrent two-year sentences in those cases.