Cassidy Goodson

Parties

Cassidy Goodson — 14-year-old girl; Lakeland teenager who strangled her newborn son to death Cassidy Goodson’s infant son (“Baby Goodson”) — newborn boy; 9.5-pound full-term infant Teresa Goodson — mother of Cassidy Goodson Donna Goodson — paternal grandmother of Cassidy Goodson Richard Goodson — grandfather of Cassidy Goodson Howardene Garrett — Cassidy Goodson’s defense lawyer Howardene Garrett — Assistant Public Defender (referred to as Cassidy Goodson’s lawyer) Grady Judd — Polk County Sheriff Jerry Hill — State Attorney Donald Jacobsen — judge Dr. Stephen Nelson — Polk County Medical Examiner Polk County Sheriff’s Office detectives — investigators who questioned Cassidy Goodson and recorded a re-enactment and confession

Timeline

• September 19 — Cassidy Goodson went into labor in a bathroom at her home, used a pair of scissors to pry the baby out, delivered the child alive into the toilet, and later choked the infant until he was no longer moving or breathing; she cleaned up the bathroom, bathed herself, and hid the infant in a shoebox with soiled towels and clothing.
• September 22 — Teresa Goodson found the dead infant and called authorities.
• Three days after September 19 — Teresa Goodson reported finding the baby after going into Cassidy Goodson’s bedroom to collect dirty laundry; she found the baby in a storage stool with a foul odor.
• November 18, 2012 — Cassidy Goodson described killing her newborn in a video re-enactment.
• December 19, 2012 — Judge Donald Jacobsen sentenced Cassidy Goodson to at least 18 months in a maximum security facility for juveniles.
• October 3, 2012 — Teresa Goodson said she and Cassidy Goodson did not know she was pregnant, and Cassidy Goodson’s paternal grandmother said Cassidy told the family she would have been different “If I knew I was pregnant, it would have been different.”
• October 4, 2013 — Cassidy Goodson was indicted as an adult on charges of first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse.

Background

Cassidy Goodson was a Lakeland teenager and a student with no criminal past. She hid her pregnancy from her parents by wearing baggy clothing and she later showed her mother fake pregnancy tests with negative results. Her family members had told her mother they thought the teen may be pregnant.

Cassidy Goodson started her freshman year at Kathleen High School in August. She spent the summer playing softball for a local league, regularly prepared dinner for the family, and attended church. Teresa Goodson said Cassidy had never been in any serious trouble. Donna Goodson said that something “had to have snapped.”

Cassidy Goodson weighed 100 lbs and was 5 feet, 3 inches tall, according to the arrest affidavit. Teresa Goodson said Cassidy weighed more than 100 pounds but was not sure exactly how much.

Teresa Goodson stated that she knew Cassidy menstruated and that “I washed out her clothes every week.” She said she had talked to Cassidy about sex but did not think Cassidy was sexually active. Teresa Goodson said she did not know how Cassidy would react when she delivered the child, stating: “She's a 14-year-old kid and she has a child's mind,” and “I washed out her clothes every week.”

Cassidy Goodson told detectives she concealed the pregnancy and killed her son because she was afraid her relationship with her parents would change.

The offence

Cassidy Goodson concealed her pregnancy and went into labor on September 19 in a bathroom at her home. Investigators said she used a pair of scissors to pry the baby out and delivered the child alive into the toilet. She lifted the moving infant from the toilet and felt for a pulse, finding one. She then placed her hands around the infant’s neck and squeezed until the infant was not moving or breathing any longer. She took the infant’s pulse again and found none.

Investigators added that Cassidy Goodson cleaned up the bathroom, bathed herself, and bathed the dead infant before placing him in a shoebox along with soiled towels and clothing.

An autopsy found the child was a full-term infant and was alive and breathing prior to death. The autopsy also found severe head injuries consistent with the child being struck repeatedly with scissors and signs of strangulation. Dr. Stephen Nelson noted there were severe head injuries consistent with the child being struck repeatedly with scissors as well as signs of strangulation.

The baby was described as a full-term, 9.5-pound boy. The indictment used the words “Baby Goodson” to describe him and did not identify him by any name.

Investigation and evidence

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office first investigated the case and recorded Cassidy Goodson’s re-enactment and confession. Florida prosecutors released evidence including footage of Goodson using a Santa Claus doll to show how she squeezed the life out of her son before hiding him in a shoebox.

Cassidy Goodson told investigators that she went into the bathroom and used a pair of scissors to pry the baby out. The affidavit stated:

“Cassidy stated she felt for a pulse, which was present, and observed the child move,”
“Cassidy advised she placed her hands around the neck of the child and choked it for approximately one minute, to stop the child from breathing.”

The affidavit stated that Cassidy cleaned herself and the baby’s body before hiding the body.

Investigators said Cassidy told her mother she miscarried and flushed the fetus down the toilet without looking. The miscarriage was reported to investigators for the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Department of Children & Families.

Teresa Goodson reported finding the baby after going into Cassidy Goodson’s bedroom to collect dirty laundry. She told investigators she noticed a foul odor coming from a storage stool and, inside, found a plastic bag with the baby stuffed underneath some wet clothing.

Cassidy Goodson described her concealment and fear-based motive in recorded video re-enactment material:

“Its eyes weren’t open but I felt to see if it was breathing or not, and (it was breathing) so I put my hands around its throat to make it stop breathing,”
“I wanted it to stop breathing so I wouldn't get in trouble,”

Cassidy said it took about one minute for her child's breath to cease.

Arrest and charging

Cassidy Goodson was arrested for first degree murder and aggravated child abuse. She was charged with murder and aggravated child abuse. Prosecutors had not decided whether she would be charged as an adult at the time of some reporting. The indictment later charged her as an adult.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office list included one count of aggravated child abuse. State Attorney Jerry Hill described first-degree murder charges as appropriate and said the decision to charge the girl as an adult was “fact driven,” and:

“I think the facts demand first-degree murder charges.”

Jerry Hill also said:

“Legally speaking, it's possible that it's a life case,”
“Practically speaking and what is the just thing to do, that will be determined as we learn more about it.”

A grand jury indicted the Lakeland girl on October 4, 2013 on charges of first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse. The indictment did not identify the baby by any name and used the words “Baby Goodson” to describe him.

Trial

Cassidy Goodson pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter. Prosecutors, the defense attorney, and the judge agreed that the plea deal avoided a murder conviction and sentencing.

Cassidy’s public defender declined to comment about the evidence to the Ledger. Howardene Garrett, Cassidy Goodson’s lawyer, did not want to comment for an article.

Sentencing

On December 19, 2012, Judge Donald Jacobsen said he was satisfied that Cassidy Goodson was unlikely to pose a threat to anyone else because she was a student with no criminal past. He stated that she was “immature” and sentenced Cassidy to at least 18 months in a maximum security facility for juveniles. The Hillsborough Girls Academy was identified as where she would most likely be placed.

Howardene Garrett, Cassidy’s defense lawyer, said:

“Everybody cared about a young girl who had never been in any trouble before in her life and has a tremendous amount of potential... and no one wanted to throw that potential away,”

Grady Judd, the Polk County Sheriff, agreed with reaching a plea deal but withheld comment on the length of the sentence. He stated:

“The murderer is 14, and so there has to be a penalty to pay. There has to be. But the challenge is to make sure that she's not back in the criminal justice system for something else, because there won't be another chance,”

The sentencing was described as 18 months for murdering her infant son.

If Cassidy completed her program without incident, she was to appear before the judge again in 18 months. At that time, she could be placed on probation and set free. If she violated the terms of her release, she could be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison as an adult.

Appeals

No appeal information appeared in the provided record.

Outcome

Cassidy Goodson was sentenced to at least 18 months in a maximum security facility for juveniles on December 19, 2012 after pleading guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter. The record also indicates she had been charged with first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse at earlier stages.

Aftermath and reactions

Cassidy’s grandfather, Richard Goodson, said he wanted to thank the community for its prayers and stated:

“She's a good girl,”
“She just made a terrible mistake.”

Teresa Goodson and Donna Goodson stated they tried to stay positive and avoid talking about the tragedy.

Cassidy Goodson’s mother stated:

“I know she had a period every month and she did not gain a lot of weight,”

Teresa Goodson said:

“Honestly, if I would have known, this would have never happened.”

Donna Goodson said Cassidy told her after the baby’s death:

“If I knew I was pregnant, it would have been different.”

Teresa Goodson said she did not know Cassidy was pregnant and stated: and:

Teresa Goodson reported that she and Cassidy had taken pregnancy tests and that “the tests gave no response,” according to the arrest affidavit. Teresa Goodson said she left Cassidy in the bathroom by herself to do the testing “because I trusted my daughter.”

Teresa Goodson stated that one of her sisters approached her and told her there were rumors Cassidy Goodson was pregnant.

Investigators said they continued trying to determine whether there was any criminal culpability involving Cassidy Goodson’s family or the baby’s father. Grady Judd said it appeared the baby’s father was a juvenile, meaning someone younger than 18. He said:

“Everything we have so far leads us to believe it was another child”

and:

“Judd said investigators continue trying to determine whether there is any criminal culpability involving Cassidy Goodson's family or the baby's father.”

Judd also said investigators had answered some questions but may never get definitive answers to other questions.

Other details

Cassidy Goodson’s grandmother, Donna Goodson, said the home’s teen bedroom had not been touched since Cassidy’s arrest. A change of clothes lay on top of the 14-year-old’s dresser next to bottles of the acne treatment Proactiv. Family photos, softball trophies, and a bottle of hair glitter line Cassidy’s small room.

Teresa Goodson stated she noticed a mess in the bathroom and took Cassidy to Lakeland Regional Medical Center that day after seeing the mess, while Cassidy claimed she miscarried.

A spokeswoman for the Medical Examiner's Office said the baby’s body was still at the Winter Haven facility while the family made arrangements for a funeral.

Cassidy Goodson told investigators she feared disappointing her parents and concealed her pregnancy by wearing baggy clothing. Police said Cassidy Goodson used scissors during labor to pry out the baby.