Press Release  Salem Mother Pleads Guilty to Trying to Kill Her Children

Salem, Massachusetts — Tanicia Goodwin, 27, of Salem pleaded guilty today in Salem Superior Court to trying to kill her children and setting her apartment at 12 Pope Street on fire.  Judge James F. Lang sentenced her to 20 to 25 years in state prison followed by 5 years of probation.  The sentence was jointly recommended to the Judge by the Commonwealth and the Defense.  Specifically, Goodwin pleaded guilty to 2 counts of armed assault with intent to murder, arson, 2 counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon on a child under 14, and 2 counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury.

Judge Lang also ordered that while on probation, Goodwin must undergo a mental health evaluation and seek whatever treatment is deemed necessary, remain drug and alcohol-free and submit to random screens and have no unsupervised contact with children under 18 years old.  The Judge also ordered her to stay away from and have no contact with the children or their parents effective immediately.

Had the case gone to trial, Essex Assistant District Attorneys Melissa Woodard and Kim Faitella would have introduced evidence that would have proven that on March 18, 2012, Goodwin slashed the throats of her 8-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter, doused them in lighter fluid and set the apartment on fire.  She also meticulously covered all of the sprinklers, smoke detectors and vents in the apartment and removed the door knob of the front door to prevent her son from exiting the apartment.  She took her daughter into another apartment, left her on a couch and left the building while Salem Firefighters were entering the building.  Both children were found by first responders and transported to Boston Children’s Hospital with life threatening injuries.

“The defendant’s sole job was to protect her children and keep them safe,” said ADA Woodard.  “Instead, in the ultimate betrayal, she perpetrated evil on the very people she was to protect.”

Goodwin’s son was adopted by her cousin, Wayne Cox and her daughter’s father, Joseph Galloway, has custody of her.  Both men reported in victim impact statements that while the children have healed physically, they still struggle emotionally with the trauma of the attacks.

“While there is no amount of prison time sufficient to punish this heinous crime, I commend ADAs Woodard and Faitella for finding an acceptable resolution for this case that spares the young victims the additional trauma of having to testify against their mother,” District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett said.  “I hope that with the love and care of their parents and this case now behind them, they can achieve some normalcy and healing.”

DA Blodgett and ADAs Woodard and Faitella spoke highly of the professionalism and bravery of the first responders to the Pope Street apartment fire and all those who assisted in the subsequent investigation.  Specifically, Salem Fire Lieutenants Richard Arno and Mike O’Donnell and Firefighter Randy Theriault; retired Salem Police Sgt. James Page, Det. Williams Jennings and Det. Charlene Sano; Peabody Police Chief Tom Griffin (formerly of Salem PD).  Essex Victim Witness Advocate Deborah Dunn was also part of the prosecution team.

The defendant was represented by Attorneys Denise Regan and Steven Van Dyke.

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