Prosecutors: Man accused of killing 4 in SGF motel room will not face death penalty

Prosecutors say they will not seek the death penalty for the man accused of murdering four people in a north Springfield motel room last year, in part to get a faster resolution to the case.

At a court appearance Monday, prosecutors announced that life in prison would be the most serious punishment if they secure a conviction against Scott Goodwin-Bey.

Goodwin-Bey, 48, is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and four counts of armed criminal action after police say he shot four people to death inside a room at the Economy Inn on North Glenstone Avenue in November 2014. The motive, according to investigators, is that Goodwin-Bey believed the victims were informing police about his drug activity.

Greene County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Todd Myers said not seeking the death penalty keeps the case on track for trial in March.

In Missouri, there are 17 "aggravating circumstances" that if present can push a murder case to the level where the death penalty could apply.

Several of those circumstances appear to apply to this case, based on the charging documents, like whether the murder was committed "for the purpose of concealing or attempting to conceal any felony offense," or if the defendant "by his act of murder in the first degree knowingly created a great risk of death to more than one person" or if "the murder was committed for the purpose of causing or attempting to cause a person to refrain from initiating or aiding in the prosecution of a felony."

Another factor prosecutors consider in a potential death penalty case is whether the defendant has a criminal record. Goodwin-Bey has prior convictions for drug possession, unlawful use of a weapon, resisting arrest and conspiracy to distribute cocaine.

Myers acknowledged some of the aggravating circumstances would apply in this case, but he added there are some case-specific factors that led him away from asking for the death penalty.

"Just because a statutory aggravator applies does not end the analysis," Myers said. "You also have to consider the other factors that are specific to that case and to the overall goal of the prosecution."

There are also several factors in the Missouri statute that can push a case away from the death penalty. One of those mitigating circumstances is that the crime was committed "while the defendant was under the influence of extreme mental or emotional disturbance."

Myers said the defense can also bring up some "non-statutory mitigators" if prosecutors seek the death penalty.

"The mental health or state of a defendant always comes into play in that portion of a death penalty case," Myers said. "I would expect in any death penalty case, including this one, that would become an issue if the state sought the death penalty."

The court documents used to charge Goodwin-Bey describe some strange behavior after the killings.

Court documents say a couple weeks after the killings Goodwin-Bey went to a west Springfield convenience store acting strange and erratic. He allegedly handed one of the employees the handgun used in the killings, possibly in an attempt to exchange the gun for gas.

Goodwin-Bey allegedly asked for the gun back. The employee refused to return the gun and contacted police. Goodwin-Bey was quickly arrested in the area.

Goodwin-Bey has another court appearance scheduled for January. His trial is set to begin March 7.

The Greene County Prosecuting Attorney's Office is pursuing the death penalty in two ongoing cases — the case against Craig Wood and the case against Diane Staudte.

Wood, 47, is accused of kidnapping and killing 10-year-old Hailey Owens in February 2014.

Staudte is accused of poisoning family members with antifreeze, leading to the deaths of her husband and adult son.

When asked by the News-Leader why the Goodwin-Bey case — which involves more victims than the other two cases — did not warrant the death penalty, Myers said the prosecutor's office makes death penalty decisions by looking at a number of factors in each case.

"In making that decision on whether or not to seek the death penalty, there are more factors than just the number of victims involved," Myers said.

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