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Murders of John Goosey and Stacy Barnett

SOLVED2008Preservation Square condominiums, 904 W. 21st Street, West Campus, Austin, Texas3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Stacy Barnett (left) and John Goosey (right), both victims
Stacy Barnett (left) and John Goosey (right), both victims — Credit: editorial-use

John Forest "Johnny" Goosey, 21, and Stacy Marie Barnett, 22, were both raised in West University Place, Texas, and had recently graduated from the University of Texas at Austin. Goosey earned bachelor's degrees in History and English in December 2008 and planned to attend law school, while Barnett earned a bachelor's degree in architecture in May 2009. The couple had been dating for two years, planned to marry, and Goosey had been living with Barnett at her West Campus apartment since summer 2008.

According to the Austin Police Department, Goosey worked as a mid-level marijuana distributor and had a business relationship with James Richard "Ricky" Thompson Jr. for at least three years. Police stated in July 2009 that they did not believe Barnett was aware of her boyfriend's drug dealing or that she used marijuana herself. The couple's landlord said he had previously warned Barnett about the dangers of her boyfriend's lifestyle after smelling marijuana in the apartment.

On the morning of July 21, 2009, Thompson arrived at Barnett's second-floor apartment in the Preservation Square condominiums at 904 W. 21st Street at 9:50 a.m. Police said Thompson shot Goosey multiple times in the head, then went upstairs and shot Barnett twice in the head, including the face. A police affidavit indicated that all three perpetrators had agreed Barnett would be killed if present because she knew who Thompson was. After the killings, Thompson retrieved his shell casings and smashed the victims' cell phones to prevent police from tracing a call he had placed to Goosey. He was picked up by a getaway driver, identified by police as Roy M. Renick, at 10:12 a.m. Police said the group had rearranged furniture in Thompson's apartment to resemble Barnett's apartment in preparation, and Renick had designed a homemade silencer used in the shootings. There were no signs of forced entry.

Police received anonymous tips that corroborated evidence, and on the Friday after the killings searched Thompson's house, found marijuana, and arrested him. Thompson admitted involvement in the murders during police interviews and was charged on July 25, 2009, with two counts of capital murder.

In August 2010, Thompson pleaded guilty to killing Barnett and, as part of a plea deal requiring his cooperation and testimony against his accomplices, also pleaded guilty to killing Goosey. He received two concurrent life sentences and will be eligible for parole in 2039. Renick and Gifford were also charged with capital murder; on April 8, 2011, both pleaded guilty to murder. Renick, then 22, received a 35-year sentence, and Gifford, then 20, received two concurrent 50-year sentences. Prosecutor Steven Brand said Renick's shorter sentence reflected information he provided to police and prosecutors.

The victims were buried together at Glenwood Cemetery in Houston following a private viewing and a joint funeral at St. Vincent de Paul Roman Catholic Church in Houston. The case drew media attention to the marijuana trade among young, college-educated people, with commentators noting the unusual socioeconomic profile of those involved.

Key facts

Victims
John Forest "Johnny" Goosey, Stacy Marie Barnett
Date
2008
Location
Preservation Square condominiums, 904 W. 21st Street, West Campus, Austin, Texas
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 2008-12

    John Goosey graduates from the University of Texas at Austin with bachelor's degrees in History and English.

  2. 2009-05

    Stacy Barnett graduates from the University of Texas at Austin with a bachelor's degree in architecture.

  3. 2009-07-21

    Thompson arrives at Barnett's apartment at 9:50 a.m., shoots Goosey and Barnett to death, and is picked up by a getaway driver at 10:12 a.m.

  4. 2009-07-25

    Police search Thompson's house, find marijuana, arrest him, and he is charged with two counts of capital murder.

  5. 2009-07-26

    A private vigil and viewing of the victims is held at George H. Lewis & Sons Funeral Home in Houston.

  6. 2009-07-27

    A joint funeral for Barnett and Goosey is held at St. Vincent de Paul Roman Catholic Church in Houston; the couple is buried together at Glenwood Cemetery.

  7. 2010-08

    Thompson pleads guilty to killing Barnett and Goosey as part of a plea deal, receiving two concurrent life sentences.

  8. 2011-04-08

    Roy M. Renick and Samuel Hadden Gifford both plead guilty to murder; Renick receives a 35-year sentence and Gifford receives two concurrent 50-year sentences.

Best coverage

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People

  • Roy M. Renick

    CONVICTED

    Accomplice who served as getaway driver and designed a homemade silencer; pleaded guilty to murder and received a 35-year sentence.

  • James Richard "Ricky" Thompson Jr.

    CONVICTED

    Pleaded guilty to murdering both Goosey and Barnett; received two concurrent life sentences with parole eligibility in 2039.

  • John Forest "Johnny" Goosey

    VICTIM

    21-year-old University of Texas at Austin graduate shot to death in Barnett's apartment on July 21, 2009.

  • Samuel Hadden Gifford

    CONVICTED

    Accomplice who helped plot the crime; pleaded guilty to murder and received two concurrent 50-year sentences.

  • Stacy Marie Barnett

    VICTIM

    22-year-old University of Texas at Austin graduate shot to death in her own apartment on July 21, 2009.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Archival records

  • Stacy Barnett (left) and John Goosey (right), both victims

    portrait victim

    Stacy Barnett (left) and John Goosey (right), both victims

    Credit: editorial-use · Source

Places

Preservation Square condominiums, 904 W. 21st Street, West Campus, Austin, Texas

30.2849, -97.7472

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
John Goosey and Stacy Barnett, two recent University of Texas at Austin graduates, were shot to death in Barnett's West Campus apartment on July 21, 2009. Investigators concluded the killings stemmed from a drug-deal debt; James Richard "Ricky" Thompson Jr. and two accomplices, Roy M. Renick and Samuel Hadden Gifford, all pleaded guilty to murder.
Where did the murders happen?
Preservation Square condominiums, 904 W. 21st Street, West Campus, Austin, Texas.
Who was convicted?
Roy M. Renick (Accomplice who served as getaway driver and designed a homemade silencer; pleaded guilty to murder and received a 35-year sentence.), James Richard "Ricky" Thompson Jr. (Pleaded guilty to murdering both Goosey and Barnett; received two concurrent life sentences with parole eligibility in 2039.), and Samuel Hadden Gifford (Accomplice who helped plot the crime; pleaded guilty to murder and received two concurrent 50-year sentences.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved. Last verified July 2026.
More cases in Texas

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICMurders of John Goosey and Stacy BarnettWikipedia · 2026-07-05
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — chron.comchron.com · 2026-07-05
  3. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — austinchronicle.comaustinchronicle.com · 2026-07-05

Record history

First published
JUL 05, 2026
Last verified against sources
JUL 05, 2026