Solved case · 2008
Also known as killing of John Goosey and Stacy Barnett · John Goosey and Stacy Barnett's murder
The short answer
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.
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Suggest coverage for Murders of John Goosey and Stacy BarnettJohn 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.
John Goosey graduates from the University of Texas at Austin with bachelor's degrees in History and English.
Stacy Barnett graduates from the University of Texas at Austin with a bachelor's degree in architecture.
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.
Police search Thompson's house, find marijuana, arrest him, and he is charged with two counts of capital murder.
A private vigil and viewing of the victims is held at George H. Lewis & Sons Funeral Home in Houston.
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.
Thompson pleads guilty to killing Barnett and Goosey as part of a plea deal, receiving two concurrent life sentences.
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.
Victims first. Every legal label is set from public records and court outcomes, not from the prose.
21-year-old University of Texas at Austin graduate shot to death in Barnett's apartment on July 21, 2009.[3]
22-year-old University of Texas at Austin graduate shot to death in her own apartment on July 21, 2009.[3]
Pleaded guilty to murdering both Goosey and Barnett; received two concurrent life sentences with parole eligibility in 2039.[3]
Accomplice who served as getaway driver and designed a homemade silencer; pleaded guilty to murder and received a 35-year sentence.[3]
Accomplice who helped plot the crime; pleaded guilty to murder and received two concurrent 50-year sentences.[3]
From the record
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