Remembering Joyce Louise Goode

 

A Violent, Vicious Attack

Nine-year-old Joyce Louise Goode was a bright, friendly and outgoing little girl. Louise, as her friends and family knew her, could not have been happier on June 25, 1980. She had just arrived in Ohio from her home in West Virginia to visit her big brother, Earrie; his wife, Rose; and their new baby, Noel. Louise loved to spend time with Earrie and Rose and was especially excited to help with the new baby.

That night, the children had fallen asleep and Earrie and Rose decided to go to bed shortly after 11:30 PM. Louise, who was sleeping on the couch, heard a knock at the door a few hours later. Half asleep, little Louise went to the door and a man asked her to open it. Likely thinking it was Earrie, she opened the door. A strange man then attacked her. He stabbed Louise six times in the chest and left her lifeless body on the couch.

The assailant then went to the bedroom where Rose and Earrie were sleeping. He awakened Rose with a kiss to the shoulder and whispered, “I killed her.” Upon hearing the strange man’s voice, Rose awoke startled and scared. The man was gone. Rose immediately went to check on the children. When she turned on the hallway light, the man emerged from the baby’s room and began stabbing Rose. A struggle ensued and the intruder stabbed Rose in the left arm, shoulder and leg. He also severed her ear. Earrie awoke after hearing Rose’s screams and immediately ran to help her. Earrie pulled the intruder off Rose and the two men started fighting.

Rose knew she had to get help. She went to the front room and saw Louise on the couch. Louise’s halter-top was pulled up around her neck. A frantic Rose tried to wake Louise and then saw the six stab wounds in Louise’s exposed chest. She knew Louise was dead. Although she was bleeding profusely, Rose somehow made it to the neighbor’s house and the neighbor called police. Police officers arrived at the scene, however the intruder had fled. The officers found Louise dead on the couch. Earrie had four non-life threatening stab wounds to his back. The baby was not harmed. A seriously injured Rose was rushed to the hospital.

A Suspect Identified and Arrested

Rose and Earrie immediately identified the intruder as Jonathan Victor Anders. Rose had met Anders two years earlier while she was at the mailbox with Earrie’s 15-year-old sister, Janie, who was visiting from West Virginia. Anders, who was 17, had a crush on Janie and had come over to the home a few times to play cards with Rose, Earrie and Janie. Anders told Earrie he wanted to date Janie, however Earrie told him no because she was too young. Janie went back to West Virginia a few weeks later, and the family never saw Anders again until that horrible night.

Police found Anders at his friend’s house. When police arrived, before they could say anything, Anders denied doing anything wrong. Police learned that Anders had been told that one of the Goode sisters was in town. He immediately thought it was Janie. Anders then took a steak knife from his girlfriend’s house and went to the Goode home. After convincing Louise to open the door, he killed her and attempted to kill Rose. When police asked Anders why he killed Louise, he stated because he “felt like it.”

After attacking the Goode family, Anders went to his friend’s house and told them someone had been murdered. His shorts and shoes were covered in blood. He put his bloody shorts in a bag and put on long pants. He then asked his friends for some pepper, which he put all over his feet so dogs could not track his scent. Anders attempted to convince his friends to lie and say he was with them at the time of the murder.

A Child Killer Gets Life

The coroner determined that Louise died as a result of six stab wounds that were done with incredible force. The wounds went through her body and damaged her heart, aorta, pulmonary vein and liver. She had massive internal bleeding. Investigators were unable to determine why Anders lifted up Louise’s halter-top. It is believed this may have been the result of Anders attempting to sexually assault Louise before he killed her. Rose survived the attack, however she suffered many injuries and needed 350 stitches to her ear alone. Louise left behind two loving parents and seven brothers and sisters.

Anders was charged with the murder of Louise Goode and the attempted murder of Rose Goode. Anders refused to talk after his confession, however based on the eyewitness testimony of Rose and Earrie and the overwhelming evidence, it took the jury one day to find Anders guilty as charged. He was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for killing nine-year-old Louise, plus 7-25 years for attempting to kill Rose. He escaped the death penalty due to the fact it had been ruled unconstitutional a few years earlier and it was not an option at the time of sentencing. Not one time during the trial did Anders show any remorse or take responsibility for his actions.