In a significant legal conclusion, Michelina Desiree Goodwin, aged 46, from Great Mills, Maryland, has been sentenced to the maximum allowable 61 years in prison for a heinous crime involving the murder and dismemberment of a 50-year-old man in December 2022. The sentence was announced by State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling today.
Following an intense eight-day trial that concluded in March 2024, a jury in St. Mary’s County found Goodwin guilty of second-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and unauthorized disposal of a body. The trial exposed chilling details of the crime, where Goodwin fatally shot the victim in the back before dismembering his body and scattering the remains across multiple counties.
“The Defendant’s heinous act of shooting the victim in the back pales in comparison to the gruesome details following the murder,” stated State’s Attorney Sterling in her remarks on the sentencing. She expressed hope that the sentencing would bring peace, justice, and closure to the family of the deceased, who had been traumatized by the brutal actions of the accused.
The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant State’s Attorneys Donna C. Pettersen and Jeffrey R. Maylor, representing the citizens of St. Mary’s County. Their efforts were supported by diligent investigation led by Sergeant Roger Schwarb of the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit and Trooper First Class Evan Ruggles of the Maryland State Police Criminal Enforcement Division.
Presiding over the case was the Honorable Terrence J. McGann, who delivered the final judgment that sealed Goodwin’s fate, marking a poignant end to a disturbing case that shocked the local community.
The sentencing serves as a grim reminder of the severe consequences of violent crimes and the justice system’s commitment to ensuring that perpetrators face the full extent of the law.
