FILE 233 / 22 July 2021 / 164 MIN / full

A Messy Web Of Death

Hastings, MichiganListen

The town

N ↑Public placeTown centre (approximate places)
Static locations; no street basemap. Places and details. OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles Data from OpenStreetMap.

We're going to Hastings, Michigan; the murder happened in Hope Township, which is pretty much part of Hastings, and this is Barry County. about 0:05:22

History, in brief

1836

In 1836 three entrepreneurs bought 480 acres from a Detroit banker and called the settlement Hastings after him.

about 0:06:54

1865

A sash, door, blind and hardwood lumber company operated in Hastings from about 1865.

about 0:07:15

1878

Bentley Brothers and Wilkins arrived in 1878, making sash doors, blinds, hardwood lumber and agricultural tools.

about 0:07:24

Town note

Slocum H. Bunker built the first house devoted to entertainment, a boarding house for mill hands that also served drink.

about 0:09:29
All 5 history facts

1836

In 1836 three entrepreneurs bought 480 acres from a Detroit banker and called the settlement Hastings after him.

about 0:06:54

1865

A sash, door, blind and hardwood lumber company operated in Hastings from about 1865.

about 0:07:15

1878

Bentley Brothers and Wilkins arrived in 1878, making sash doors, blinds, hardwood lumber and agricultural tools.

about 0:07:24

Town note

Slocum H. Bunker built the first house devoted to entertainment, a boarding house for mill hands that also served drink.

about 0:09:29

1842

Levi Chase ran the first Hastings Tavern, a log building near the riverbank; he gave it up in 1842, retired and died there of spotted fever.

about 0:09:56

The figures, as told

Religious

23%

Biggest faith: Jewish residents, 0.0%

about 0:16:51

Who lives here

White 94% · Black 0.3% · Asian 2.1% · Hispanic 1.1%

Ethnicity can overlap race.

Crime / national average

Property crime
▼ about one third less than the national average

about 0:25:34

Violent crime
▼ about 25% under the national average

about 0:25:43

Money

Median home value$122,100
Two-bedroom rent$910 a month
Median household income$48,114
Cost of living83.5

For sale

$79,900

Eight and a half acres on a lake, listing price

about 0:19:26

For sale

$127,500

Two-bedroom, one-bath house, 816 square feet, listing price

about 0:19:56

For sale

$162,900

Four-bedroom, two-bath house, 1,586 square feet, listing price

about 0:20:20
All figures and comparisons, as told in 2021

Property crime

"about one third less than the national average"

Comparison: "national average". Direction: below.

As told in 2021 about 0:25:34

Violent crime

"about 25% under the national average"

Comparison: "national average". Direction: below.

As told in 2021 about 0:25:43

Population

"7,289"

No direction stated.

As told in 2021 about 0:15:15

Population change

"up 11%"

Comparison: "since 1990". Direction: above.

As told in 2021 about 0:15:22

Median age

"33 and a half"

Comparison: "about four years younger than normal". Direction: below.

As told in 2021 about 0:15:33

White residents

"94%"

No direction stated.

As told in 2021 about 0:16:28

Black residents

"0.3%"

No direction stated.

As told in 2021 about 0:16:28

Asian residents

"2.1%"

Comparison: "about half the usual". Direction: below.

As told in 2021 about 0:16:40

Hispanic residents

"1.1%"

No direction stated.

As told in 2021 about 0:16:40

Barry County Democrat vote

"33%"

Comparison: "last election". No direction stated.

As told in 2021 about 0:17:19

Barry County Republican vote

"65.3%"

Comparison: "last election". No direction stated.

As told in 2021 about 0:17:19

Barry County independent vote

"less than 2%"

Comparison: "last election". Direction: below.

As told in 2021 about 0:17:27

Residents who are religious

"23%"

Comparison: "less than half the average; normally 50-50 is the normal". Direction: below.

As told in 2021 about 0:16:51

Largest denomination

"other Christian"

No direction stated.

As told in 2021 about 0:17:00

Jewish residents

"0.0%"

No direction stated.

As told in 2021 about 0:17:15

Muslim residents

"0.0%"

No direction stated.

As told in 2021 about 0:17:15

Unemployment

"a little bit lower than the average"

Comparison: "the average". Direction: below.

As told in 2021 about 0:17:50

Manufacturing jobs

"about 25% of jobs"

No direction stated.

As told in 2021 about 0:17:55

Median household income

"$48,114"

Comparison: "national average about $57,500". No direction stated.

As told in 2021 about 0:18:08

Cost of living index

"83.5"

Comparison: "100 is average". Direction: below.

As told in 2021 about 0:18:08

Housing cost index

"53 out of 100"

No direction stated.

As told in 2021 about 0:18:30

Median home cost

"$122,100"

No direction stated.

As told in 2021 about 0:18:33

Average two-bedroom rent

"$910 a month"

No direction stated.

As told in 2021 about 0:19:03

Eight and a half acres on a lake, listing price

"$79,900"

No direction stated.

As told in 2021 about 0:19:26

Two-bedroom, one-bath house, 816 square feet, listing price

"$127,500"

No direction stated.

As told in 2021 about 0:19:56

Four-bedroom, two-bath house, 1,586 square feet, listing price

"$162,900"

No direction stated.

As told in 2021 about 0:20:20

The reviews

4.0 / 5 · average of 3

5 stars

“A small town where everyone knows everyone, with a few bars, a casino not far away, no clubs, live bands at the amphitheatre, festivals, farmers markets and several stores; the schools are not the greatest but are being remodelled.”
about 0:10:34

5 stars

“A beautiful if small Michigan town; the libraries are full of current and useful information, dog parks and playgrounds are plentiful and the people are so nice you cannot go anywhere without seeing someone you know.”
about 0:12:01

2 stars

“The reviewer grew up there and wishes they had not: little to do but drive around, asbestos in the elementary school, buildings falling apart, no internet access in a rural area, and Confederate flags all over town.”
about 0:12:54

In Michigan

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The story

They lived in a double-wide mobile home at Gurd Road in Hope Township, outside Hastings, Michigan, with their eight-year-old daughter. Ricky owned a glass company called Wholesale Glass in Paw Paw with three partners and played in bars as a popular local musician. Their shifts kept them apart, they argued about money and in early 1985 they had discussed divorce.

He had a cocaine habit, a history of petty crime and a habit of boasting that he was a hit man. Carol Strobel, his former girlfriend, later said that from early July 1985 he talked about a job worth $3,000, drove her past the Goddard house and said the man inside was going to be killed, explaining that Rich's girlfriend wanted a gold chain and ring taken from the body to make it look like a robbery. In September he told her the job had been postponed because the girlfriend wanted to increase the insurance. She moved out at the end of September.

Ricky lay face down between the living room and kitchen with a massive wound to the head. He had been shot from about five feet with a shotgun, the blast entering the left side and hitting the back of his head. The medical examiner said he died instantly and that the blood pattern showed the body had been moved before the police arrived.

Detective Ken Demont of the Barry County Sheriff's Department found no sign of forced entry. Missing were Ricky's wallet, a jewellery box, his wedding band and a gold necklace. Left behind were a mink coat, a payroll cheque, a bank bag holding $101, a television, a stereo, a VCR and a vase containing cash, which looked like a robbery done badly or in a hurry.

In February the investigation turned to the insurance and the telephone records.

In August 1986 a diver from South Haven found the shotgun in the river, with a shell marked as made in Hungary, matching a shell found at the Goddard home. He had been identified from a carnival card as Kimberley, and only later was his real name, Frederick Kuna, established.

The case kept turning.

The case

Murder of Ricky Goddard

Victims

Richard 'Ricky' Goddard (32). Owner of Wholesale Glass in Paw Paw and a popular local musician; married to and father of an eight-year-old daughter

Accused and outcomes

As told in the episode, on 22 July 2021.

Accused

Accused

Accused

Accused

Accused

Outcome

Other people

Carol Strobel. ex-girlfriend and the Silent Observer witness who testified against him
Kim Baldwin. 21-year-old who lived at home and testified about his offer of money
Shaina Schaeff. young woman who lived at home and testified he asked if she wanted to make big money by pulling the trigger
Irene Cook. Kellogg's employee who saw crying after a pay phone call
Kim Piece. 15-year-old babysitter who lived with the Goddards
Detective Ken Demont. Barry County Sheriff's Department detective who led the investigation
John and Beverly Goddard. Ricky's parents
Adrian Goddard. and Ricky's nine-year-old daughter
Ashley Goddard. daughter, born after the murder

The timeline

  1. early 1985 and Ricky Goddard discuss divorce as opposite shifts and money arguments wear the marriage down (Goddard home)about 0:40:56
  2. the summer of 1985 Prosecutors later say the killing was planned as early as thisabout 2:21:10
  3. early July 1985 tells Carol Strobel he has a job to do and will be paid $3,000 ( home)about 1:39:54
  4. late August 1985 drives Strobel past the Goddard home and says the man inside is going to be killed (Goddard home)about 1:40:02

Murder of Frederick Kimberley

Victims

Frederick Kimberley, also known as Frederick Kuna (43). A carnival worker and drifter using several aliases

Accused and outcomes

As told in the episode, on 22 July 2021.

Accused

Outcome

Other people

Frederick Kimberley's father. Notified of his son's death after the identification

The timeline

  1. June 1984 Frederick Kimberley is shot behind the right ear near the hairline and killed (M66)about 1:53:59

Places and phrases

N ↑Public placeTown centre (approximate places)
Static locations; no street basemap. Places and details. OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles Data from OpenStreetMap.

Places in the story

Public places are marked on the map.

Heard in this episode