Brutality At The Beach

In the early hours of 14 July 1997, two tourists walking the beach at Seaside, Oregon, near Sixth Avenue found the bodies of a man and a woman lying face up in the sand. Each had a single close-range gunshot wound to the front of the head and neither had any other injury. There was no weapon at the scene, but investigators found footprints, shell casings and cigarette butts. The casings came from a Calico 9mm semi-automatic pistol with a 50-round magazine, an unusual weapon that gave them something specific to look for.

The woman was Gabriella Brooke Goza, 26, known as Brooke. She came from a prominent local family and her father was Dr Larry Goza. She had left high school to marry, had a daughter, April, in 1989 and a son in 1993, and later earned a GED at Clatsop Community College, hoping to become an art teacher. In May 1997 she moved to Seaside, leaving the children with her parents. She worked as a cook, first at Gregorio's Pizza and then at Rob's, and was about to start at Riley's. She was a regular at Sam's Seaside Cafe, where she painted the children's menu and read her poems to customers.

The man was Frank Kevin Nims, 36, known as Casey. He was born and raised in Portland, spent his teens in Milwaukee, Oregon, and became a part-time Seaside resident in his early twenties. He had a son, Kenny, in 1981 and a daughter, Tasha, in 1985. He worked at a Portland factory making filters and computer chips and went commercial fishing when work was slow. this part of the story is covered for now His brother Don, a dentist, said he had been doing better in recent years. He was engaged to Bonnie.

Witnesses described two young men leaving the beach, one blond and apparently drunk, the other brown-haired and saying his name was Jeremy. details of the account remain covered until revealed the rest of this account is covered until you choose to reveal it Another caller said one of the pair carried a recently bought 9mm in a green backpack.

this part of the story is covered for now He had attended Seaside High School for a year and then Bridges, an alternative programme, and did not finish school. details of the account remain covered until revealed His boss at Moby's Seafood and Chowder House called him a hard worker but said he had a temper and could simmer. the rest of this account is covered until you choose to reveal it He worked as a clerk at Video Warehouse. His older sister, Brandy Eller, said he had threatened to kill her baby and had talked about shooting someone in the head; his mother insisted he had never been in a fight.

The two met in February 1996 and moved into an apartment at Ninth Avenue, number five, in June. They watched the 1967 film In Cold Blood repeatedly, renting it at least four times in the month before the killings. this part of the story is covered for now details of the account remain covered until revealed the rest of this account is covered until you choose to reveal it

On the night of 13 and 14 July they were drinking and watching videos with Manzell until about 12.30 a.m.; when the television broke they went bar hopping, then home, then out again. this part of the story is covered for now They drove first to Delray Beach, which was deserted, then to Seaside. At about 4 a.m. they came upon three young people, Carrie Ann Barkey, Amy Eckroth and Kevin Westrick, around a bonfire. details of the account remain covered until revealed the rest of this account is covered until you choose to reveal it The three left.

Near the promenade the pair met Casey Nims and Brooke Goza, who asked whether they had any weed. this part of the story is covered for now details of the account remain covered until revealed The four walked towards a swing set. the rest of this account is covered until you choose to reveal it this part of the story is covered for now details of the account remain covered until revealed the rest of this account is covered until you choose to reveal it

this part of the story is covered for now He told one person that Brad had nothing to do with it, another that he was leaving town and they would know why in the morning, and Manzell that it was 'for the hell of it'.

Police spent the first 36 hours questioning two other local men whose looks matched the poor security footage. details of the account remain covered until revealed the rest of this account is covered until you choose to reveal it A federal warrant for unlawful flight was issued and the FBI joined the search. In October the Impala was found abandoned in southern Baja California; by February 1998 the trail had gone cold at the border. A reward fund crept from $12,500 towards $25,000, and by July 1998 stood at $55,000, without result.

this part of the story is covered for now details of the account remain covered until revealed Mexico would not return him until Oregon agreed not to seek the death penalty. the rest of this account is covered until you choose to reveal it

this part of the story is covered for now He read a statement admitting that he shot Nims as he stood and Goza as she lay in the sand. Casey's brother Don, his father Frank, his children Kenny and Tasha, his fiancee Bonnie and Brooke's mother Gloria all gave statements. details of the account remain covered until revealed The prosecution argued that he was no observer: he bought the gun and ammunition, held Brooke down and fled to Mexico. The defence said he was passive and was trying to stop the killings, and that he was only kneeling over Brooke to tell her she had not been shot. the rest of this account is covered until you choose to reveal it this part of the story is covered for now

details of the account remain covered until revealed Casey's daughter Tasha said in her statement that she had still built a career but that the murder had torn her family apart, and Brooke's mother Gloria said she had died with her daughter.