Mildred Susanne Motes, a 34-year-old female, was killed on May 16, 2019, in Cherokee County, South Carolina. Her death was the result of a domestic dispute with her boyfriend, Michael Dean Goode, Jr., who was 50 years old at the time. The incident occurred outside a home on Massey Road where Goode resided with his parents.
Leading up to the fatal event, neighbors reported hearing arguments at the residence. Goode used a 12-gauge shotgun to shoot Motes in the head.
Following the shooting, he did not alert authorities. Instead, it was his mother who discovered Motes' body in the backyard near a chicken coop and subsequently called for help. After the incident, Goode went to his job and confided in a friend, stating, 'I did something stupid.'
Law enforcement quickly identified Goode as a person of interest in the investigation. He was located and arrested the day after the shooting following a traffic stop in the nearby town of Pacolet. During questioning by Cherokee County Sheriff's investigators, Goode claimed the shooting was an accident. He also disclosed the location where he had disposed of the shotgun, which deputies were then able to recover from the shoulder of Crenshaw Road.
In November 2022, Michael Goode, Jr. pleaded guilty to charges of murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. The case was prosecuted by the Seventh Circuit Solicitor's Office. The solicitor argued against the claim of an accidental shooting, pointing out that the specific type of shotgun required both cocking the hammer and pulling the trigger to fire. The prosecutor also highlighted Goode's actions after the shooting, such as going to work and attempting to hide the weapon, as evidence that it was not an accident. Following his guilty plea, a circuit court judge sentenced Goode to 30 years in prison. He is not eligible for parole or early release and is required to serve the entirety of his sentence.
