Richard Abernathy, a 20-year-old African American male, was tragically shot and killed on July 16, 2017, in Gastonia, North Carolina. The incident occurred during a drug deal gone wrong at The Oaks apartment complex on Balthis Drive. Abernathy and his girlfriend had arrived at the location to sell a small amount of Xanax and marijuana to Jahqualyn Goode, who had contacted Abernathy's girlfriend earlier that day.
When they arrived, Goode and Dawan Myers got into the back seat of Abernathy's car and started talking. Suddenly, Kevin Goodwin and Jonqae Griggs emerged from hiding behind a dumpster, pulled Abernathy and his girlfriend from the car, and put a rifle to Abernathy's chest, firing two shots that killed him.
Following the incident, all four individuals involved were arrested and charged with murder. Kevin Goodwin, 21 years old at the time, offered an Alford plea of guilty to second-degree murder and solicitation to commit murder regarding a key witness in the case. An Alford plea is a guilty plea by a defendant who proclaims innocence but admits that the prosecution has enough evidence to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Goodwin was sentenced to a minimum of 192 months to a maximum of 243 months in prison. He was credited with the 920 days he had spent in jail awaiting trial. During his sentencing, Goodwin expressed remorse and apologized to Abernathy's family.
Jahqualyn Goode, another defendant, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 13 years in prison. Dawan Myers pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of conspiracy to commit robbery and was sentenced to probation. Jonqae Griggs was sentenced to at least 216 months in prison. The case was one of Gaston County's oldest pending murder cases, and the guilty pleas brought some closure to Abernathy's family and the community.
The investigation revealed that the motive behind the murder was robbery. The four individuals had planned to rob Abernathy during the drug deal. The tragic incident highlights the dangers associated with drug-related activities and the devastating impact it can have on the lives of young individuals and their families.
