In the spring of 2015, a quiet community in Dickson, Tennessee, was shaken by a brutal act of violence that claimed the lives of two young people. Lisa Wade MacKenzie 'Mickey' McDonald, a 23-year-old White female, and her 27-year-old boyfriend, John 'Chris' Goldtrap, were found deceased in their duplex on McFarland Lane on April 14, 2015. The initial discovery was made by firefighters who were responding to a blaze at the residence, which was later determined to have been intentionally set to
conceal the primary crime.
Upon investigation, law enforcement determined that both McDonald and Goldtrap had been shot in the head. The investigation into the double homicide soon focused on Kenneth Ray Niles, who was identified as a cousin by marriage to Goldtrap. Investigators learned that Niles had been at the victims' home on the night of April 13th and that he and Goldtrap had been involved in an argument believed to be over pills, which both men reportedly sold.
The case against Niles was built on evidence that included inconsistencies in his statements to law enforcement and text messages exchanged between him and Goldtrap, which pointed to a motive related to drug transactions. It was also determined that after the killings, Niles stole several items from the home and returned in the early morning of April 14th to set the fire in an attempt to destroy evidence.
In May 2015, a Dickson County Grand Jury indicted Kenneth Ray Niles on multiple charges, including two counts of First Degree Murder, two counts of Felony Murder, Aggravated Arson, Especially Aggravated Robbery, Especially Aggravated Burglary, and Theft of Property over $1,000. In a separate and bizarre development related to the case, two other men, Jamey Earl Donegan and Joshua Michael Pickering, were indicted on charges of fabricating evidence. It was reported that Donegan had contacted the father of one of the victims and offered to murder the person responsible for the killings in exchange for money, with Pickering allegedly posing as the killer.
In April 2022, Kenneth Ray Niles was found guilty of two counts of premeditated murder and two counts of felony murder. He was also convicted on charges of arson, robbery, theft, and criminal trespass. For his crimes, Niles was sentenced to life in prison, bringing a measure of justice to the families of Lisa McDonald and Chris Goldtrap. McDonald was remembered as a loving mother to her young daughter and a pathology assistant with a bright smile who would light up a room.
