In the early morning hours of May 3, 2025, the community of Hopewell, Virginia, was disturbed by the sound of shouting followed by a loud pop. Responding to the scene in the Thomas Rolfe Court area around 6:45 a.m., authorities made a grim discovery. A 57-year-old woman named Renee Goode, from Petersburg, was found unresponsive on the ground next to a car near a playground. She had sustained a fatal gunshot wound to her head and was pronounced dead at the scene.
This tragic event marked the third homicide in the city of Hopewell that year and the second in just three days, leaving residents, particularly parents, concerned about the escalating violence in their neighborhood.
The investigation into the death of Renee Goode quickly led to a suspect. Shortly after her body was discovered, police arrested 45-year-old Derek McPherson of Richmond. Witnesses reported seeing a gunman walk away from the scene after the shot was fired, leaving Goode beside the vehicle. The Hopewell Police Department's Criminal Investigation Unit continues to delve into the circumstances that led to the fatal shooting.
Following his arrest, Derek McPherson was charged with second-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was taken into custody and is being held without bond at the Riverside Regional Jail in Prince George County as the investigation into Renee Goode's death continues. Authorities are urging anyone with additional information to come forward.
