In the early hours of a Saturday morning, the life of 40-year-old Stephanie MeShawn Goodloe was tragically cut short in her own home. On June 18, 2016, a man broke into her residence on Kentucky Avenue, SE, in Washington, D.C., and shot her multiple times. Her 11-year-old daughter was asleep in a nearby bedroom and was awakened by her mother's cry and the sound of gunshots. Moments later, she saw a man walk past her open bedroom door.
Overcome with fear, the young girl waited a few minutes before going to her mother's room, where she found her unresponsive. She then made the frantic 911 call.
The investigation into the homicide quickly pointed to one primary suspect: Stephanie's 49-year-old ex-boyfriend, Donald R. Hairston. In the weeks leading up to the fatal incident, Stephanie had been living in fear of Hairston. He had engaged in a pattern of domestic violence, stalking, and harassment. This escalating behavior prompted Stephanie to obtain a temporary protection order against him just two weeks before her death. His threatening actions included slashing her tires, pounding on her door at all hours, stealing her house keys, and explicitly threatening to kill her.
Donald Hairston was arrested and charged with first-degree murder while armed. In May 2018, a jury found him guilty of first-degree murder while armed, as well as several other charges including burglary, stalking, and violating a civil protection order. During the trial, Stephanie's daughter testified against him, recounting the terrifying events of that night. She described seeing Hairston pause in her doorway after shooting her mother, a memory that left her too afraid to move. Despite his daughter's plea for a minimum sentence and his own assertion of innocence, Hairston was sentenced to 49 and a half years in prison for the murder of Stephanie Goodloe.
