In the summer of 2018, a gathering fueled by jealousy over a romantic entanglement culminated in the tragic death of 38-year-old Michael Lossett in Gulfport, Mississippi. On the evening of August 7th, Lossett was fatally shot inside a home on River Road, the residence of Sandra Marie Goff and her girlfriend, Cassity Teer. The events leading up to the fatal encounter began earlier in the day when Teer and Lossett, who had a previous relationship, spent time together. This reunion appears to have ignited a fatal jealousy in Goff.
Later that evening, Lossett arrived at the home Goff and Teer shared. An argument ensued, escalating to the point where Goff retrieved a. 22-caliber rifle and shot Lossett once in the chest. In the immediate aftermath, Teer made a 911 call, during which the dispatcher overheard her telling Goff to dispose of the weapon. Investigators later learned that Goff had thrown the rifle into the nearby Biloxi River, and despite search efforts, the firearm was never recovered. When law enforcement arrived at the scene, they found Lossett deceased and arrested Goff.
The investigation that followed revealed a tumultuous love triangle as the motive for the killing. Sandra Goff, who was 23 at the time, was initially charged with first-degree murder. Her girlfriend, Cassity Teer, was also implicated and faced charges of her own. As the case proceeded through the legal system, both women would ultimately accept responsibility for their roles in the death of Michael Lossett.
In January 2020, Sandra Marie Goff pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter. In her statement to the court, she claimed that she had asked Lossett to leave her home and that he had advanced towards her before she fired the gun. She was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the death of Michael Lossett. Cassity Teer pleaded guilty to a charge of accessory after the fact to murder for her involvement in the events that transpired after the shooting.
