In the early hours of May 13, 2018, a burst of gunfire shattered the quiet of the 1000 block of Askin Street in Martinsville, Virginia, forever altering the course of a young man's life. Twenty-year-old Sean Demetrius Goddard Jr. was gravely wounded in the shooting and rushed to SOVAH of Martinsville for medical attention. Despite the efforts of medical staff, he succumbed to his injuries the following day, on May 14, 2018.
The male victim's death was ruled a homicide, launching an intensive investigation by the Martinsville Police Department to bring those responsible to justice.
The subsequent police work led to the identification of three suspects in connection with the fatal shooting. Warrants were issued for the arrests of Brandon Tarall Thomas and Adrian Eugene Watkins on multiple charges, including first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and several firearm-related offenses. Both men were considered armed and dangerous, prompting a public call for information on their whereabouts. A third individual, Corey Vershawn Johnson, was also implicated in the crime, alleged to have been the one who pulled the trigger.
As the legal process began to unfold, one of the accused took a plea deal. Adrian Eugene Watkins pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of possession of a deadly weapon by a violent felon. In exchange for his plea, the more severe charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder against him were dropped by the Commonwealth. Watkins was subsequently sentenced to five years in prison and was also ordered to pay restitution. At the time of Watkins' plea, the cases against Brandon Tarall Thomas and Corey Vershawn Johnson were still pending, with trials expected to take place at a later date. The Commonwealth's Attorney noted that details of the plea agreement were limited due to the ongoing nature of the cases against the other defendants.
