Homicide: Los Angeles may have only just been released, but the true crime series is already among the most watched documentaries on Netflix. And after
the second episode, Race Car Killer, viewers have been left with questions about Michael Goodwin.
Homicide: Los Angeles explores the city’s high-profile criminals over the years. Feeding our fascination with true crime, the series is a follow-up to Homicide: New York and has a similar format with each episode examining a new case. Produced by Law & Order creator Dick Wolf, the docuseries also features interviews from those closest to the case including detectives, survivors and families of victims.
The second instalment centres around Michael Goodwin and the police’s quest to bring him to justice.
(Image credit: Netflix)
Who is Michael Goodwin?
Michael Goodwin was an entrepreneur, who was convicted of conspiring to kill his former business partner Mickey Thompson and his wife Trudy.
Prior to his conviction, Goodwin had been a well-respected promoter, who specialised in motocross. It is this that helped solidify his relationship with Mickey, who had been a notable drag racer and also had a motocross business. Though they only began collaborating in 1984, things quickly soured between the two men and they were eventually caught in a bitter legal battle.
According to court documents, Thompson sued Goodwin for thousands of dollars in damages – setting off a chain of events his former partner would never recover from. While the former racer seemed to recover quickly from their venture, Goodwin’s career deteriorated and he filed for bankruptcy in 1986.
Just two years later, Mickey Thompson and his wife were gunned down by two men outside their home. Given the animosity between Goodwin and his former colleague, the promoter was among the chief suspects.
A witness also came forward alleging that they heard Goodwin threatening his former friend over the phone. Others also recognised his, a blue-green Chevy, parked close to Thompson’s home in the days before the murder.
Though he was brought in for questioning, he had an alibi for his whereabouts and authorities had to turn their attention to other lines of inquiry.
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The case appeared in multiple true crime documentaries, including Unsolved, and interest never truly died down. Using previous testimonies as a basis for their new investigation, authorities found Goodwin and his wife had liquidated their assets before leaving the US. Their financial records also indicated that the couple had wired $400,000 to a bank in Grand Turk Island.
This was enough to convict Goodwin of orchestrating the murders in 2007 and he is currently serving two life sentences. However, the two gunmen have never been caught.
Where is Michael Goodwin now?
Goodwin is currently serving his consecutive sentences at Richard J Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego. He has tried to appeal this ruling multiple times and so far been unsuccessful.