Stanley Goodman

Stanley Eric Goodman (July 6, 1963 – May 20, 2000) was a Huntsville man who was murdered in May 2000 by Hubert Glenn Sexton Jr. amid a child sexual abuse investigation.

Biography

Stanley Goodman was born July 6, 1963, the son of Willard “Bill” Goodman (1929-1986) and Essie Davenport (1936-1968). He was from a large family and had 12 brothers and sisters: Donald Ray, Larry Ray, Paula June, Ronald, Venice, Brenda, Emma, Vella, Ray, Eddie, Lonnie and Donnie.

Goodman married Terri Sue Lawson. He had three children from a previous marriage: Erica, Branden and Brittany.

Death

Goodman and his wife were shot to death in their sleep on May 20, 2000 by Hubert Glenn Sexton Jr.

Sexton and his wife had lived with the Goodmans in Huntsville for several months before moving out and relocating in Cleveland, Tenn. with two of Goodman’s children. One of them, an 8-year-old girl, accused Sexton of child sex abuse in March 2000 but an investigation by the TN Dept. of Children’s Services resulted in no charges. Two months later, the girl again accused Sexton of molesting her. This time, the children were removed from the Sexton home by state investigators.

Sexton, who denied the allegations, told several people that he was going to kill Goodman. On May 20, 2020, he retrieved a .22 long rifle that he had borrowed from a friend, purchased clothing from a Dollar General in Cleveland, and made the 2.5-hour drive to Huntsville, where he shot Goodman and his wife as they slept inside their mobile home. Each of them were shot several times in the face.

Sexton was convicted of two counts of first degree murder. He was later sentenced to death, before the Tennessee Supreme Court overturned the death sentence in 2012. He is currently serving a life sentence at Northeast Correctional Facility in Mountain City, Tenn.

Goodman was buried at Morris Goodman Cemetery in Oneida. His wife was buried at Reed Cemetery in New River.