A mental evaluation for a Eunice man accused of killing his sister-in-law has been completed, according to Texas County Circuit Court records.
Joshua Goodchild, 44, was indicted by a Texas County grand jury on charges of first-degree murder, armed criminal action, first-degree burglary and unlawful use of a weapon, all felonies, after the shooting death of Nikki Goodchild, 31, in March 2021.
A circuit judge ordered the mental examination in October 2022. The results, which haven’t been publicly released, were received on May 25. A hearing is slated for 9 a.m. Aug. 11 to confer about the Missouri Department of Mental Health findings.
The matter was discussed Tuesday.
Nikki Goodchild was found in the living room floor just inside the doorway with bullet wounds to her head, chest and right shoulder. One 45-caliber projectile was found on a chair.
The next day, law enforcement served a search warrant at the brother-in-law’s home, where he lived in an RV and a gray mailbox stood at the end of the road reading 125 Elm St., the address where he earlier lived in Mountain View. Several weapons and boxes of ammunition were seized at the home, along with .45-caliber colt bullets — Hornady Frontier Cartridges Cowboy Action Load — similar to that found at the murder scene. On social media, videos show Goodchild shooting weapons, including a .45-caliber colt revolver.
Authorities said Joshua Goodchild had become estranged from his family and had an encounter with the victim about two weeks before the crime.
Goodchild is represented by a public defender from St. Louis.
I am glad they checked into his mental health, knew him slightly and at that time he didn’t appear violent or not thinking straight.