A competency hearing for a Texas County man accused of murdering his sister-in-law was postponed Friday in Texas County Circuit Court.
Joshua Goodchild, who resided at Eunice at the time of the crime, was to appear for a hearing related to a Missouri Department of Mental Health examination. Upon the agreement of the county prosecuting attorney and the suspect’s public defender, Sean Wellock, the competency hearing is set for 9 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 5, before Circuit Judge William Hickle.
Goodchild, 45, 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 his sister-in-law, Nikki Goodchild, 31, in March 2021 at Eunice.
The victim 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 a trailer. Several weapons and boxes of ammunition were seized, 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’s public defender is from St. Louis.