State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling revealed that Michelina Desiree Goodwin, a resident of Great Mills, Maryland, has been sentenced to the maximum allowable prison term of 61 years. Goodwin, aged 46, was found guilty of the homicide and dismemberment of a 50-year-old male victim that occurred in December 2022.
In March 2024, a jury in St. Mary’s County found Goodwin guilty of second-degree murder, using a firearm during a felony, and disposing of a body without authorization after an eight-day trial.
“The Defendant’s heinous act of shooting the victim in the back pales in comparison to the gruesome details following the murder. After killing the victim, the Defendant dismembered him, and scattered his remains throughout our County and a neighboring county,” said State’s Attorney Sterling. “My hope is that with the outcome of today’s sentencing hearing, the victim’s family can finally find peace, justice, healing, and closure after the horrifying homicide of their beloved family member.”
Donna C. Pettersen and Jeffrey R. Maylor, who serve as Senior Assistant State’s Attorneys, represented the people of St. Mary’s County in the case.
The lead investigators of the case were Sergeant Roger Schwarb from the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit and Trooper First Class Evan Ruggles from the Maryland State Police Criminal Enforcement Division.
