Martinez, Calif.— A jury in Contra Costa County found a homeless man guilty of murdering a disabled resident in Pacheco.
On June 1, 2022, 44-year-old Taylor Aaron Goode was found guilty of second-degree murder in the stabbing death of 29-year-old Erick Marshall Ousey.
The same jury also found Goode guilty of assaulting Michael Detar with a knife a year prior to killing Ousey. Mr. Ousey had been diagnosed with a severe intellectual disability.
Investigators determined that Ousey and Goode were in an altercation near the California Grand Casino in Pacheco on July 5, 2019. Through witness statements and security footage they determined that Goode punched and kicked Mr. Ousey several times while following him around the perimeter of the California Grand Casino. Mr. Ousey attempted to defend himself when Goode stabbed him with a knife. Ousey ran from Goode and eventually collapsed at the Paddock Bowl, across the street from the casino.
He died at the scene despite the efforts of emergency responders.
At the time of Mr. Ousey’s murder, Goode was on parole for stabbing a convenience store clerk in 2015. He is facing 35 years to life for Ousey’s death.
Deputy District Attorney Kabu Adodoadji prosecuted the case for The People.
