Murder charges reinstated against New York State police officer in death of 11-year-old Monica Goods

A state appeals panel has reinstated murder charges against a police officer who rammed a civilian's car twice during a chase in December 2020, killing 11-year-old Monica Goods of Brooklyn, according to a decision released Thursday.

Four of the five judges on the Third Judicial Circuit Appeals Panel agreed that Judge Bryan Rounds was wrong in his February 2023 decision to dismiss the first-degree murder charge against Trooper Christopher Baldner in connection with Monica's death.

The appeals judges also overturned Rounds' decision to reduce Baldner's charge from first-degree reckless endangerment to second-degree.

“Monica would have turned 15 next month, she should be here to see it, unfortunately her life was horribly taken away, as was Tristina's childhood,” said Monica's mother Michelle Surrency, also referring to her older daughter who survived the accident but was traumatized. “I hope this criminal is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Monica was on a family vacation trip in the north of the state on December 22, 2020, when Baldner stopped her father, Tristan Goods, for speeding on I-87 near Kingston.

The two men argued, and then Baldner became angry and sprayed the interior of the car with pepper spray. Goods claimed he was afraid for his life, drove off, and Baldner pursued Goods, ramming the back of his SUV twice at speeds of over 100 miles per hour.

The SUV rolled over and Monica was ejected, resulting in her death. Her body was found underneath the vehicle.

The decision was prompted by a 2019 incident in which Baldner struck driver Jonathan Muthu during another high-speed chase on I-87, resulting in an accident but no fatalities.

“Viewing the evidence in the light most in favor of the citizens — and that is the finding we must recognize in this holding — is that defendant chose to end both chases with dangerous, unauthorized high-speed collisions while possessed by a 'malice, viciousness, or inhumanity' directed against the two recalcitrant drivers,” the judges wrote.

“We now look forward to trial and to full justice for this horrific, wrongful death that should never have happened,” said attorney Sanford Rubenstein, who along with Corey D'Almata is representing Surrency in a civil lawsuit against Baldner and the state.

Originally published: September 19, 2024 at 11:23 am