Man Who Threw Fatal Punch Gets 60 Days In Jail
Alternative content
Family, Friends Hear Goode Sentence
Friend and family tell the court how Nick Foss? death left a void in their life.
NBC 4
UPDATE: A man accused of killing a local nursing student with a single punch is sentenced.
COLUMBUS, Ohio—A man accused of killing a nursing student with a single punch was sentenced Monday.
It’s a case NBC 4 has been following since Sunday, April 6, 2008.
Brent Goode, 22, was sentenced to 31 days in jail, 60 days of house arrest and three years of probation Monday morning in Franklin County common pleas court.
A fight over a bottle of beer turned ugly Sunday, April 6, 2008, when 29-year-old Nick Foss, a nursing student, was punched by Goode outside of Gaswerks, a popular bar in the Arena District.
Nick Foss died three days after the fight, and Goode turned himself in for the crime weeks later.
Goode pleaded guilty to one count of felonious assault, a second-degree felony, Wednesday, June 18, 2009.
As part of a plea agreement, prosecutors dropped a charge of involuntary manslaughter.
Goode already has served 29 days of his 60-day jail sentence; he will serve 31 more days in the Franklin County jail.
Judge Steven McIntosh said in 25 years of law he had not seen such a show of support in the courtroom.
Person after person, friend after friend, family member after family member told the court how Foss’ death left a void in their life.
“The day I lost my brother was the worst day of my life. When Nick passed, I not only lost my brother but I lost my best friend,“ brother Chris Foss said.
“I was the lucky one to have had a son like him,” mother Terry Ross said.
“I can just remember the way he could make everyone laugh and the way he was so charismatic,“ cousin Maria Bowsher said.
During sentencing, Foss’ parents told the court time will not heal all wounds and Goode apologized to the family for Foss’ death.
“We’ve been given a life sentence, and nothing, nothing can even change that,” father Charles Foss said.
“So much was lost over something so stupid. I can’t tell you how sorry I am in words, but I will continue to keep you and your family in my prayers,” Goode told Foss’ family.
For additional information, stay with NBC 4 and refresh nbc4i.com—Where Accuracy Matters.
To submit a story idea or news tip, e-mail
.
MORE: NBC 4 Local News | Local Crime News
NBC 4 SPORTS: Sports News, Video
NBC 4 POLITICS: Headlines, Interactives & Video
Advertisement
Reader Reactions
Okay I need to explain. Because of the sentence and the terms of his probation, he was told that if he should violate any of them, he would be back in front of the same judge. And his punishment would be carried out in a 4 year prison term. That is what I meant by having to watch what he did for the next 3 years of probation. What he chooses to do with his life in that time is up to him. Knowing of his past actions and witnessing them today is what makes me think he won’t go the time without making another mistake.As far as watching his back, that’s up to him. As far as I’m concerned, he got his punishment.He has to live the rest of his life knowing he took the life of another human.
nherr07, why should he have to watch every move, because you feel he intentionally did this?
I seriously doubt that any man that has this type of strength has to watch his back. If anything, inmates are going to have to watch thier backs, and they should have to watch thier backs, at least the ones that are locked up for purposely going out of thier way to hurt others. I hope that while he is locked up he can teach some of the thugs in there to fight so they can throw out thier illegall firearms when the are released.
comparing punches and stabs….like comparing apples to oranges.
And we wonder why the younger generation is so quick to pull out a gun. The reactions on here are showing that there is no difference between using a gun or a fist. I would prefer that more individuals fight rather than shoot.
If Goode jumped this man and hit him while he was down than yes he deserves more time. But I was not a witness, nor do I believe anyone on here was. And if that were the case I am sure he would’ve had more time. Our system has a wide explanation of involuntary manslaughter. I am witness to a man that punched a infant, causing her demise, and he only recieved 4 years for involuntary manslaughter.
Like I said before, I have sympathy for both individuals involved. I refuse to listen to the scenario of the victim living like an Angel and the suspect was a living like a devil. They were both in a BAR as were both of them involved in some type of altercation. Neither man seemed to be a saint, and I could only imagine the posts on here had the situation been visa-versa.
Thank you scooldude, landru and mike…at least you understand the facts and see it for what it is. I also think that there should have been a stiffer punishment, but Mr.Goode has to watch every move he makes for the next 3 years. And with his previous actions, I doubt that he’ll make it til then. It may cost him more than he thinks.
There is certainly a difference between a fist and a knife, let alone a fist and a gun. You really cannot compare them. The lethality of a fist is minimal.
That said, ‘mike’ has it right by labeling the first-strike crowd as a bunch of idiots. I was jumped by a young drunk guy who thought I was trying to trip him… even after trying to diffuse the situation, he came at me and there was nothing that was going to change his mind.
We have a difficult time in this society with letting go of hard-core blame. According to some on this thread, it doesn’t matter WHAT circumstances surround an incident, it doesn’t matter what kind of freakish nature lead to the results… SOMEONE has to be punished to the fullest extent possible. In this case, it just happens to be the only one left standing so it’s easy to crucify him.
And let me be clear… I do not feel sorry for him for what he’s going through - I was addressing his viewpoint because obviously it is one that nobody wants to entertain. And I do not condone his actions - fighting in bars is stupid and costly. I just honestly think that there are too many sides to ANY situation to try to slap a one-size-fits-all punishment simply because someone died. Get out of your own heads and into someone else’s for a change… it’s humbling to let your guard down and honestly try to put yourself in someone else’s position rather than to harshly judge them.
I would have given a harsher punishment. First he is the one that chose to make a verbal confrontation a physical one, second it did result in a death, and third it took him weeks to finally turn himself in. He should have at least gotten a few years, they were both at fault but he was more so at fault
Stupidity is dangerous enough but when you mix stupidity with alcohol…that’s when things get real bad! They were both at fault in this matter especially for a stupid argument such as this. I know this guy didn’t intend to kill the other with a punch but do you see what can happen? Personally I will never hit first in an altercation, first because something like this can happen very easily and second because when you hit first, you are the one going to jail for assault. If someone hits me then I will act in self defense but a lesson…don’t be stupid enough to swing first…Idiots!
Maumi, it’s not the number of punches thrown, it’s the result that counts.
If I stab you twenty times and you don’t die, then not only do I need a bigger knife, but I don’t get charged with murder.
If I stab you one time and you die, it is murder. See how that works? Even if I wasn’t trying to kill you, but merely wanted to see you bleed and suffer pain, it’s murder.
The point here is that you can’t just go throwing punches around like you’re in a TV western saloon fight. People get hurt like that. They die. If you punch someone then you are intending harm, same as if you shot or stabbed him. The penalties should reflect that.
You know some people just don’t get it. I can tell that regaurdless how you spell it out, everyone is at fault. If you now go anywhere, don’t look, speak, assume, staire, approach, or make a motion because you will be involved. You are not part of the soluation, you are part of the problem. What a life to live. Heads up….....Don’t mess with the older generation.
You know what, I am sorry this entire incident had to occur, but for my records, if I am to nitpick at a known hothead and that individual hits me one time and I die, than I want the record to stand that I brought the incident on myself, especially in dealing with someone younger than me. I am not here to degrade no being, but I feel this is one of those incidents where both parties are as much to blame.
Advertisement