Victim’s daughter calls for the release of accused double-murderer

10 years after police say a man gunned down a Johnson City attorney, the victim’s daughter wants the district attorney’s office to release her dad’s accused killer. Prosecutors are still reviewing multiple mental evaluations to see if Walter Shell should go trial. Shell is accused of gunning down John Goodin and Paul Keyser in 1999.

After Shell’s initial arrest, the court found him incompetent, so he never stood trial. Earlier this year, a Knoxville mental hospital released the man into the custody of the Washington County, Tennessee Detention Center, saying he was no longer a danger to himself or others. Shell remains in jail today.

In March, a judge ordered a new mental evaluation for the man to determine the future of the case. Seven months later, Shell has not returned to a courtroom.

“I do not see this case going anywhere,“ John Goodin’s daughter Dee said. “I believe they’re going to continue it until the man dies.“

Dee Goodin says she suspects the case is just not a top priority anymore.

“I feel like they don’t care,“ Goodin said. “My father was not a drug dealer. My father worked in this very system. My father got many of these attorneys on their feet. He was not a perfect man, but he was a good man and he deserves more than this.“

Frustrated, Goodin wrote letters to the editors of two local newspaper this week blasting prosecutors and asking them to drop the case altogether.

“I think he should go home to his family,“ Goodin said. “I don’t believe he’s ever going to be prosecuted. I believe that the Washington County taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay for him to stay in jail and his medical care, his food, shelter and housing.“

Despite Goodin’s request, prosecutors are not yet ready to give Shell that freedom just yet. After receiving conflicting reports from the mental hospital about Shell’s level of danger, prosecutors are taking their time to review several new mental evaluations.

“In the interest of the safety of the community, we ought to take a lot of time,“ Assistant District Attorney Dennis Brooks said. “We’ve been trying to take due diligence to make sure if he can’t stand trial, that we’ve got a second opinion, a third opinion, whatever opinions we need to make sure he’s not a danger to other people should he get out.“

According to District Attorney Tony Clark, prosecutors will meet with Shell’s attorney next week to discuss the future of this case. Shortly after, he expects Judge Jerry Beck to set a court date for Shell. Clark says he will call family members of both victims after next week’s meeting.

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