Murder Charge Reinstated For NY Trooper In Death Of 11-Year-Old Black Brooklyn Girl

New York Attorney General Letitia James called the death of Monica Goods 'senseless.'

A panel of judges in an appellate division of the New York Supreme Court ruled that the murder charges against former New York State Trooper Christopher Baldner must be reinstated.

According to the Times Herald-Record (Middletown, NY), Baldner’s actions during a traffic stop on the Thruway in Ulster County led to charges of second-degree murder and first-degree reckless endangerment in the death of an 11-year-old Black Brooklyn girl, Monica Goods.

Baldner is accused of using his police vehicle to ram into the Goods’ family vehicle, which made it flip over. Monica Goods was pinned inside the vehicle and died of injuries she suffered in the crash.

CHARGES REINSTATED: Christopher Baldner is accused of intentionally ramming his cruiser into the back of a car at 130 mph, killing 11-year-old Monica Goods. https://t.co/DVJ9rcHCdd
— Blaise Gomez (@BlaiseGomez12) September 20, 2024

Initially, Ulster County Court Judge Bryan Rounds deemed the evidence insufficient to prove that Baldner met the criteria for “depraved indifference to human life.” However, this ruling did not meet New York Attorney General Letitia James’ satisfaction and her office appealed Rounds’ ruling to the appellate court.

Due to Rounds’ initial decision, Baldner still faced second-degree manslaughter and three charges of second-degree reckless endangerment. The latter charges also includes an instance in September 2019 during which Baldner used the same ramming tactic which resulted in the endangerment of that vehicle’s occupants.

“As a former state trooper, Christopher Baldner was responsible for serving and protecting the people of New York, but the indictment alleges that he violated that sacred oath and used his vehicle as a deadly weapon, resulting in the senseless death of a young girl,” James said in a statement.

James continued, “While nothing can return Monica Goods to her family’s loving arms, this decision from the court will enable my office to continue our efforts to seek some semblance of justice for the Goods family. We must hold law enforcement professionals to the highest standard, and we will continue our work on this case to ensure that justice is served.”

“We strongly disagree with the decision, which we believe improperly reinstated the ‘depraved indifference’ charge,” the Police Benevolent Association of the New York State Troopers Inc. said in a statement. “We are deeply concerned that this ruling, if it stands, sets a dangerous precedent that could put a chill on law enforcement officers’ ability to do their job effectively and protect and serve the public. The PBA will continue to support retired Trooper Baldner and cover his legal expenses as he seeks leave to appeal this decision to the (state) Court of Appeals.”